Castle Hill:

Take the cable car up to the 13th century Buda Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here in the neo-Baroque quarter with its narrow, stone-paved streets you will discover the neo-Gothic church of King Matthias and the Palace. The palace complex now houses the National Gallery, the History Museum and the National Library.

Address: cable car starting point, Clark Ádám tér, 1013 0036 1 201 9128

The Fisherman’s Bastion:

a neo-Gothic monument of the 19th century, on the Buda side of the city, with seven conical towers representing the seven tribes of the Magyars. The location offers magnificent views of the Danube and the Pest quarter of the city.

Address: Szentháromság tér 5, 0036 1 458 3030, www.fishermansbastion.com/

Hungarian Parliament:

Inspired by the Palace of Westminster in London, the dazzling white edifice on the Pest bank of the river is mirrored in the waters of the Danube. This is the largest building anywhere in Hungary, a little over one hundred years old, which combines features from the neo-Gothic, neo-Baroque and Romanesque styles. Some of its 700 exquisitely decorated rooms are open to the public.

Address: Kossuth Lajos tér 1-3, 0036 1 441 4000, www.parlament.hu/

Heroes Square:

The largest square in the whole of Budapest, situated on the eastern side of the city, imposing in its simplicity. The centre of the square is dominated by the Millennium Monument, a column 35 metres high crowned with a statue of the Archangel Gabriel, and flanked by colonnades with statues of Hungarian kings. It was erected in 1896 to mark the passing of a thousand years since the arrival of the Magyars in Hungary. On the northern side of the square stands the Museum of Fine Arts – currently being renovated – with masterpieces by El Greco, Goya and Giotto, while the southern side is home to the Kunsthalle, with its collections of modern art.

Address: Hősök tere, 0036 1 322 4098,

Gellért Hill:

The hill stands right on the bank of the Danube, on the Buda side, and offers the most amazing views of the city. It takes its name from a bishop who was drowned in the waters of the Danube in 1046 by pagans who refused to convert to Christianity. His statue can be seen opposite the Elizabeth Bridge, the Habsburg Palace and the Soviet-era Liberty Statue, commemorating the liberation of the city from the Nazis.

Hungarian State Opera:

During your stay you should enjoy a performance at the Opera, which opened in 1884. Designed in the Renaissance style by the Hungarian architect Miklós Ybl, the opera house on the Pest side of the river is famed for its acoustics.

Address: Andrássy út 22, 0036 1 814 7100, www.opera.hu/?lan=en

Franz Liszt Museum:

Browse the scores and admire the piano once owned by the great Hungarian composer and pianist, in the house where he lived from 1881 to 1886.

Address: Vörösmarty utca 35, 0036 13229804, www.lisztmuseum.hu/

Margaret Island:

This is a long, narrow island set in the middle of the River Danube, a royal game park where kings would hunt in the Middle Ages. It takes its name from a young princess who lived in a nunnery here. The island is a popular leisure destination for the local people, who come to jog in the rose gardens, swim in the pools and enjoy the water slides, or relax with a spa treatment in the hot spring water. You can get to the island easily across the bridge of the same name, and explore on foot, by cycle or taking the little train. Make sure to stop and listen to the musical fountain, whose waters dance to the music of Vivaldi, Brahms, Verdi – and even the Rolling Stones!

River cruises:

An absolute must for the visitor is a trip on one of the cruise boats gliding lazily beneath the city bridges, to the musical accompaniment of the ‘waves of the Danube’. Many of the city’s travel agencies organize themed cruises along the river, by day and night.

Spas: It is definitely worth treating yourself to a rejuvenating treatment in the hot springs of the Széchenyi bath, whose waters bubble up from the ground at a temperature of 74˚C. In the outdoor pool of the neo-Baroque building you can play chess in the water – even if it’s snowing! At the Ottoman Rudas Baths you can relax and soak up the oriental atmosphere in the octagonal pool. At the famous Gellért Baths, with their art nouveau furnishings, Doric colonnades, glass ceilings, mosaics and stained glass, you can swim in the emerald waters of the pool, equipped with its own wave machine.