A Globetrotter's Guide To Budapest

The city of Budapest is quite rightly renowned as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The city was born in the late 19th century from the merging of three major towns – Buda, Pest and Obuda, and the river Danube flows right through the center, dividing it still into two unequal city-halves: the hilly Buda and flat landed Pest.

Budapest is full of history – the Magyar conquest in 896, destruction and rapid recovery from Mongol invaders in 1241 and Ottoman rule throughout the majority of the 16th century have all contributed to what Budapest is today – a grand, thriving, cultural city with so much to see, do and experience.

Budapest is known as "the city of baths" due to it's profusion of high quality bath houses – some would say the best in the world. A turkish bath is, therefore, an almost mandatory experience whilst staying in Budapest! The places to visit include the Csaszar, the Szechenyi (one of the largest spa complexes in Europe), the Gellert and Lukacs Baths. Bath houses usually have two main pools, along with smaller ones that contain water of varying temperatures. Elsewhere you'll also find saunas and steam rooms, together with a wide-array of medical treatments. Massages come in two flavours, namely orvosi (a relaxing medical massage) and vizi (water), a much more rigorous – dare we say sadistic – Turkish based variant!

Below the city lie the famous Budapest caves, formed from the same springs that today form the thermal baths. These were discovered at the beginning of the 20th century, when house buildings and drainage construction works were carried out. Budapest has 9 strictly protected caves, 3 of which are open to the public.

Be sure to visit one or two of Budapest's many museums during your stay. They range from fine arts and military history to the Roman Ruins of Aquincum. The main shopping district is Vaci utca, though there are plenty of other modern shopping centres to explore. Visit the Falk Miksa utca for antiques and in and around Vaci utca for designer stores.

Beautifully lit up in the evening, Budapest has plenty to keep you up all night. The Budapest dance scene is gaining international prestige, and there are all the pubs and bars you can dream of. Thanks to the good public transport system, most places are easily reached, and the relatively cheap prices mean that you can really let yourself go without the risk of bankruptcy.

Visit Franz Liszt Square and Raday utca for many cafes, bars and restaurants. Las Vegas Casino, located in the Sofitel Atrium Hotel, is a professional gaming establishment open 24 hours that has welcomed many a famous face. For fun cabaret nights, head for the Moulin Rouge.