Budapest is two cities fused by the Danube and stitched together by bridges: hilly, regal Buda on the west bank and flat, restless Pest on the east. It is a capital of grand boulevards and faded grandeur, of steaming thermal baths fed by over a hundred natural springs, and of ruin bars improvised inside crumbling courtyards. You can soak in an Ottoman-era bath in the morning, wander Habsburg palace quarters by afternoon, and end the night with goulash and a glass of Tokaji in a candlelit cellar. Few European cities reward curiosity so generously, or so cheaply. The food has shed its grey communist reputation and now swings between paprika-rich grandmother cooking and confident modern bistros; the coffeehouse culture, born in the belle epoque, still serves cake under gilded ceilings. Give Budapest three days and you will love it; give it a week and you will plot how to return. Master the trams and the forint, book the Parliament tour ahead, and the city opens right up.
A full, walkable day in Budapest, free for everyone. Set your pace and start time.
Beat the tour groups; order a slice of Dobos torte with your espresso.
Take the lift partway, then the stairs; the 360-degree terrace is the best central viewpoint.
Pause at the moving Shoes on the Danube memorial just south of Parliament.
Touch the famous lions, then ride the funicular up Castle Hill to save your legs.
Even if you skip the museums, the courtyards and ramparts are free to roam.
Upper turret terraces charge a small fee; the lower terraces are free and just as scenic.
Order food early, then settle in; explore the labyrinth of themed rooms upstairs.
Sprawling royal palace crowning Castle Hill, home to the National Gallery and Budapest History Museum.
Fairytale neo-Romanesque terrace of white turrets with the city's best panorama over the Danube.
Vast neo-Gothic riverfront palace of government, the country's largest building and most photographed icon.
Grand neo-Baroque bath complex in City Park with steaming outdoor pools and chess players.
The first permanent Danube bridge, a 19th-century suspension landmark guarded by stone lions.
Budapest's grandest church, housing the mummified hand of King Stephen and a climbable dome.
Often called the world's most beautiful café, all gold leaf, frescoes and marble columns.
Neo-Gothic hall stacked with paprika, salami and lángos counters on the upstairs gallery.
Cozy, hugely popular spot for chicken paprikash, goulash and stuffed cabbage done properly.
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Hungary