Hungary is a country of innovators and original thinkers, its capital, a dynamic and inspiring city. We have Hungary to thank for the fuel carburettor, sound film holography, LPs, CD-ROMs, the discovery of vitamin C and the metallic eosin glaze, which gives brightly coloured Zsolnay tiles the lustre that makes Budapest's skyline glitter. The River Danube, which splits the city in two - conservative Buda and cosmopolitan Pest, and the Buda Hills make this sophisticated capital one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It is also a top destination for spas, which can be fun as well as therapeutic.
Where to stay in Budapest
ANDRASSY HOTEL
Near the City Park, this 70-room hotel has been stylishly restored, with a lovely terrace café and popular restaurant. £
Andrássy út 111 (00 36 1 4622 100; andrassyhotel.com).
ART'OTEL
Chic, designer melange with a riverside glass front welded onto a small row of Baroque houses. The stylish staff meet guests' needs with courteous professionalism. Domino bar terrace is popular for aperitifs and light meals; Chelsea restaurant serves international cuisine with a Magyar twist. Book a front room with river views for the quintessential Budapest experience. The hotel is excellent value for money for those seeking style on a budget. The best thing? The private collection of 600 works by US artist Donald Sultan. £
Bem rakpart 16-19 (00 36 1 487 9487; artotels.com).
CORINTHIA GRAND HOTEL ROYAL
Habsburg-era majesty meets modern elegance in this carefully restored building on Budapest's main boulevard. The hotel is a 10-minute walk from nightlife epicentre Liszt Ferenc tér. Service is polite and efficient, and of a five-star standard. Rickshaw restaurant serves Far East fusion, and the Brasserie Royale & Atrium serves classic dishes in more formal surroundings. The more expensive front rooms overlook the busy main boulevard, others face the atrium or inner courtyard. The hotel is also home to the Royal Spa, which first opened in 1886, and which has been restored to its original splendour. £
Erzsébet körút 43-49 (00 36 1 479 4000; corinthia.com).
DANUBIUS GRAND HOTEL MARGITSZIGET
Recently renovated spa hotel built in 1873 and situated on Margitsziget (Margaret Island) in the middle of the Danube, a short taxi ride from the city centre. The dining room is particularly elegant. Service is competent but regimented: the dining room shuts at 3pm sharp, so don't be late for lunch. The restaurant serves Hungarian classics and standard international cuisine. All 164 rooms face protected parkland or the river; some have balconies. The hotel spa is bright and modern with an extensive range of treatments. £
Margitsziget (00 36 1 889 4752; danubiushotels.com).
DANUBIUS HOTEL ASTORIA
This hotel is steeped in history (it was the Soviet HQ during the 1956 uprising) and atmosphere. It is also centrally located. A renovation project was completed in 2006 restoring the rather tired looking rooms. £
Kossuth Lajos utca 19-21 (00 36 1 889 6000; danubiushotels.com).
DANUBIUS HOTEL GELLERT
This Art Nouveau landmark built in 1918 was Hungary's first luxury hotel. Today it is slightly faded but its grandeur endures. There are 234 rooms, some with views of the Danube. £
Szent Gellért tér 1 (00 36 1 889 5501; danubiushotels.com).
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL GRESHAM PALACE BUDAPEST
Painstakingly restored Art Nouveau landmark with incredible stained glass, mosaics and ceramics. The location is unbeatable: overlooking the Chain Bridge and the Danube, a short walk from Parliament and the shops of Váci Street. The service is the best in the city: staff go that extra mile, room-service waiters refuse tips and children are wonderfully looked after. The lobby is awe-inspiring, thanks to the efforts of dozens of talented artisans who provide the artwork. There's an Italian restaurant, which caters to the glitterati but can seem a little cold; Gresham Café is more relaxed and welcoming. Try the heavenly modern interpretations of classic desserts and pastries (such as Dobos torta). Riverside rooms have stunning panoramas of the Danube, the Chain Bridge and the Castle district, especially enchanting at night. ££
Roosevelt tér 5-6 (00 36 1 268 6000; fourseasons.com).
INTER-CONTINENTAL BUDAPEST
Excellent location with the Danube on its doorstep, bridges to Buda nearby and chic boutiques a few minutes away. There are 398 rooms as well as a comprehensive business centre, fitness room and pool/spa/solarium. £
Apáczai utca 12-14 (00 36 1 327 6333; ihg.com).
KEMPINSKI HOTEL CORVINUS BUDAPEST
Postmodern five-star hotel, close to the financial district, with over 300 rooms and three restaurants. £
Erzsébet tér 7-8 (00 36 1 429 3777; kempinski.com).
LE MERIDIEN BUDAPEST
Classic French elegance in a beautifully restored historic building with Wi-Fi in the lobby. A great choice for business travellers. Situated downtown, within walking distance of parliament, Budapest's best restaurants and the Danube. There are 192 rooms and 26 suites. There are regular themed buffets in the restaurant; the à la carte menu is a contemporary take on French and Hungarian specialities. Front rooms overlook Erzsébet tér (Elizabeth Square), a haven of greenery amid the downtown bustle. The Sunday Champagne brunch is a feast of French-influenced Hungarian treats. Be warned: the hotel's preferred taxi service charges a lot more than the going rate. £
Erzsébet tér 9-10 (00 36 1 429 5500; lemeridien.com).
MERCURE BUDAPEST NEMZETI
Compact, Art Nouveau city hotel with Titanic-style interiors, including a sweeping staircase and high ceilings. There are 76 rooms arranged around an inner courtyard. £
József körút 4 (00 36 1 477 2000; mercure.com).
NEW YORK PALACE
Since it opened in 1894, the New York Palace has been a favourite haunt of Hungary's literary set, but the building went into decline through the drab decades of Communism. Thanks to the Italian Boscolo Group, this city landmark has been restored to its Renaissance-style. Once again, cherubs frolic on frescoed ceilings and chandeliers illuminate its gilt arches. The inner courtyard is now a lounge area and reception with a stunning marble floor. The spacious rooms are decorated in muted browns and beige, with plush carpets, ornate mirrors and imported Italian furniture. The spa and wellness centre is spread across a modern grotto in the basement of the hotel. With just 107 rooms, including 27 suites, the New York Palace still feels personal and is perfect for a romantic weekend. In the evening the café fills up with theatre-goers enjoying a light supper or nightcap, although a full menu of Hungarian and Italian dishes is on offer. ££
Erzsébet körút 9-11 (00 36 1 8866 111; boscolohotels.com).
RADISSON SAS BEKE
Located in the heart of Pest, the Radisson SAS Beke opened its doors in 1914 and has been renovated several times but has maintained its comfortable feel. £
Teréz körút 43 (00 36 1 889 3900; radissonblu.com).
ZARA
This intimate hotel opened in 2006 with 74 stylish rooms. Located on pedestianised Váci street, it is a stroll away from the city's smartest shops and cafés. £
Só utca 6 (00 36 1 357 6170; zarahotels.com).
Where to eat out in Budapest
The restaurant scene in Budapest has seen an incredible transformation in recent years, and almost every style of cooking can now be found there. NB it is advisable to book for weekend evenings.
BARAKA
This sophisticated restaurant located in the Andrássy Hotel features dark wood dining tables, aubergine velvet upholstery and pewter vases filled with tall lilies. Creative dishes include seared goose liver with hazelnuts and pear poached in port, and soy-Dijon roasted Atlantic cod fillet served with miso and potato mash.
Andrássy Hotel, Andrássy út 111 (00 36 1 483 1355; barakarestaurant.hu).
CAFE KOR
A small, quintessentially Mitteleuropa café in an ochre-painted, vaulted space with wooden floors and wrought-iron tables. There's an extensive menu of pan-European dishes, but look out for the specials written on a huge roll of brown paper fixed to the wall: delicious salads with grilled goat's cheese, and rakott burgonya, a hearty Hungarian dish of smoked sausage, potatoes and sour cream. If you say you like a dish, the friendly staff will offer to get you the recipe.
Sas utca 17 (00 36 1 311 0053; cafekor.net).
CENTRAL
A recently restored former haunt of 19th-century writers and revolutionaries, the Centrál is now popular with modern-day creative types, although it still hangs on to its old habitués who come to sip coffee and watch the bustle of downtown Pest. It offers excellent breakfasts and a full lunch and dinner menu. Midnight closing makes the Centrál a good choice for a nightcap.
Károlyi Mihály utca 9 (00 36 1 266 2110; centralkavehaz.hu).
GERBEAUD
A Pest institution, this spacious café has been serving coffee and cakes (try the Eszterhazy torta, hazelnut sponge layered with cream) since 1858. It seats 330 in its theatrically gilded and swagged interior, making it one of the biggest cafés in Europe. The cane chairs are arranged in serried ranks, the disturbance of which elicits scowls from the old-school waitresses.
Vörösmarty tér 7 (00 36 1 429 9020; gerbeaud.hu).
FAUSTO'S
This stylish Italian restaurant has been a longstanding haunt of Budapest's movers and shakers who come for delicious pasta and an extensive wine list.
Székely Mihály 2 (00 36 1 877 6210; fausto.hu).
GUNDEL
Open since 1894, this is one of Budapest's best known and most expensive restaurants, located in an Art Nouveau palace.
Allatkerti utca 2 (00 36 1 468 4040; gundel.hu).
KEHLI
In the suburb of Obuda, Kéhli is the favourite restaurant of actress Rachel Weisz when she returns to her Magyar roots. Diners enjoy authentic gypsy music and Hungarian cuisine, although the house speciality of bone marrow on toast may not tempt. Be sure to book for the main room where the band plays.
Mókus utca 22 (00 361 250 4241, kehli.hu).
MENZA
Located on Budapest's liveliest square, this popular restaurant has taken its name and decor from the Communist-era cafeterias which once dotted the city. Great for retro vibe and simple Hungarian dishes.
Liszt Ferenc tér 2 (00 36 1 413 1482; menza.co.hu).
MUVESZ
Facing the grandiose State Opera House, the Muvész is the favoured haunt of elderly dowagers with bouffant hairstyles, and the odd marooned bohemian enjoying the engaging period decor. Select your tea-time cake from the glass case. The white-booted waitresses add to the atmosphere.
VI Andrássy út 29 (00 36 1 352 1337, muveszkavehaz.hu).
MUZEUM
Offering superior food in a less formal setting than the better-known Gundel, Múzeum is a true taste of fin-de-siècle elegance. Beautifully presented dishes are served in a high-ceilinged dining room reminiscent of a Habsburg palace. Do try the goose liver.
Múzeum korut 12 (00 36 1 338 4221; muzeumkavehaz.hu).
T-G (TOM-GEORGE)
Modishly designed and very fashionable with Budapest's gilded youth, this is the latest offering from restaurateurs of the moment Tamas Sztano and Gyorgy Lefkovics. The menu is more confusion than fusion, although a Japanese chef ensures the sushi is authentic. The service is friendly and polished.
Október utca 6 (00 36 1 266 3525; tomgeorge.hu).
VOROS ES FEHER
A wine bar and restaurant near the opera house.
Andrássy út 41 (00 36 1 413 1545).
VOROS POSTAKOCSI
Ráday is a street lined with cafés and restaurants, from basic buffets where working locals come for lunch to more formal establishments such as this. Very much 'old Budapest', it's also a good place for people-watching.
Ráday utca 15 (00 36 1 217 6756; vpk.webzona.hu).
Things to do in Budapest
MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES
There are numerous museums to visit - pick up the Budapest Card booklet for discounted entry and free travel.
HUNGARIAN NATIONAL GALLERY
This museum concentrates on indigenous art. Open 10am-6pm, Tues-Sun.
Buda Palace, Szent György tér 2 (00 36 20 4397 325; mng.hu).
MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS
Go to admire the Zsolnay tiles on the façade and roof of this fanciful museum with its fabulous, faux-Rajasthani-palace interior, all horseshoe arches, balconies and stained-glass skylights. Open 10am-6pm, Tues-Sun.
Ullôî út 33-37 (00 36 1 456 5100; imm.hu).
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
The best collections in the Museum of Fine Arts come from the territories of the Habsburg empire, of which Hungary was part from 1683 to 1918. So the Netherlandish schools are well represented, and there's an outstanding gallery of Spanish work by El Greco, Velázquez, Zurbarán, Goya et al. But don't hurry through the other galleries, lest you miss other gems: Canaletto's untypical paintings of the backstreets of Rome; two Raphaels; a Dormition of the Virgin by Holbein in which the saint reading at her feet sports a natty pince-nez; work by Rembrandt, Titian, Veronese, Giorgione and all the leading Impressionists. Open 10am-5.30pm Tues-Sun; 10am-9.30pm on Thursdays.
Dózsa György út 41 (00 36 1 469 7100; szepmuveszeti.hu).
VASARELY MUSEUM
A visit to the Vasarely Museum in off-the-beaten-track Obuda, the area immediately north of Buda, ought to be on every art aficionado's agenda. Born in 1908, Victor Vasarely is credited as the inventor of op art. He was painting geometrically complex monochrome abstracts that play havoc with your vision back in the late 1940s, before Bridget Riley had even been to Goldsmiths. Open 10am-5.30pm, Tues-Sun.
Szentlélek tér 6 (00 36 1 388 7551; vasarely.hu).
OPERA
HUNGARIAN STATE OPERA HOUSE
With such impressive art in its museums, perhaps it should not come as a surprise that Budapest also has outstanding opera and ballet at the Hungarian State Opera House, its companies performing not just classics but late-20th-century works guarded by notoriously protective estates. Standards here are world-class, at least as high as in London, Moscow or St Petersburg. The setting, too, makes an evening here special. It is a diminutive 19th-century theatre, a riot of gilding and plush, that does a brisk business in glasses of Tokaj and Hungarian sparkling wine before the show.
Andrássy út 22 (00 36 1 332 7914; opera.hu).
SIGHTS
CHILDREN'S RAILWAY
Once run by the Young Pioneers, the Communist childrens' movement, the narrow-gauge railway clambers up the green Buda hills away from the smog and pollution of downtown. Children, still dressed formally in the Pioneers' uniform, collect tickets and tell the driver when to leave for the next station. Open daily May-Aug; Tues-Sun Sept-April.
ELEPHANT HOUSE
Don't miss the Elephant House, an Art Nouveau take on a Central Asian mosque, with turquoise-tiled domes and a minaret, purportedly to remind the pachyderms of home. (It is visible from the edge of Vidám Park if you don't want to see the animals.) Open daily.
At the zoo, Allatkerti körút 6-12 (00 36 1 273 4900; zoobudapest.com).
GREAT MARKET HALL
The expansive Great Market Hall is worth a look for the range of paprikas sold there and for the vitrines full of fungi samples, the edible ones labelled with an image of a smiling woman cooking. The rest come with warnings: exclamation marks for those best avoided, and a row of skulls and crossbones for the ones that cause certain death.
Fovám tér.
GUL BABA UTCA
The city's Habsburg splendours abound, but for a taste of Ottoman Budapest, climb up cobbled Gul Baba utca (near Margaret Bridge), with its Turkish-style houses, to the tomb of Gul Baba himself, who was a 16th-century Turkish dervish leader. His renovated mausoleum, surrounded by roses, is the northernmost place of Islamic pilgrimage in the world, with a wonderful panoramic view of the Danube city - a most tranquil and restful place. The entrance price includes a free postcard. Have a coffee at the on-site café.
MATTHIAS CHURCH
Across the Danube in older, hilly Buda, is the Matthias Church, an imposing Gothic structure, with a multicoloured Zsolnay-tiled roof and spires like Vienna's Stephansdom writ small.
Országház utca 14 (00 1 36 1 489-0716; matyas-templom.hu).
STATUE PARK
It may be marketed as kitsch rather than art, with little decorative tins of air labelled 'the last breath of Communism' on sale in its shop, but the Statue Park, is worth the trip. This unique and well-landscaped outdoor park is now home to the exhibition of 'gigantic monuments from the age of Communist dictatorship' - dozens of excellent examples of Socialist realist outsize statuary, thankfully saved from vengeful wreckers after the change of system in 1989. Strip away the ideology, and there is real artistry in some of the bronzes, and a few have palpable passion, power and dynamism. Open 10am-5pm daily.
Balatoni út (00 36 1 424 7500; mementopark.hu).
Other sights include the neo-gothic parliament building, modelled on the British Houses of Parliament and its gold-leafed interior. Fisherman's bastion, Buda Castle and the Citadel, high above the city, are also well worth the hike.
SPAS
GELLERT BATHS
The city's most famous baths. The complex boasts indoor and outdoor pools, hot and cold baths, steam rooms and saunas, as well as a range of massages and mud treatments.
Kelenhegyi út 4 (00 36 1 466 6166; spasbudapest.com).
LUKACS BATHS
Less well known but just as pretty, with a courtyard covered with marble plaques testifying to the efficacy of its healing waters. The water, rich in calcium, magnesium and hydrogen carbonate, helps heal digestive, respiratory and gall bladder malfunctions, claim regulars.
Frankel Leó út 25-29 (00 36 1 326 1695; spasbudapest.com).
RUDAS BATHS
The Rudas Baths in Budapest have made only one major concession to the 21st century: women are allowed in. The newly refurbished 16th-century building is on of Europe's finest examples of Ottoman architecture, and retains its original domed roof, octagonal main pool supported by eight pillars and vaulted corridor. There are two steam rooms and three saunas, from entry-level to roasting. And it is now open for mixed bathing on Saturday evenings until dawn on Sunday: the city's hottest new nightspot.
Döbrentei tér 9 (00 361 356 1322; spasbudapest.com).
SZECHENYI GYORGYFURDO ES STRANDFURDO
Don't worry, you don't have to be able to pronounce it, just enjoy a visit (it means health and beach spa.) As featured in the film Evita, the revamped art nouveau Széchenyi is a veritable mini-metropolis of indoor and outdoor hot and cold pools (there are nine to choose from), sauna and steam rooms, plus sunbathing decks, a café and a chess board mounted over the outdoor thermal pool. It is open to both men and women, but remember to take your swimming costume and a bathing cap for the swimming pool.
Allakerti út 11 (00 36 1 363 3210; spasbudapest.com).
THE ROYAL SPA
Modelled on the Géllert thermal baths, the pristine and recently renovated Royal Spa has a bathing pool dating back to 1903, several relaxation areas, a sauna, steam room, fitness room and a variety of therapeutic treatments. You can also try a tropical rain shower, the Niagara bathtub, mud or seaweed baths and a dry floating bed.
Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal, Erzsébet körút 43-49 (00 36 1 479 4650; corinthia.com).
Where to shop in Budapest
CLOTHES
FLEISCHER GYORGYNE
This is an old-style shop in the heart of the theatre district, where loyal customers come to order their tailor-made shirts. Bolts of coloured cotton and an eclectic assortment of collar shapes and styles are available for inspection. Choose your own pocket, cuff and collar styles. Men's shirts cost about £30 depending on your choice of cloth, and take two weeks to make.
Nagymezo utca 7 (00 36 1 267 4756).
JEWELLERY
LA VALLIE JEWELLERY
Jewellery designer George Radic, who has worked for Tiffany and Bvlgari in New York, now fashions gold and silver into stylish items such as necklaces, cuff links and business-card cases, all for less than £100. Private commissions accepted. Visits to the studio are by appointment only.
Ulaszlo utca 23 (00 36 1 203 9364).
MARKETS
ECSERI PIAC
A sprawling flea market on the city's outskirts, Ecseri Piac is the place to rummage through piles of bric-a-brac for interesting souvenirs such as antique glass soda siphons, Soviet submarine clocks and Polish amber. A cheap but hearty artery-clogging breakfast of sausage, brandy and coffee will set you up for some serious haggling.
Nagykõrosi út 156.
NAGYCSARNOK
Opened in 1897 by Emperor Franz Josef in a (now carefully restored) three-storey, steel and glass pile by the Freedom Bridge, the Nagycsarnok (Great Market Hall) is home to two hundred stallholders. Thousands of shoppers pour in daily to buy home-grown vegetables, farm-reared chickens and handmade tablecloths from stern-faced peasant traders, as well as everything from horse salami to whole goose livers and live carp.
Fõvam tér.
How to get to Budapest
AIRPORT
Fly to Ferihegy airport (bud.hu).
AIRLINES FROM THE UK
British Airways (0870 850 9850; ba.com), easyJet (easyjet.com), Malev-Hungarian Airlines (0844 482 2360; malev.uk.com), Ryanair (0871 246 0000; ryanair.com)