Tonic Trek: Budapest

Budapest is an exciting city. It's got that element of NYC in the 80s where the grit and grime sit right alongside the grandeur and splendor, and the mix ultimately creates a kinetic energy that can't be beat.

First question you have to ask is where to stay, and this leads to a discussion of how the city is laid out. Budapest is actually divided by the Danube River into two sections, Buda and Pest, and that divide generally reflects the socioeconomic status of the citizens. Many of the coolest attractions are on the Pest side — Margaret Island, many of the thermal baths, St. Stephen's Basilica, the State Opera House and excellent, inexpensive nightlife — but you also have to be more careful walking about the streets even though it's still pretty safe. For a younger traveler in his or her 20s or 30s, especially one wanting to save money, I totally recommend staying in the heart of Pest. Now if you are in your 40s and especially if you are bringing your family, Buda is the place for you. The streets are cleaner, it's more glitzy and it also has its own set of tourist attractions, like the Parliament Building and the Royal Palace (which includes the National Gallery). You can even stay in Castle Hill, which is the oldest part of Buda right near the castle. Regardless of whether you stay in Buda or Pest, it is a walking city and both sides are easily accessible by seven main bridges.

While cities like Vienna and Prague focus mainly on their architecture, cathedrals and museums, Budapest actually has a lot more to offer. You must go to the thermal baths! It's the highlight of the city, and they are a blast. You can also go cave exploring (but take the tour, you're not Indiana Jones), and there's excellent recreation on Margaret Island (take your kids here). And I know this going to make the guys groan if their girlfriends make them go, but you should really consider visiting the State Opera House. It's a beautiful building and the performances are very inexpensive.

As far as food, Hungarian cuisine features lots of goulash (it's actually great) and various meat dishes. You will, however, see Kebab spots on every single corner. In the same way the Mexican population provides SoCal with the best Latin eats in the United States, the Turkish minorities in Budapest and elsewhere make phenomenal kebab sandwiches and other cheap street food fare that you'll end up eating a lot more often than you expect. It's really good.

Overall, Budapest is still an emerging economy, so your dollar or euro goes a long way. The city is growing, however, and it won't be like this for long. MasterCard recently did a study that ranked the city as one of the top growing markets, so now is a good time to visit if you're looking to stretch your dollars. It's a city full of history, beauty and life, and it's definitely worth a visit.

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia.