Must-see in Budapest: a first-timer's guide

A brief history Budapest was created in 1873 by merging hilly Buda and Obuda with flat, commercial Pest across the Danube. The Romans had a garrison here, the Ottomans ruled for 150 years and left the bath culture, and the Austro-Hungarian boom built the grand boulevards and the parliament. Battered in 1945 and again in the 1956 uprising, the city today mixes imperial grandeur with ruin bars and thermal spas. 10 must-see attractions 1. Hungarian Parliament Building — a vast neo-gothic riverfront palace holding the Holy Crown. 2. Buda Castle Hill — royal palace, cobbled lanes and funicular from the Chain Bridge. 3. Fisherman's Bastion — fairytale white terraces with the classic view across the river. 4. Szechenyi Thermal Bath — grand yellow spa complex with outdoor pools warm all winter. 5. Chain Bridge — the first permanent bridge between Buda and Pest, guarded by stone lions. 6. St. Stephen's Basilica — city's largest church, with a dome walkway over the rooftops. 7. Great Market Hall — paprika, salami and langos under an ironwork roof. 8. Dohany Street Synagogue — the biggest synagogue in Europe, with a moving memorial garden. 9. House of Terror — the former secret-police headquarters, now a museum of both dictatorships. 10. Ruin bars of District VII — derelict courtyards turned into mismatched, plant-filled bars. Tip: buy bath tickets online and bring flip-flops and a towel.