Budapest runs on hot water and low light, and a weekend here should too.
Start on the Buda side for the view: Fisherman's Bastion and the Matthias Church at golden hour, with the Danube and the lit-up Parliament building spread out below. Cross the Chain Bridge into Pest as evening falls, when the whole riverfront turns gold and every photograph looks like a postcard.
Spend a morning at the Szechenyi thermal baths, the grand yellow palace of a bathhouse where locals play chess waist-deep in steaming water regardless of the season. Book a slot early on a weekend — Szechenyi gets crowded by midday, and the outdoor pools are worth reaching before the queues do.
After dark, head to the ruin bars of the Jewish Quarter — Szimpla Kert is the famous one, built into a derelict building with mismatched furniture and a courtyard cinema, but the smaller bars on the same streets are worth a wander too. Order a fröccs, the local wine spritzer, and let the night run later than planned; Budapest's best hours often start after most cities have gone quiet.
