Budapest holidays

Head for the Central Market Hall to snap up souvenirs and hunt for handicrafts. It’s the biggest indoor market in Budapest, and the ground floor’s filled with fresh fruit, veg, meat and cheeses. Pop upstairs, and there’s a treasure trove of keepsakes to take home, from paprika gift sets to handmade handbags.

Head to Vaci Street for all the familiar high street faces, like Zara and H&M. The street runs from Vorosmarty Square – where the main Christmas market takes place – down to Central Market Hall, and it’s the city’s prime shopping street.

Andrassy Avenue’s wide-eyed, tree-lined stretch is reminiscent of the Champs-Élysées. Its Renaissance palaces and historic villas – many of which are now embassies – have helped it gain UNESCO recognition – and it’s the first port of call for lots of luxury brands. The likes of Burberry, Gucci and Louis Vuitton are all lined up along here.

For quieter evenings, head to one of the city’s many wine bars. Hungary has 22 wine-growing regions, and many of these bars offer tastings of the reds and whites that are produced around the country.

Budapest’s best known for its ruin bars, which have transformed many of the city’s abandoned buildings into quirky watering holes. Decor-wise, expect the likes of graffiti, scrap metal and fairy lights.. They tend to stay open ‘til the small hours, and live music and DJ sets are pretty common occurrences.

Hungary’s national dish has plenty of regional variations, but the staple ingredients remain the same. Slow-cooked beef, carrots, onions and a hint of paprika are the key players. They’re all mixed together to make a soup-slash-stew dish that’s either plated up or served in a deep bread bowl.

Unsurprisingly, this fruit brandy really packs a punch – its alcohol content’s somewhere between 37% and 86%. The main fruit’s usually of the sweet variety, like plums, apricots or cherries, and it’s usually taken as a shot by tourists and slowly sipped by the locals.

There are no prizes for guessing the chief ingredients in this dish. Tender chicken pieces are served with a sizeable helping of paprika, sour cream and spatzle – pasta-like dumplings.

This dessert’s made in various ways, as the original recipe’s a closely guarded secret. But, the key ingredients remain consistent– three types of sponge, rum syrup, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

These thin crepe-like pancakes can be stuffed with either sweet or savoury fillings. Gundel’s a popular choice for the sweet fans – it’s a mix of ground walnuts, raisins and rum, and the outside’s coated in dark chocolate. And, if you prefer your pancakes savoury, there’s hortobagyi – a mix of fried onion, sour cream and paprika sauce.