Let me clarify something really quick. My recent trip to Budapest was among the best trips I have had this far in Europe. However, there were a few times I had to ask myself "Why did I come here?" Usually, I was answered by something incredibly sweet, like spectacular views and a new understanding of our favourite Hungarian authors. However, there are still serious scars in Budapest from the various wounds inflicted upon Hungarian history. Hungary has a long history of foreign invasions and occupations, starting with the Mongols in 1247, the Ottomans in the 16th century, immediately followed by the Habsburg Austrians until 1848 when they were granted a semi-independant status, and then after their collapse in 1918, by the Nazis in the 40s, and immediately following that by the Communists until recently. As with
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