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Why Budapest?

Baths · river · Advent · coffee houses · architecture

Expect days around freezing, early dusk near 16:00 and clear, crisp mornings. The cold is the reason to sit in an outdoor thermal pool.

A city built on hot springs

More than a hundred springs feed the baths. Sitting in a steaming outdoor pool while snow falls is Budapest’s great winter pleasure.

Two cities, one river

Hilly, historic Buda faces flat, busy Pest across the Danube. The bridges and the river views tie every day together.

Advent at its best

The Basilica and Vörösmarty tér markets fill the centre with lights, music and food from mid-November.

Ottoman layers

Domed Turkish baths and the tomb of the dervish Gül Baba recall 150 years of Ottoman Buda.

Architecture lesson in a day

Gothic Revival Parliament, Baroque churches, Art Nouveau façades and Lechner’s tiled roofs sit within walking distance.

Coffee-house culture

Gilded cafés from the 1890s still serve cake and hot chocolate, which is what a cold afternoon calls for.

Good value

Hotels, taxis and meals cost less than in Vienna or Prague, even in the busy Advent weeks.

Easy escapes

Danube Bend towns, a royal palace and even Vienna are a train ride away.

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