Vienna and Budapest were once the two capitals of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, at times the largest power in Europe (and arguably in the world). Many artifacts in both cities are still indicators of that history and the connection between the two cities. As a result of World War I, the empire was split into many pieces, two of them being modern day Austria and modern day Hungary, with Vienna and Budapest as their respective capitals. As a result of World War II, Hungary became part of the Sovjet empire and disappeared behind the Iron Curtain. However, even in the drab times of communist rule in Eastern Europe, Hungary was considered the "different kid", since its population enjoyed a few more freedoms than the rest of eastern europeans countries. The former connection between Hungary and Austria played a major role in the fall of the Iron curtain, as the former connected countries where the first ones in Europe to open their borders to each other in early 1989. This led to the mass exodus of East Germans in the summer of 1989 that the ruling class in East Germany couldn't stop and led eventually to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
== Budapest ==
There are many, many great hotels in Budapest (and even more shitty ones - and I've stayed if a few dozen), I'll only recommend one: the '''Corinthia Hotel Budapest'''. <br>