Budapest Guide
Budapest may be a tour de force of Habsburg splendour and classic thermal baths, but this city has its head very much in the open-minded, progressive present. Free of the shackles of the former socialist system, a dynamic cultural undercurrent once again flows freely down the Danube and across the city's grandly designed boulevards.
Budapest is an eclectic treasure trove of Habsburg architecture, laced with art nouveau, Turkish and medieval influences. The key landmarks of hilly and leafy Buda centre on the UNESCO-listed Castle District, home to the Royal Palace and the gothic marvel of Matthias Church. Cross the ornate Chain Bridge and start your tour of buzzing Pest with the neo-gothic masterpiece of Parliament, a mighty seat of government for a country of ten million people.
For everything from major designer brands to Hungarian porcelain and embroidery, head to Váci utca, the city's most exclusive shopping street. Budapest has a glut of antiques and artworks, especially in the shops along Falk Miksa utca, close to Parliament. The Great Market Hall with its mounds of paprika and luscious fresh fruit is worth a visit for the ambience alone. Hungarian wine has come on leaps and bounds since the changes, and specialist stalls have popped up all over town.
Budapest dwellers are transformed by the arrival of spring and go for broke in summer when outdoor bars shoot up all over town. The outdoor scene extends to the perennial favourites of the very central green expanses of the Danube's Margaret Island and City Park (Városliget) in Heroes' Square, as well as the fresh air of the easily accessible Buda Hills. Bathing like a Roman Emperor in the city's thermal baths is an eternal pleasure, and even the open-air ones can be enjoyed all year round.
Hungarians thrive on culture. Whether donning their glad rags for a sojourn to the sumptuous Hungarian State Opera House for good-value opera, ballet and classical music, or dressing down to sample the performing arts at Millenáris Park, Tráfo or Tűzraktér, Magyars always have some form of cultural edification to look forward to.
Bumper portions of hearty Hungarian gulyás (goulash), chicken paprika, all manner of meat dishes fried in breadcrumbs, or carp soup are standard fare all around Budapest. Hungary's dessert wine Tokaji Aszú is the stuff of legend, although dry whites and reds are increasingly enticing – find one to match with the most delicate goose liver. Pálinka brandy now has to be made from 100% fruit – improving the taste no end. Also look out for Unicum, the treacly textured bitter liqueur comprising more than 40 herbs.
Take to the hot, warm or downright icy waters at the Széchenyi thermal baths and soak up the turn-of-the-20th-century ambience late into the evening. Thanks to popular demand, the thermal pools at Széchenyi are now open until 9pm every day. Széchenyi, along with the Turkish delight of the Rudás and the grandiose Gellért, now also hosts parties, ranging from cocktail parties to fully-fledged watery raves.
