Travel & Holidays in later life
Many Viennese culture-vultures pour into Budapest at weekends, to enjoy top-quality concerts and opera at much lower cost than in the Austrian capital. For the best panorama of Budapest, stand on Gellert Hill - a rock that rises steeply, 700 feet above the river bank. Down below is the Danube, almost 1,000 yards wide. The river splits the Hungarian capital into two sections: the hills of Buda on the right bank, and the plain of Pest on the left.
Like a complete resort, it has tennis courts, swimming pools with artificial waves, amusement centres, rose-gardens, open-air theatres, cafes, restaurants and luxury hotels. You can sample a bathing-pool of hot sulphur water, fed by one of Budapest's 123 thermal springs. On a holiday package to Budapest, choose a bed-and-breakfast deal, leaving you free to sample the wide range of character restaurants. The richly fertile countryside produces excellent vegetables, meat, freshwater fish (especially carp and pike-perch), and fruit. Hungarians take serious interest in their national cuisine, which uses paprika, spices, herbs and sour cream to enliven their flavours. Certainly the food is a memorable feature of a Hungarian holiday. The soups are outstanding. Traditional meat dishes offer great variety. For dessert, try the pancakes, typically filled with honey and nuts, and covered with hot chocolate sauce. You can always diet afterwards! Then there are the famous wines.  Several Hungarian wines are well known in Britain - especially the robust Bull's Blood of Eger (Egri
Bikavér) and the white Balaton Riesling. But part of the pleasure of Hungary comes from making your own local wine discoveries.The prime excursion out of Budapest is upstream to the Danube Bend, where the river narrows and turns sharply as it passes between the 2500-3000 ft heights of the Pilis and the Börzsöny Mountains. This strategic Bend is overlooked by the hilltop fortress palace of Visegrád first developed by the Romans, then built up by the Hungarian kings from 13th century onwards. This was the official royal seat in the early Middle Ages not in Buda. By the 15th century, Visegrád rated high among the great palaces of Central Europe. Destroyed by the Turks in 1542, the site was forgotten until rediscovered in 1934. Since then, restoration has given Visegrád very high rating as a tourist attraction. There are superb views of the Danube Bend itself, En route to Visegrád is Szentendre a small and charming riverside town which originally was settled by Greek and Serbian migrants. Szentendre has become a mini resort, with numerous cafés, restaurants, art galleries and cheerful souvenir shops, boutiques and peasant craftware stalls. There are several museums, including one for wine and another for marzipan. 
Near Szentendre is an open-air museum of peasant cottages and village buildings which have been transported from different parts of Hungary, re-erected and furnished in authentic style. Danube Bend excursions are operated by motor coach or river boat. Part of the pleasure comes from admiring the prosperous- looking private homes along the road, each standing in its own large garden, packed with flowers, fruit trees and vegetables. Many houses offer rooms to let 'Zimmer frei' - 'vacancies'.
Where else to visit in Central and Eastern Europ KRAKOW - the pub capital of Poland MOSCOW - See the transformation for yourself PRAGUE - Pulling back the Czech curtain SLOVAKIA - for old-time price levels "Books to read - click on cover pictures" or click on the links below Budapest - the Bradt City Guide by Adrian Phillips and Jo Scotchmer - Easily the best choice for a capital city break, with detailed information in a light-hearted style that makes it an enjoyable read. 390 pages of entertainment in pocket format. AA Essential Budapest - If you want glossy pictures and coloured street maps, with just the basic information. Hungary - (Bradt Travel Guides Series) by Adrian Phillips and Jo Scotchmer - If you want a deeper understanding of Hungary, here's a splendid extension of Budapest (above) written by the same authors. Dip anywhere for another entertaining insight into Hungarian history and lifestyle. Here is quality writing, not usually found in guidebooks.
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Budapest may seem a long way to go for a short break. But Easyjet flights take only two and a half hours. If you juggle your dates for the cheapest options, the return flight can cost around
Ł70.
centre.