Budapest was one of the jewels of the Austro-Hungarian empire. You can still find grand boulevards and impressive architecture. But unlike some other Eastern European cities it hasn’t enjoyed the same amount of investment. It’s original glory may have faded a little but it’s beautiful city with something for everyone.

We went with a view to enjoying the Christmas markets, and I was left a little underwhelmed, as they tended to sell the same overpriced tourist tat as other Christmas markets that are franchised out to most major cities. However, I was really impressed by the great market hall. You can rub shoulders with the locals doing food shopping, and pick up gifts and handicrafts much more cheaply than in many of the over priced tourist shops.

The upper floor sells proper stick to your ribs tradional Hungarian food (although there is very little in the way of seating, you’ll probably end up eating at one of the counters that surround it)

Budapest is quite spread out and split in two by the river, one side being Buda and the other Pest. I opted for one of the hop on hop off buses as the most efficient way to see the city. A one day ticket with a Danube cruise included was €32. This was good way to learn more about the city and get warmed up in between stops (wrap up warm it gets really cold). The river cruise at night was also one of my highlights. You should also consider downloading the Bolt app (similar to Uber) if public transport isn’t your thing.

If you’re looking for night life the south of the city is where it’s at. Prices are cheaper than other western European cities. Like anywhere you’ll pay a bit more if you’re in a touristy area

The food was excellent, paprika is widely used, and brilliant bread and pastries are easy to find. Vegetarians might struggle as most of the dishes we found were meat heavy to say the least (but delicious).