Budapest, Hungary travel guide and things to do: Nine highlights

Get a classic overview of the city from Castle Hil.Credit: BudapestBand/BarthaDorka

THE ONE VIEWPOINT

Straddling the River Danube, Hungary's ravishing capital was formed in 1873 by the merging of three much older towns (Buda, Obuda and Pest). For the classic overview, take the funicular up to Buda's Castle Hill, a cave-riddled elevation once settled by ancient Celtic tribes and later by Hungarian kings. Their vast former fortress-palace is among the hill's UNESCO-heralded sights, while from the turreted Fisherman's Bastion you can gaze out across the river. Sure to captivate is the whimsical neo-gothic parliament building on Pest's waterfront. See budapestinfo.hu

THE ONE SPA

Credit: BudapestBand/BarthaDorka

Everyone from invading Romans and Ottomans to today's city-dwellers and tourists have relished the geothermal springs bubbling from beneath Budapest. While the art nouveau-style Gellert Spa is Buda's most enchanting wellness hub, the neo-baroque Szechenyi Baths is arguably the best in Pest. Almost 20 indoor and outdoor pools are fed by spring waters feted for their medicinal qualities, with temperatures ranging from 18 to 40 degrees. Bathers also come for saunas, steam rooms, massage treatments and Saturday night parties (Sparties!). See szechenyibath.hu

THE ONE PARK

Step out, refreshed, from the baths for a stroll around City Park, a 122-hectare charmer with foot and cycle paths, children's playgrounds, botanical gardens and eye-popping cultural draws. As well as a fairytale lakeside chateau that houses a museum about Hungarian agriculture, there's the Museum of Ethnography and the House of Music, both opened in 2022 in dramatic contemporary buildings. The former boasts a curving roof garden; the latter, crafted by Japanese architect Sou Fujimoto, has trees growing through its ceiling. Another recent addition to this refurbished park is a stripy hot-air balloon ride rising 150 metres for 360-degree panoramas. See ligetbudapest.hu

THE ONE COFFEEHOUSE

Credit: BudapestBand/BarthaDorka

Budapest was once the second city of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and like its big brother, Vienna, it is blessed with characterful coffeehouses. Chandeliers, red lamps and antique paintings conjure a bohemian ambiance in Muvesz Kavehaz (Artist Cafe), where, for 125 years, patrons have come for caffeine jolts, newspaper-browsing, people-watching and decadent confectionery like Dobos torte (a Hungarian twist on the Viennese Sacher torte, marrying sponge, buttercream chocolate and caramel). This all-day cafe also has outside seating on Andrassy Avenue, a Champs Elysees-like boulevard flanked by prominent stores and landmarks like the Hungarian State Opera House, which sits opposite. See muveszkavehaz.com

THE ONE NEIGHBOURHOOD

If you'd prefer a hip modern cafe, flat white conjurers (like My Little Melbourne) proliferate in the 7th district, the historic Jewish Quarter, which unfurls behind the mighty Moorish-style Great Synagogue. Good for a daytime mosey - colourful murals catch the eye - this enclave thrums at night, especially in its so-called "ruin bars", which have turned previously-derelict apartment buildings into shabby-chic venues for drinking, dancing, live DJs, concerts and film screenings. Get lost with a Dreher (Hungarian pilsner) in Instant-Fogas, a mind-bending maze with unusually-decorated rooms and gardens. See instant-fogas.com

THE ONE MARKET

Locals and travellers also rub shoulders at the Great Market Hall (Vasarcsarnok), a 1897-built beauty, set one block back from Pest's riverside. On the street-level floor, stalls heave with everything from fruit and vegetables to kolbasz (a chorizo-like sausage) and paprika (a spice that seasons many a Hungarian dish). The mezzanine level is a nice spot for appreciating the market's splendid design, and has down-to-earth eateries offering the likes of goulash and langos (a deep-fried flatbread coated with cheese and other toppings). See budapestmarkethall.com

THE ONE RESTAURANT

For a more refined take on the national cuisine, book a table at Urban Betyar, a sleek Pest bar-restaurant that doubles as a folk centre showcasing Hungarian culture and traditions. It's tucked down a side street close to the domed St Stephen's Basilica and has seasonally-changing menus starring dishes like venison carpaccio, smoked whole trout and porkolt (a slow-cooked beef stew). Pair them with tipples from Hungarian wine regions like Eger and Tokaj. See urbanbetyar.com

THE ONE GALLERY

From Communist-era paintings and US pop art to contemporary sculptures and avant-garde audio-visuals, the Ludwig Museum has entertaining and thought-provoking galleries. Temporary exhibitions from established and obscure talents complement a permanent collection boasting works by Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. The museum is in an up-and-coming cultural quarter 2km south of the Great Market Hall. You can walk or pedal there beside the river or hop on tram line 2. See ludwigmuseum.hu

THE ONE HOTEL

Once the foreign headquarters of a London-based life assurance company, Gresham Palace now sparkles as a five-star Four Seasons. A head-turner from the outside, with its grandiose stone facade, it's a stunner inside, too. The 179 rooms, including 17 suites, have elegant art nouveau touches, some overlooking the Danube, the Chain Bridge and Buda Castle Hill. Even if you're not staying, come and wallow in the building's splendour over a cocktail or afternoon tea at the newly-fashioned MUZSA bar, which graces a lobby emblazoned with over two million mosaic tiles. See fourseasons.com/budapest

ONE MORE THING…

Budapest is the springboard (and end point) for Danube cruises. Viking has itineraries beginning in late-March and running through to December to coincide with the Christmas markets. Most seven-night cruises include a night on the ship in Budapest, and guests can add a pre or post-cruise extension to their trip. Do it. One of Europe's great capitals, Budapest is easily worth at least three or four days' exploring. See vikingcruises.com.au

Steve McKenna was a guest of Viking Cruises.