Budapest has plenty of thermal baths so it can be difficult to decide which one is right for you. If you enjoy time travel while soaking in hot water, opt for Rudas Baths. This dimly lit hammam will transport you back to the 16th century, when the building was erected during Budapest’s century-and-a-half Ottoman occupation. Don’t miss the outdoor hot tub perched above the newer wing of the building.

The most convenient way to discover Budapest on two wheels is BuBi, the city’s bike-sharing service. With 1,500 bikes and 124 docking stations, BuBi provides excellent coverage of the inner parts of Pest (hilly Buda is a different story) and for less than the equivalent of €2, you can pedal away for a whole day as long as you split your trips into 30 minute intervals. Cycling down the stately Andrássy Avenue, Budapest’s version of the Champs-Élysées, is an especially enjoyable ride. Passes can be purchased at Deak Ferenc Square.

This dramatic limestone building dominating its Danube bank was built during Budapest’s golden era, when the city was a capital of the Austro Hungarian Empire. As part of a light, 50-minute guided tour you will learn about Hungary’s tumultuous history and get a glimpse into the former floor of the Upper House and other ornate halls. On your way out, pass by the imposing Liberty Square for more royal buildings from this period.

Besides jaw-dropping pre-war mansions, the Palace Quarter sports a growing number of restaurants and bars. For a family-run tapas bar, go to Padron, try excellent food from Puglia at Al Dente and wash it all down with drinks at the bourgeois-bohemian Lumen Café.

This enormous, 19th century downtown market-hall-turned-food-court is arguably one of Budapest’s number one food destination. Leading Hungarian chefs have been opening a slew of fast casual eateries here, offering excellent, wallet-friendly lunch meals. Try Buja Disznók for oversized pork schnitzels or A Séf utcája for slow-cooked sausage with onions and mustard.

The jewel in Hungary’s cultural crown, music has historically been its biggest artistic export, with composers such as Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály having made a particularly distinctive impact on the universal language of melody. Budapest’s House of Music gathers the country’s musical treasures and presents them in a global context. Aside from an extensive exhibition space, the project also incorporates a concert hall, education theatre and open-air stage, with the aim being to bring the city’s thriving musical community together under one roof.