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Hungary has a complex sense of identity, not generally regarding itself as Balkan or Slavic, but Western. The country's assortment of cultures can be traced back through its history.

Budapest is a fantastic capital city in its own right, situated on a beautiful stretch of the Danube. The city is made up of two parts – Buda, the older, more graceful and cobbled part, and Pest, the commercial center. The capital is a lively city that has long been a haven for writers, artists and musicians. And Hungary has a lot of them, with rich traditions in folk and classical music, the birthplace of Liszt and Bartok. Budapest is also filled with the strains of much more modern music, which spills out of nightclubs, trendy bars and discos.