New museums, galleries and spruced-up parks counterbalance this Central European city’s classic architecture and thermal ...

A vibrant capital, Budapest is a study in contrasts. Andrássy Avenue and the Fifth District ooze Hapsburg-era grandeur, where Art Nouveau buildings rest on leafy boulevards just beyond the Danube.

The best times to visit Budapest are from March to May and September through November. These shoulder seasons are when the weather is idyllic and the city isn't overcrowded with tourists.

A soak in a thermal bath is a quintessential Budapest experience. (It hasn't cultivated a reputation as the "City of Spas" for nothing.) These baths, or fürdok in Hungarian, are heated by natural ...