The UK's Daily Express newspaper has written an extensive article on amazing Budapest, its architecture, tourist hotspots and delicious food.
Writer Sarah Kershaw says that taking the waters at a thermal bath is somewhat of a rite of passage in Budapest. She says it reminded her that the first people to take advantage of the city’s natural hot springs were the Romans.
"Since then, this pretty, cosmopolitan city has gone through all sorts of historical turmoil to become the place it is today – not least when the distinct cities of Buda and Pest merged in 1873," she adds.
The “ruin bars” that have sprung up since the millennium in the Jewish Quarter’s tumbledown buildings are the perfect place for a post-swim pint, she adds.
"At night, these bars turn into clubs and cocktail hangouts, which you’ll find by exploring the winding streets of this old part of Pest after dark," she continued.
However, if your taste is more refined, Budapest is home to some fine old literary coffee houses, she adds.
"The most famous is the gilded and glamorous New York Café, a great spot for breakfast. Legend has it that renowned writer Molnár Ferenc threw the key into the Danube on the café’s opening night, so that it would stay open forever," she said.
Kershaw also visited the House of Terror on Andrassy Avenue, which was home to the secret police of the fascist and then communist regimes that controlled Hungary from the 1940s until 1990.
"With recreations of Soviet-era dungeons in the basement (we can even go inside the cells), it’s a chilling visit, but allows us a much deeper understanding of what residents have been through," she wrote.
Following a walk down the Danube and across one of the many bridges, Kershaw headed over to Castle Hill, where the impressive Buda Castle complex juts out of the hillside.
"You can walk up one of the winding paths to take in the views but for us, the funicular railway was a lazier and much more fun idea.
"At the top, gelato in hand, we admire the panoramic views of the Danube and Pest’s Art Nouveau and neo-Renaissance architecture and make plans to come back again and explore more of this city’s hidden gems very soon," she added.
Ten things you must do in Budapest, according to the Dailly Express:
1 Take the funicular railway up Castle Hill from Chain Bridge for beautiful views.
2 Soak up culture at the art-packed Hungarian National Museum, or pop culture at the pinball museum.
3 Enjoy a drink in the Jewish Quarter, home to Budapest’s fashionable and arty ‘ruin bars’.
4 Sample the traditional local tipple, pálinka, a strong fruit brandy.
5 Take a dip in Budapest’s healing thermal waters – try the outdoor Szechenyi baths (pictured left) or the grand, cathedral-like Gellert Spa.
6 Tuck into hearty local dishes such as goulash (paprika beef stew, left), lángos (fried dough with cheese) or dobos torta, a sponge cake with chocolate buttercream.
7 Admire the architecture, particularly the neo-classical St Stephen’s Basilica and domes of the Moorish Revival Great Synagogue.
8 Visit the Great Market Hall, named the most beautiful market in Europe, to purchase all kinds of produce.
9 Stroll down Andrassy Avenue, a smart boulevard of cafés, designer shops and the Hungarian State Opera House.
10 See Shoes On The Danube Bank a moving and powerful memorial to Jewish residents shot during the Second World War.
Read more here.