THESE days, there is a good chance that the word ‘Budapest’ will actually trigger memories in most Brits. If nothing else, they’ll at least know of it, writes Anna Matei.

Of course, to most it’ll still be the land of palinka, paprika and goulash. But take even a short visit and you learn these undoubtedly essential ‘Hungarikums’ (as we Hungarians call them) are just the tip of a fabulous holiday destination.

There are grand buildings, extraordinary history and... food.

Indeed, food actually constitutes a major part of the tourist experience. It follows you everywhere, from the little bakery stalls in the city’s Castle complex to the ice cream stands along the Danube. In fact, don’t be too surprised to find culinary vending machines in the public toilets.

Food might be one of the best things about Budapest but there is more worth seeing. And photographing.

There is a lot of history to this city, and it isn’t all about occupation, though in truth, most of it is – by the Ottomans in the Middle Ages and the Russians during the 20th Century. The sensitively monikered House of Terror, a museum of a kind, showcases how the various occupying powers ‘persuaded’ locals to welcome them with open arms.

Its building on Andrassy Road was once the headquarters of the Nazis and then Russian secret police and ghoulishly displays some of their torture methods. Not surprisingly, it’s not in every tourist guide but is worth visiting.

The Castle complex in Buda, across the Danube from Pest, has a different tone. It is a reminder of Hungary’s monarchical medieval past. And the best to really appreciate it is to walk all the way up.

Once up, however, and having caught your breath, the shady cobbled roads and Ruszvurm, Hungary’s favourite cake shop, become the most welcome sights in the world. The cakes are delicious.

Obvious tourist attractions manage only to scrape the surface of the city.

Budapest has many onion-like layers, so the first thing any true traveller must do in Budapest is walk. Everywhere.

This may sound rather challenging, but it truly is the most enjoyable way to capture the spirit of both the city and its people.

For instance, lovers of fine architecture should visit Andrassy Road which looks – and feels – like a cobbled cocktail of Paris and Vienna but smaller.

There are plenty of expensive designer shops (Louis Vuitton, Armani, Dolce and Gabbana) and less expensive cafes along the way.

Menza, on Liszt Ferenc Square, delivers reasonably priced food to die for and sits as well in the middle of one of the most chic, stylish areas of the city. A perfect location for dinner, it’s full of well-dressed young people who help it feel ‘vital’. Big time.

And since it would be boring to eat twice in the same place, lunch the next day should mean Café Kor. If you’d like proper, traditional Hungarian food, Café Kor, near St Stephen’s Basilica, is a must. It’s Hungarian middle-class eating at its best with the menu chalked on the wall and the wine spilled into giant glasses. It’s impossible not to sit back and stuff away merrily.

Eating and walking are tiring. But Budapest, especially in the summer, is synonymous with a thriving night life, so come evening time it’s best to sink a coffee (and maybe some bread and milk) to prepare for a night of partying.

A word of warning though – this isn’t the town for British-style short dresses and high heels because chances are, you’ll want to visit every nightclub. Better then to pack stylish walking boots and carry a pocket size sleeping bag should it all become too much.

There are two Morrison’s clubs in Budapest. To avoid confusion, they have aptly been called Morrison’s 1 and Morrison’s 2. They are the standard hang-out for local youths and tourists. But if you can’t bear to dance any more, and it’s only 2am, go on to the Godor club on Deak Square.

A large cavernous space (or pit, if you translate the name literally), it boasts chairs under the stars with plenty to drink and listen to.

It’s well to go in company. Some Hungarian men aren’t shy to make inappropriate offers to foreign women, and some Hungarian women are even less shy about getting lone foreign men to buy them drinks. Lots of them.

Budapest a city steeped in history which has now become a 21st Century model for life, culture and partying.

It’d be a shame to miss it...

GETTING THERE:

Wizzair is the most comfortable way of flying directly to Budapest from London (ever since the Hungarian airline, Malev went bankrupt).
Return tickets start at £92.98/person for September.
Go to http://wizzair.com/
en-GB/Select to book tickets.

 

A brief history of Budapest:

THE main thing to know about Budapest (as a foreigner) is that it prides itself on being the gate to the West. So it would be a mistake to call it part of Eastern Europe. At least to its face.
Budapest has seen a lot of war and occupation. As the royal centre it was captured by the Ottomans in 1541. They liked it so much that they stayed for 150 years.
Then it was in held by the Habsburgs for several hundred years (Hungarian historians, however, are keen to point out that much of the country was able to maintain its independence).
And eventually, after some Nazi influence before and during the Second World War, it was occupied by the Russians.
Their armies left but their ideology and communist regimes stayed until the 1980s.
Today there are statues on every corner commemorating some poet or politician that stood up for the Hungarians – and, quite probably, died in the process too.