Down River on the Danube

Even before the Iron Curtain was lifted, Budapest’s secret was out. Now, with the Cold War thankfully a distant memory, Hungary is open to all-comers and its capital city is one of Europe’s greatest finds.

Budapest is not one city, but two: Buda, the historic heart, on the hilly west bank of the Danube, and Pest, the more modern, commercial half, on the other side of the river. They came together in 1872.

Budapest is such a stunning city that you’d be tempted to just wander and soak up the atmosphere. However pleasing that might be, there is a lot to pack in. Buda is the obvious place to begin, not least because its elevated position allows you to gain a perspective of the whole city. Take the world’s second oldest funicular up to Castle Hill, the historic heart, a maze of cobbled streets and fine old buildings.

On the Buda plateau is the Matthias Church. The highly ornate interior of this 13^th-century structure is dazzling. Just behind the church is the so-called Fisherman’s Bastion, a turreted confection affording brilliant views over Pest.

The most striking image of Pest is the prickly neo-Gothic parliament building along the banks of the Danube. Beyond it lie some of the best shopping streets (particularly the pedestrianised Váci utca) and plenty of other interesting sites.

The most relaxing place to stroll is a little artist settlement, Szentendre, some 40 minutes excursion by train out of Budapest. Here you will find some of the most original handcrafts of Hungarian culture varying from original art to detailed embroidery.

Throughout the day, you are likely to be tempted into one of the ubiquitous coffee houses and seduced by some of the cakes and pastries.

Hungarian dining centres around the national dish, goulash, but is much more varied than at first glance.

The wines are perfectly good and very cheap.

How to get there and get around:  Scheduled flights to Budapest Ferihegy Airport (16 kilometres out) from Heathrow and other European airports. Buses and taxis (taking 15 minutes) run to the city centre. Mini-buses are most frequent. Buses, trams, trolley buses and metro make up a comprehensive and cheap network.