Budapest
Budapest, the Pearl of the Danube, is one of Europe's most spectacular capitals, a city split by the great river into hilly, historic Buda and flat, bustling Pest, stitched together by elegant bridges. There is nowhere quite like it, and the view along the river is the reason so many travelers fall for the place at first sight.
The view along the Danube is a UNESCO World Heritage panorama. On the Buda side, the Castle Hill is crowned by the Royal Palace, the fairy-tale white turrets of the Fishermen's Bastion and the neo-Gothic Matthias Church; on the Pest side, the breathtaking riverfront Parliament, Hungary's largest building, glows gold at night. Between them the iconic Chain Bridge has linked the two cities since 1849.
Ride the funicular up Castle Hill, walk the ramparts at sunset, and take an evening Danube cruise when the whole skyline is floodlit; this is Budapest at its most magnificent. We build the days so you catch the hill in the soft early light and the river after dark, with time to wander the cobbled quarter in between.
