Buda and Pest connected by Széchenyi Chain Bridge.

Pest ( /ˈpɛst/; Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈpɛʃt]) is the eastern, mostly flat part of Budapest, Hungary, comprising about two thirds of the city's territory. It is separated from Buda, the other part of Budapest, by the Danube River. Among its most notable parts are the Inner City, including the Hungarian Parliament, Heroes' Square and Andrássy Avenue. In colloquial Hungarian, "Pest" is often used for the whole capital of Budapest.

Etymology[link]

The name Pest comes from a Slavic word meaning "furnace", "oven" (Bulgarian пещ ['peʃt]; Serbian "пећ/peć"), probably with reference to a local cave where fire burned. ^[1]

History[link]

View on the coastal part of Pest.

Pest was a separate independent city, references to which appear in writings dating back to 1148. In earlier centuries there were ancient Celtic and Roman settlements there. Pest became an important economic center during 11th–13th centuries. It was destroyed in the 1241 Mongol invasion of Hungary but rebuilt once again soon thereafter. In 1838 it was flooded by the Danube. In 1849 the first suspension bridge, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, was constructed across the Danube connecting Pest with Buda. Consequently, in 1873, the two cities were unified with Óbuda to become Budapest.

Notable people[link]

• László Teleki, writer and statesman

See also[link]

• Budapest
• Inner City (Budapest)
• Pest County
• Újpest (Newpest)

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Gustáv, Beksics: Magyarosodás és magyarositás. Különös tekintettel városainkra. Budapest, 1883
• A Pallas nagy lexikona: Budapest

External links[link]

• Pest on Wikitravel

Coordinates: 47°30′N 19°6′E / 47.5°N 19.1°E / 47.5; 19.1

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