Located at the centre of Hungary, Budapest has swiftly become the social and economic hub for the country. Although not as high as its peak in the late 1980s, the population sits at over 1.7 million and is one of the largest cities in the European Union. Budapest began life as a Celtic settlement before becoming the Roman capital of Pannonia Inferior, the ruins of both can be found in Budapest and it is understood that Marcus Aurelius wrote a portion of his book, Meditations, here.
 
Voted as the 25^th most popular city in the world, Budapest is home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the Danube and the Millennium Underground Railway. In 2008 Budapest was voted third on MasterCard’s Emerging Markets Index; and it was around this time that Hungary, and Budapest in particular began to grow into the healthy business centre it is today. The late 2000s saw several start-up companies founded, with the likes of Prezi, Ustream and LogMeIn now flourishing and maintaining offices in the city. These businesses ensured a dramatic change for Budapest and meant the city would be taken seriously as a global financial hub. 
 
Finding your way around the city is easy, as Budapest has one of the best public transportation systems in Europe, boasting four metro lines, a day and night bus and boats connecting the various parts of the river. Budapest hosts thousands of events throughout the year for businesses small and large, and event organisation has become a rapidly expanding business. The city also has a number of fantastic hotels with spacious conference rooms available all year round, and many of these hotels can be found on the official Budapest website.  

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