The inner city has enough points of interest to occupy a long weekend or a whole week depending on your inclinations. One of our favorite sights was Margaret island, a place where people gather with their children, jog, or go to just sun themselves in the park when the weather is pleasant. April through September are the best months to visit. Hungarian winters can be bitterly cold with periods of overcast skies that hide the sun completely for days at a time.

At the other end of the left bank from Margaret island is Market Hall, a gargantuan two story bazaar. On the ground floor a cornucopia of authentic Hungarian fare is sold from independent shops. You can find fresh vegatables along with meat and drink of all kinds there. On the upper floor vendors sell all sorts of dry goods and an incredible assortment of needlepoint blankets and blouses. Many of the vendors offer uniquely Hungarian gifts. There are also bistros on the upper floor with hot food and cold drinks for weary shoppers. Market Hall closes at 5:00PM on weekdays, 2:00PM on Saturday and does not open on Sunday. Cash is preferred but many vendors can accept major credit cards. Remember, those prices are negotiable. You can usually get what you want for about 75% of the initial asking price, especially when you intend to buy a number of items at once.

Budapest is counted among the world's most beautiful cities even claiming for itself such accolades as "Queen of the Danube" and the "Paris of the East." It is difficult to imagine a better way to appreciate the complex and richly detailed architecture than by simply walking along its streets. Many otherwise ordinary buildings are covered with intricately carved facades and balconies. Statues are seemingly everywhere. Even something as urbane as the doorway of a corner drugstore might boast a pair of angels standing atop it. There is a whole spectrum of sculptural styles. You can see solemn limestone classics looming over modern works of flowing copper, or imposing granite symbols of the Communist-era off in the distance behind energetic abstracts commemorating Hungarian heros.