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Hi, I�m Rick Steves,
back with more of the best of Europe.
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This time we�re soaking up
the cultural wonders of Hungary�
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in Budapest.
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Your move!
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Budapest is a heavyweight
city filled with subtle charms.
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It�s cosmopolitan, complicated
and a bit challenging at first.
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Seasoned travelers like it more with each visit.
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For many, Budapest is Eastern Europe's
most fascinating and rewarding destination.
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We�ll soak in elegance at thermal baths,
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stomp and slap with traditional dancers,
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visit the communist all-stars now in a statue park,
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remember Hungary�s secret police,
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sample some paprika
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and cruise under floodlit monuments.
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Hungary, landlocked deep in central Europe
and formerly part of the Warsaw Pact,
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is now part of the European Union.
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The separate cities of Buda and Pest
once straddled the Danube River.
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Now they�ve grown together to make Budapest.
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This mythic bird, the Turul,
was the bird of the original Hungarians
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the Magyars, who migrated out of the plains of Central Asia.
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In 896, the bird dropped its sword here,
indicating that this was to be their homeland.
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The Magyars settled here setting into motion
a tumultuous and fascinating thousand-year story
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which ultimately gave us the modern nation
of Hungary� and this great capital.
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Situated on a crossroads between Europe and Asia,
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those original Magyars absorbed waves
of migrating ethnic groups.
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Who are the people of Budapest?
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Start with those first Magyar settlers,
mix in Germans,
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Slavs, Jews, Gypsies,
spice with a dash of Turkish paprika...
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and simmer for a few centuries in its famous thermal baths.
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Each group had an impact.
All this ethnic piling on created a cultural goulash
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that is distinctly...Budapest.
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Starting in the 16th century, the Ottoman Turks
ruled for about 150 years.
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Later, as part of the Hapsburg Empire
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ruled from Vienna and energized
by an influx of German-speakers
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the city became more European.
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The last half of the 1800s was a boom time for Budapest
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cafes were packed as was its opera house.
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The Hapsburgs agreed to a treaty
making Hungary a junior partner
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in a vast realm they now called the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
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As Vienna�s second fiddle, Budapest governed
a huge chunk of Eastern Europe.
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The boom peaked with a flurry of construction
working up to a grand party in 1896
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Hungary�s 1,000th birthday.
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Like so much of Budapest, Hungary�s parliament
was built for the big 1896 party.
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Its elegant neo-Gothic design and riverside location
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were inspired by its counterpart in London.
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It�s enormous, with literally miles of grand halls,
designed to help administer
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that sprawling multinational Hapsburg Empire.
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With the end of World War I, the Hapsburgs were gone and Hungary,
while much smaller, was fully independent.
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But then came the Nazis�
followed by the Communists.
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That illusive freedom was finally won
after the fall of the USSR in 1989,
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and since then the city has blossomed.
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Today, Hungary rules only Hungary,
and it�s ruled not by an emperor,
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but by democratically elected representatives
who legislate from what's now
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a palace of democracy.
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Like Vienna, Budapest feels more grandiose
than the capital of a relatively small country.
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But the city remains the cultural capital of Eastern Europe
with a keenly developed knack for good living.
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You can enjoy that Hungarian joy of life
at the Sz�chenyi Baths. Soak with the locals.
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Of the city�s two dozen or so traditional mineral baths,
this is the most accessible and fun.
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00:04:36,773 --> 00:04:42,904
Budapest is hot, literally. It sits on a thin crust
over thermal springs, which power all these baths.
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Both the ancient Romans and Ottoman Turks
enjoyed these same mineral springs.
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They still say, �poke a hole in the ground anywhere in Hungary,
and you'll find hot water.�
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Magyars of all shapes and sizes squeeze themselves
into tiny swimsuits and strut their stuff.
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Babushkas float blissfully in the warm water.
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The Speedo-clad old-boys club gathers
pensively around soggy chessboards.
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And the circle of rapids brings out the kid in people of all ages.
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After 2,000 years of experience and innovation,
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Locals have honed the art of enjoying
their thermal hot springs.
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Budapest straddles the Danube River.
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On the west side of the Danube is hilly Buda,
dominated by Castle Hill.
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The royal palace marks the place where
one of Europe�s mightiest castles once stood.
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Since the 14th century,
Hungary has been ruled from this spot.
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As World War II drew to a close,
Buda became the frontline between the Nazis
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and the approaching Soviets,
who laid siege to Castle Hill for several months.
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Today�s palace, rebuilt from the rubble of WWII,
may not be worth touring.
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But it sits on soil drenched in Hungarian history
and is close to the soul of this nation.
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Another Castle Hill landmark,
the 800-year-old Matthias Church,
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has also been destroyed and rebuilt several times.
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Its flamboyant steeple and other frilly elements
were added for the 1896 celebrations.
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The opulent and gilded interior tells
a thousand years of local history:
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Crusader heroics
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beating back the Turks
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all painted in a fanciful neo-Gothic way.
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The church�s prize possession hides in a chapel in the back.
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Peer through the black iron grill to see
the 500-year-old statue of Mary and Jesus,
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which comes with a story.
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In the 16th century,
as Turks were about to overrun Buda,
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locals, anticipating a terrible ransacking,
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hid their most precious statue in a niche,
and plastered it over.
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00:07:00,962 --> 00:07:04,457
The Muslims took Buda and used this building
as their mosque for over a century,
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00:07:04,476 --> 00:07:06,905
They whitewashed everything�
hung carpets on the walls.
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00:07:06,980 --> 00:07:10,288
Then, during a later siege,
a nearby explosion rattled the building
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the plaster fell away from the statue
and there was Mary looking out over the Mosque.
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This spooked the Muslims.
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According to legend, the Turks fled,
making this the only part of town retaken without a fight.
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00:07:21,988 --> 00:07:26,697
Just outside, stands the Fishermen�s Bastion,
an icon of Budapest.
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It offers sweeping views over the Danube to Pest.
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In the Middle Ages, the fish market was just below here,
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so this part of the rampart
actually was guarded by fishermen.
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The current structure, though, is a fanciful rebuild
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constructed for the big bash of 1896.
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Its seven towers symbolize the tents
the nomadic Magyars (those original Hungarians)
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called home before they moved west to Europe.
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Hungary's first Christian king,
St. Stephen, tamed the pagan Magyars.
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He established strict laws,
introduced the concept of private property,
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00:08:01,292 --> 00:08:04,544
and made his people, whether they liked it or not, Christian.
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00:08:04,917 --> 00:08:10,244
The pope crowned St. Stephen in the year 1000,
making Hungary part of Christendom.
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This was a pivotal point in Hungary�s history.
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00:08:17,103 --> 00:08:21,364
While Steven could have accepted his crown
from the leader of the Eastern or Byzantine Church,
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he choose to have his rule legitimized by accepting
his crown from the leader of the Roman Church.
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And this gave Hungary more of a western orientation.
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The Buda Funicular is a popular landmark.
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00:08:32,764 --> 00:08:36,614
Built in 1870 to provide cheap transportation
to Castle Hill workers,
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today it�s a fun little tourist trip.
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It shuttles visitors every few minutes up and down between
the top of Castle Hill and the mighty Chain Bridge.
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00:08:46,556 --> 00:08:51,360
Guarded by lions which symbolize power,
the Chain Bridge, the city�s first great bridge,
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offers a pedestrian-friendly way to connect Buda and Pest.
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Before this bridge was built,
people needed boats or a good freeze to cross the river.
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00:09:02,443 --> 00:09:07,676
Sometimes people would walk across the frozen Danube
only to get stranded on the other side during a thaw.
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00:09:07,975 --> 00:09:12,012
Once, a city big shot was stuck on the other side
for a week trying to get to his dad's funeral.
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He missed the funeral, he was so frustrated
he commissioned the building of Budapest's first permanent bridge.
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The Chain Bridge, finished in 1849,
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immediately became an important symbol of Budapest.
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While this and all other great bridges
of Budapest were destroyed in World War II,
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they were quickly rebuilt.
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00:09:33,486 --> 00:09:37,205
Pest is the flat and urban commercial half of Budapest.
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The main square of its inviting pedestrian zone is V�r�smarty t�r.
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00:09:42,625 --> 00:09:45,354
The landmark Gerbeaud caf� is a fixture.
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00:09:45,597 --> 00:09:50,026
Between the World Wars, the well-to-do ladies
of Budapest met here after shopping.
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It remains the meeting point in Budapest.
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It's classy and central, perfect for people watching
and a little high-calorie 19th-century elegance.
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00:10:00,792 --> 00:10:06,081
The nearby, Hungarian State Opera House
offers more of that 19th-century splendor.
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00:10:08,398 --> 00:10:12,491
The opulence rivals Paris and Vienna,
from its plush halls and staircases
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designed for socialites making the scene,
to its ranks of gilded box seats in the velvety theater.
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00:10:18,808 --> 00:10:22,826
Whether you actually take in a performance
or just enjoy an opera house tour,
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it�s clear that the people of Budapest
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have that Hapsburg appreciation for fine music in their blood.
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00:10:32,207 --> 00:10:38,730
There�re musical events all over town.
Tonight, we�re opting for a "Gypsy and Hungarian folk concert.�
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Like most Eastern European countries,
Hungary has fine folk music and dance.
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00:10:43,515 --> 00:10:49,402
The countries large Roma or Gypsy population
has helped keep this fast fiddling tradition alive.
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00:10:49,589 --> 00:10:54,018
While many visitors limit their Gypsy music experience
to guys dressed in red vests
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out for big tips in touristy restaurants,
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I get my traditional music fix in concert halls like this.
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00:11:00,783 --> 00:11:05,287
Nightly shows are inexpensive and high-powered,
mixing Teutonic style slap-dancing
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and Slavic Cossack-style foot work.
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00:11:21,827 --> 00:11:24,182
We�re sleeping at the Art�otel.
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Every detail here, from the stylish lobby
to the breakfast buffet is designed with flair.
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00:11:31,302 --> 00:11:37,152
This big mod hotel is a classy splurge
or a bargain if you book during slow times.
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00:11:37,339 --> 00:11:42,255
It�s a good example of the impressive building
that�s been going on here since the fall of Communism�
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00:11:42,386 --> 00:11:45,320
and it all comes with a Danube view.
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00:11:46,965 --> 00:11:51,899
While the city is becoming increasingly modern,
many buildings survive from the communist age.
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00:11:52,030 --> 00:11:55,469
These are reminders of what happens
when you lock out your artists
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and let party loyalists design your buildings.
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00:11:59,450 --> 00:12:02,907
One positive legacy of Communism is Budapest�s colorful,
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00:12:02,982 --> 00:12:07,673
subsidized and very practical network of buses,
trolleys and subways.
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00:12:07,823 --> 00:12:10,234
Locals get around cheaply and effortlessly.
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00:12:11,897 --> 00:12:16,028
I�m joining a Hungarian tour guide friend of mine,
Peter Polczman, for the day.
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00:12:16,308 --> 00:12:20,551
Guides like Peter help me research
my guidebooks and when I find a good one,
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that�s a person I love to recommend.
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00:12:23,504 --> 00:12:28,999
Hungarian is a unique language we are only related to
Finnish and Estonian, but it�s easy, like�
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00:12:29,317 --> 00:12:30,905
(speaks Hungarian)
161
00:12:31,297 --> 00:12:31,989
Can you say that?
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00:12:32,082 --> 00:12:33,522
(tries to speak Hungarian)
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00:12:33,877 --> 00:12:34,755
Not too bad�
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00:12:35,111 --> 00:12:39,839
Europe, especially Eastern Europe, has many
excellent young guides who speak fine English
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00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,138
and enjoy showing off their hometowns.
166
00:12:42,307 --> 00:12:45,502
Considering their reasonable fees
and how meaningful they make your visit,
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00:12:45,521 --> 00:12:52,250
hiring your own personal expert can be an excellent value,
and you�ll know just were to get the best strudel.
168
00:12:56,305 --> 00:13:01,426
Public transit allows locals a way to get around
the city far easier and cheaper than messing with a car.
169
00:13:01,631 --> 00:13:05,033
Many underground stations tunnel deep beneath the city.
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This is deep!
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00:13:06,397 --> 00:13:12,976
Oh it�s as deep as a 10-story building. In fact,
it was built as bomb shelter during the Cold War.
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We emerge near Budapest�s Great Indoor Market Hall
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another souvenir from the party of 1896.
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00:13:22,696 --> 00:13:26,079
The ground floor is a commotion of produce stands,
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00:13:26,883 --> 00:13:28,453
butcher stalls,
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00:13:29,742 --> 00:13:31,592
peppers and spices.
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00:13:32,471 --> 00:13:33,984
Ah, there�s paprika everywhere
178
00:13:34,078 --> 00:13:37,965
Yes, the whole market has it.
In fact, it�s a dominant spice in our cuisine.
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00:13:38,059 --> 00:13:42,245
You take the dried pepper then you grind it
and then you get the powder.
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00:13:42,713 --> 00:13:46,095
There�re different types.
There�s hot and sweet�
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00:13:47,795 --> 00:13:48,879
That�s sweet.
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00:13:49,104 --> 00:13:50,487
Hmm, sweet!
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00:13:52,187 --> 00:13:57,234
As in markets all over Europe,
the fragrant stalls are kept downstairs:
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tanks of still healthy carp, catfish and perch�
and piles of pickles.
185
00:14:03,345 --> 00:14:04,915
You want to try some?
Yeah !
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00:14:05,083 --> 00:14:06,933
Ah, that�s my favorite.
187
00:14:07,307 --> 00:14:13,157
It�s a plate of pickled peppers here. Look at this.
Now this is pickled pepper filled with kraut?
188
00:14:16,054 --> 00:14:17,213
How�s that?
189
00:14:17,961 --> 00:14:21,418
That�s strong!
How do you say strong?
190
00:14:21,736 --> 00:14:23,287
(speaks Hungarian word)
191
00:14:23,381 --> 00:14:24,876
(attempts Hungarian word)
192
00:14:25,885 --> 00:14:28,408
Upstairs are Hungarian handicrafts
193
00:14:29,436 --> 00:14:33,454
and inexpensive, stand-up Hungarian-style fast-food joints.
194
00:14:34,651 --> 00:14:36,800
So, this is Hungarian goulash?
195
00:14:36,912 --> 00:14:37,753
Soup.
196
00:14:37,884 --> 00:14:42,519
So this not a thick stew because many Americans
think this would be a thick stew.
197
00:14:42,632 --> 00:14:48,612
In fact, this is like a clear broth with
potato and cubes of meat, pork or beef in it
198
00:14:48,761 --> 00:14:51,565
and as you can see everything seasoned with paprika.
199
00:14:51,566 --> 00:14:53,863
OK, so this is the actual Hungarian goulash?
200
00:14:53,976 --> 00:14:57,695
That is the authentic Hungarian goulash soup.
201
00:14:57,751 --> 00:14:59,882
I remember that, but what is "bon appetite"?
202
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(says in Hungarian)
203
00:15:01,321 --> 00:15:02,479
(attempts Hungarian)
204
00:15:04,723 --> 00:15:08,591
As you may have noticed, visitors to Budapest
need only remember one date:
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1896
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that was the 1000th anniversary of the year
the Hungarians first settled in Europe.
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00:15:14,666 --> 00:15:18,478
In a thousand years, the Magyars
2went from being a nomadic Central Asian tribe
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00:15:18,591 --> 00:15:21,487
rampaging through the Continent,
to a legitimate power,
209
00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:25,918
helping the Habsburgs rule one of the mightiest
empires Europe had ever seen.
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00:15:26,852 --> 00:15:29,768
The people of Budapest used their millennial celebration
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as an excuse to build monuments and buildings
appropriate for ruling a huge empire.
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00:15:35,076 --> 00:15:39,356
Ninety-six is the key number,
important stairways have 96 steps,
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00:15:39,655 --> 00:15:42,534
How tall are the domes ?
96 meters.
214
00:15:43,636 --> 00:15:48,888
Budapest�s main drag, Andr�ssy Boulevard,
connects central Pest to the birthday party fairgrounds.
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00:15:48,982 --> 00:15:52,757
Locals claim it's like the Champs-Elys�es
and Broadway rolled into one.
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00:15:53,036 --> 00:15:58,550
While that�s a stretch, it is a fine place
to get a feel for today's urban Pest.
217
00:15:59,802 --> 00:16:04,176
And running just 15 feet under Andr�ssy Boulevard
is the Millennium Underground.
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00:16:04,251 --> 00:16:10,362
Also built in 1896, it was the first underground
public transit on the Continent, and the shallowest.
219
00:16:10,549 --> 00:16:12,792
It�s just few steps below street level.
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Trains were originally horse-drawn.
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While handy today for stops along Andrassy Boulevard
(trains come every couple of minutes),
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it was originally designed to get the masses of visitors
conveniently out to the festival grounds�
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and that�s where we�re heading.
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Heroes Square at the end of Andr�ssy Boulevard
was the centerpiece of the 1896 celebration.
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It�s a huge square, bookended by two imposing museums.
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At the Millennium Monument you�ll meet
the world�s most historic Hungarians.
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The granddaddy of all Magyars was �rp�d.
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Atop the pillar, the Archangel Gabriel
offers the crown to Saint Stephen,
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the king who Christianized the Magyars.
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00:16:54,583 --> 00:17:00,078
But for kids this is just the hottest place
in town for stunt biking and skateboarding�
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as well as the gateway to the City Park.
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Budapest's city park is a vast playground
built to host Hungary�s big birthday bash.
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It's still packed with huge party decorations:
a zoo with quirky Art Nouveau buildings,
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a replica of a Transylvanian castle
(Transylvania was part of Hungary back then),
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00:17:20,598 --> 00:17:22,504
the palatial Szecheni baths,
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an old time circus and paths for strolling.
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00:17:28,597 --> 00:17:33,887
If the sightseeing grind's got you down,
hang out here watching locals play speedy chess.
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00:17:38,371 --> 00:17:42,595
Budapest's wonderfully restored synagogue
is huge, the biggest in Europe.
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It�s a reminder that in the 19th century
a quarter of the city was Jewish.
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The Great Synagogue looks like a church.
With its pipe organ flanking the high altar,
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long nave and pulpit, it feels like
a church with the symbols switched.
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It was built in the 1850s when Hungary�s Jews wanted
to feel more integrated into the community.
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The Eastern-flavored decor is typical
of 19th-century synagogues in Europe
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perhaps designed to recall the Jews� Middle Eastern
and Moorish heritage.
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Hungary�s Jewish community was decimated by the Nazis.
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The synagogue�s "Tree of Life", built on the site
of mass graves of those killed by the Nazis,
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is a powerful memorial.
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00:18:30,309 --> 00:18:33,917
Hungary lost over half a million Jews to the Holocaust.
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The willow makes an upside down menorah;
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each individual leaf lists the name of a victim.
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Pebbles represent prayers.
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00:18:47,635 --> 00:18:52,289
Sadly, bad times under the Germans were replaced
with bad times under the Russians.
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00:18:52,401 --> 00:18:57,933
While Soviet rule here was harsh, Hungary managed
to fashion its milder yet still-acceptable-to-Moscow
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"goulash" communism.
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Which allowed for a little private enterprise,
easier travel, and less censorship.
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00:19:03,689 --> 00:19:08,100
Because of this, Hungary was the envy
of its more strictly controlled neighbors.
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This pedestrian boulevard, Vaci utca,
is the main shopping and tourism artery.
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Before the fall of Communism, wannabe shoppers
from all over Eastern Europe came to this street.
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00:19:19,913 --> 00:19:24,304
They�d drool over Nikes, Reeboks
and the fine capitalist cuisine
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00:19:24,416 --> 00:19:28,901
before any of these Western evils were available
elsewhere in the Warsaw Pact region.
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00:19:29,350 --> 00:19:35,555
In the 1980s, a stroll down this street was the closest
East Germans, Czechs and Poles could get
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to a day pass to the West.
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00:19:38,022 --> 00:19:43,199
Budapest was always a bit more rebellious,
a bit more independent in some sense.
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And our neighbors just loved this place.
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00:19:46,209 --> 00:19:51,646
Czechs and Poles would come here for an
American cigarette or to just pop in and out of shops,
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00:19:51,776 --> 00:19:54,729
simply to taste the West.
This was Western life.
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00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:59,963
When some Hungarians are nostalgic for what
they consider the good old days of Communism,
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they drop by J�gb�f�.
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00:20:03,494 --> 00:20:06,354
Little seems to have changed here at the J�gb�f�.
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00:20:06,653 --> 00:20:09,101
First you choose what you want at the counter.
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Then you try to explain that to the cashier�
and pay.
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Trade your receipt back at the counter for your goodies.
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And finally, enjoy it all,
standing up, Communist style.
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The dark underside of Hungary�s 20th-century
story is on display at the House of Terror,
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housed in the former headquarters of both
the Nazis and later, the Communists secret police.
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It welcomes you with a Soviet tank and a towering wall
covered with portraits of the victims of this building.
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This museum makes it clear that while
the uniforms changed in 1945, the terror did not.
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It offers a disturbing look at the grim terror of both the far right
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and the far left inflicted on the people of Budapest.
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00:21:07,243 --> 00:21:12,027
To keep dissent to a minimum, the secret police
of both the Nazis and Communists imprisoned,
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00:21:12,028 --> 00:21:17,298
deported or executed anyone suspected
of being an enemy of the state.
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00:21:18,532 --> 00:21:22,756
Rooms feature the many bleak dimensions
of life in Hungary before freedom.
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00:21:22,979 --> 00:21:30,287
Gulag life, countless writers, artists and dissidents
spent their best years breaking rocks in quarries.
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00:21:30,716 --> 00:21:34,604
Propaganda preached wave the flag,
trust your leaders�
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00:21:34,753 --> 00:21:38,286
and you�ll enjoy the material fruits of your obedience.
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00:21:41,370 --> 00:21:45,052
Both Nazism and Communism celebrated a sham justice�
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and a sham democracy.
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00:21:47,705 --> 00:21:53,424
Behind the banners were all the domestic spy tools
governments use to keep a people in line.
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00:21:55,069 --> 00:21:57,723
Joining the Church was a way to express dissent,
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00:21:57,891 --> 00:22:03,106
and a people�s faith was one thing
the totalitarian governments could not control.
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00:22:05,592 --> 00:22:10,339
The basement was the grim scene
of torture and executions.
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00:22:13,685 --> 00:22:19,012
While there is a happy ending, video clips show
the festive and exhilarating days in 1991
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when the last Soviets departed, the wall of �the victimizers�
is an evocative send off.
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00:22:26,375 --> 00:22:30,842
It reminds visitors that most local members
and supporters of the secret police,
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00:22:31,010 --> 00:22:35,178
many of whom are still living,
were never brought to justice.
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00:22:46,372 --> 00:22:52,185
Statue Park welcomes the curious at the edge of town.
When regimes fall, so do their monuments.
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00:22:54,035 --> 00:22:58,539
Budapest saved its souvenirs of totalitarianism
and shows them off here.
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00:22:58,820 --> 00:23:04,688
Just think of all these statues of Lenin and company,
crashing to the ground to the cheers of the masses.
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00:23:04,894 --> 00:23:08,090
At Statue Park, you'll see the Communist All-Stars:
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00:23:08,183 --> 00:23:14,145
Marx, local wannabe Stalins and Lenin
in his favorite "hailing a cab" pose.
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00:23:15,772 --> 00:23:19,846
In a kind demagogue�s hell, they�re left
with no one to preach to but each other
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00:23:19,866 --> 00:23:22,744
and stony Socialist symbols
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00:23:23,361 --> 00:23:24,893
the heroic soldier,
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00:23:26,201 --> 00:23:27,753
the obedient worker,
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00:23:28,556 --> 00:23:30,406
the tireless mother.
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00:23:31,621 --> 00:23:35,135
Under Soviet Communism,
censorship was taken to extremes.
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00:23:35,210 --> 00:23:38,630
Art was acceptable only if it promoted the ideology.
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00:23:38,948 --> 00:23:42,835
The only sanctioned art form in the Eastern Block
was Social Realism.
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00:23:45,115 --> 00:23:50,479
This is Social Realism. Leaders were portrayed
with unquestioned authority.
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00:23:50,890 --> 00:23:55,656
Individuals were idealized as cogs
in the machine, strong, stoic,
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00:23:55,787 --> 00:24:02,048
doing their job well and proudly for the good of the nation.
Distinguishing features were unimportant.
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00:24:02,254 --> 00:24:07,936
People all looked the same.
Unquestioning patriots trusting and serving their nation.
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00:24:08,198 --> 00:24:12,422
These days, with half of the local citizenry
having no living memory of Communism
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00:24:12,758 --> 00:24:14,889
there�s just not much respect.
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00:24:15,001 --> 00:24:18,533
The gift shop offers a tempting parade of communist kitsch.
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00:24:18,589 --> 00:24:26,121
Consider picking up a Red Star lapel pin,
a workers pocket watch or even a Communist party vodka flask.
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00:24:29,878 --> 00:24:33,279
And this is a fun souvenir,
the �Greatest Hits of Communism.�
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00:24:34,681 --> 00:24:37,746
Nobody can argue that the replacement of Communism by capitalism
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00:24:37,747 --> 00:24:40,774
hasn�t pumped up the energy in this great city.
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00:24:40,998 --> 00:24:44,736
Cafes are thriving, people are enjoying life.
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00:24:44,867 --> 00:24:49,091
And the city�s breezy riverfront promenade
is lined with diversions.
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00:24:49,596 --> 00:24:55,857
A romantic way to cap your day, and our visit,
is an evening cruise on the Danube.
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00:24:56,511 --> 00:25:00,772
As the sun goes down, an ensemble of icons grabs your attention:
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00:25:00,977 --> 00:25:03,575
mighty bridges linking Buda and Pest,
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00:25:05,015 --> 00:25:11,631
the stubborn citadel still standing tall
and monuments honoring a hard-earned freedom.
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00:25:12,976 --> 00:25:17,238
Budapest has survived its thousand years
of tumultuous history beautifully.
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00:25:17,481 --> 00:25:21,480
And today it welcomes visitors
an emblem of the new Europe.
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00:25:21,854 --> 00:25:23,686
Thanks for joining us.
I�m Rick Steves.
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00:25:23,687 --> 00:25:26,732
Until next time, keep on traveling.
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