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https://www.barrons.com/articles/great-escapes-the-gothic-beauty-of-budapest-01661537239

Bisected by the Danube River, Budapest, Hungry’s capital, comprises two parts, sleepy Buda and buzzing Pest. In a larger sense, the East meets the West in Budapest: It’s not quite European, not quite Asian, but a delightful melding. 

After Ottoman rule, which lasted from the 16th- to the late 17th-century, Budapest came to constitute another half, the eastern portion of the Austro-Hungarian empire, which World War I dissolved. Today, newcomers are often surprised by the extent of Budapest’s charm. Traveling there can feel like chancing upon a hidden gem, and a happily affordable one. Like many liminal spaces, Budapest exudes an intriguing eccentricity, a city of pleasant surprises.

Budapest is a walker’s paradise, safe, spotless, with pretty adornments on nearly every building and imposing statues everywhere—even its manholes are decorated. The transit system is easy to use and extensive. Consider purchasing a Budapest Card, which grants free public transport use and other tourist perks. 

The late 19th and early 20th centuries are considered Budapest’s golden period. Buoyed by a buzzing economy, the city and its wealthiest inhabitants built many of the alluring, art nouveau wonders which impress today. But a century of turmoil and misery followed: Nazi alignment during World War II was followed by brutal Soviet suzerainty, then economic devastation after the Soviet Union’s collapse. 

Today, Budapest has entered a new era. Construction cranes dot its horizon. Tourists pour in, from young backpackers to expensively-dressed socialites. New hotels are launching, old ones reopening, and restaurants are packed. 

There are few things lovelier than watching the Danube drift by from a balcony at the Four Seasons Gresham Palace. Occupying the exquisite premises of a 19th-century insurance company, the hotel matches a stellar location, in Budapest’s lively Lipótváros district, with old-world style and modern amenities. Its indoor pool is great too, and the spa is divine. 

Gresham’s sparkling lobby—all stained glass and intricately tiled floors—is hard to beat but, alas, Párisi Udvar does so. Its lobby, which contains a bar and restaurant, is undoubtedly one of the prettiest in the world, a Moorish-Gothic masterpiece of geometric patterns and flare, more reminiscent of a cathedral than a hotel. Despite its old charms, the five-star Hyatt property, which opened in 2018, is handsomely modernized, with spacious rooms offering wide views of the Inner City district, or Belváros, a popular nightlife area. 

And, in the middle of Lipótváros, is the business-friendly Kempinski Corvinus, a 355-room five-star hotel with subtle Japanese aesthetics. Located in the quietest location of these three fine hotels, the property overlooks Elizabeth Square park and its shining ferris wheel, just steps away from luxury shopping and superb dining. 

Like Budapest itself, Hungarian cuisine is criminally underrated; meat and noodle-heavy, something like a mix of German and Turkish. Experience it in its purest form at the Hungarikum Bisztro, a small, homey place which prides itself on hemming to tradition. Their impossibly crispy pork knuckle dish is gargantuan—served with a bowie knife—but divine. Reservations are suggested. Traditional food with a more modern atmosphere and hefty cocktails can be found at Urban Betyar, which boasts an impressive ethnographic museum of Hungarian folk art. 

Do not skip Babel, where Swedish chef Daniel Berlin morphs Hungarian elements into sophisticated plates like guinea fowl with cabbage and butter emulsion or polenta bites with smoked bacon and yogurt dust (there is a vegan menu as well.) The small, sharply-designed restaurant surely deserves its Michelin star. Be sure to request the wine pairing, for a selection of scrumptious Hungarian vino.  

Cocktails are a new luxury in Budapest. As local mixology legend has it, the first was concocted only in the nineties, at the request of a visiting British royal. Today, one does not go thirsty in Budapest. 

Perhaps the best bar in the city is MÚZSA, which occupies Párisi Udvar’s stupendous lobby, and lives up to the architectural awe surrounding it with gastronomic excellence. Its artful libations pull from the Hungarian past, such as the Buda Hills, which fuses local herbs with vodka and citrus mousse. Others look forward, like the Shine Through Clouds: pisco, Hungarian chili sauce, lemongrass, and grapefruit juice. Their Japanese tapas are also exquisite. Expect live music on the weekends. 

Less sophisticated but still worthwhile is Boutiq Bar, which boasts fun, inventive cocktails like the Let Me Do It—Belvedere vodka with cream soda and hibiscus tea—in cozy, dimly lit surroundings.

The Danube, Budapest’s main artery, is a fitting place to start a visit. Book a nighttime cruise with Legenda, a two hour-plus affair which features a superb dinner and live Hungarian music. Bring your camera.

Buda, the city’s more residential half, is peaked by the Buda Castle, an 18th-century imperial masterpiece. Stroll to the top for expansive views of Pest and the magnificent Hungarian Parliament building, a sprawling gothic wonder. Around the castle are many fine restaurants and shops, including a storefront for Herend, Hungary’s premier ceramics maker, with exquisite hand-painted pieces (Queen Elizabeth reportedly sips her tea from Herend cups.) Akja, meanwhile, is Hungary’s finest crystal maker, which also boasts a royal pedigree. 

No visit to Budapest is complete without a soak in one of its many communal baths. The thermal waters in these are entirely natural, and fortified with various minerals and other life-giving properties. One of the more popular baths, and for good reason, is Széchenyi, a yellow-walled wonder built in 1913 with grand Romanesque statues and enough pools and saunas to satisfy its large crowds. 

Despite them, it is worth going, though be sure to request a private cabin to change in and store your belongings (Gresham Palace will bag you a robe, towel and slippers for the outing). Afterwards, stroll the charming Városliget park which surrounds the baths, and look out for the roped hot air balloon which, for a small fee, will float you 492-feet above the trees. 

The author was hosted by Four Seasons Gresham Palace, Párisi Udvar, and Kempinski Corvinus.

Bisected by the Danube River, Budapest, Hungry’s capital, comprises two parts, sleepy Buda and buzzing Pest.

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