Where Hipsters Converge – the Jewish Quarter
One of the liveliest areas of Budapest, where you come across a smashing eatery at every step, whether classical or hip. One of the most charming restaurants offering traditional cuisine is the Spinoza Café, with its intimate lighting and walls bedecked with vintage illustrations. The menu features Jewish specialities such as hummus, and the essential Hungarian dishes like goulash, a popular beef stew usually accompanied with spätzle, an unevenly shaped type of noodle. Dinner ends with one of Hungary’s most typical liqueurs, pálinka, a potent but digestive spirit which is here displayed in a priceless giant bottle on the bar counter.

If you prefer something more contemporary, there is no dearth of options. Like the Street Food Karaván, a concentration of dedicated food trucks and kiosks where you can grab a bite at their shared, open-air tables. The homemade hamburgers of Zing Burger will not disappoint either. Other options with a roof over your head include Situ (Kazinczy, 32), with a French touch, Vintage Garden, feminine and romantic, 3, Három, Three (Kazinczy, 3), informal and cool, and Doblo, a cheerful wine bar.

End off the night with a drink at one of the “ruin bars”,one of the most unusual concepts in Budapest. They are located in derelict buildings, reclaimed by young people and turned into bars with a hint of the underground and a big helping of imagination – creativity has taken over where funding reaches its limits. The most famed ruin bar is Szimpla Kert, with its entertaining, enveloping atmosphere.

Where To Eat In Buda: Baltazár Grill
While Pest is more dynamic, don’t leave the city without visiting Buda Castle and its stunning views. Here we recommend you eat at the Baltazár Grill, a hip bistro with its striking painting by Basquiat. They serve modernised Hungarian dishes (their paprika chicken and goulash soup are excellent) and marvellous hamburgers made in a Josper grill. The other side of the restaurant is a cosy wine bar where you can try some great Hungarian wines.

Where the Beautiful People Go – Menza
This restaurant is all the rage now. A blend of retro and futuristic aesthetics featuring an eclectic, contemporary and international menu with room for pasta, sandwiches, various meat dishes and even the odd fish dish – bear in mind that Budapest is a predominantly meat-eating city.

Where To Delight In Bistros With Charm
The bistro formula is in vogue in the Hungarian capital. After Costes and Onyx, the third restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star was the Borkonyha bistro, with a relaxed ambience but impeccable cuisine. Alongside the priceless Central Market stands the splendid Borbíróság, offering modern market cuisine and over a hundred quality Hungarian wines served by the glass. Highly recommendable is the duck and cherry ragout with potato and Cheddar cheese, and their foie gras beef with ratatouille and roast potatoes. Other bistros you will enjoy include Terminal, sited in an erstwhile bus station, and Zona, with beautiful interior design and Hungarian dishes with an international flourish.

Afternoon Tea – Cafés With Character
Tradition rules in one of the cities with the greatest pastry expertise. Before leaving Budapest, make a point of having afternoon tea in the stylish New York Café, housed in a 19th-century neo-Baroque palace where you will find it difficult to stop taking snaps… until you try one of their pastries, of course! Also classical but more sober is the Gerbeaud, one of the city’s most acclaimed pastry cafés. Make sure you try one of the local specialities, which are of exceptional quality here – the Dobos cake, made of fine layers of sponge, chocolate cream and a caramel topping.

Where To Sleep – Eurostars Budapest Center
This four-star Spanish hotel chain has an unrivalled siting on the edge of the Jewish Quarter and a stone’s throw away from the Danube. Housed in a Communist-era building, the rooms are spacious, bright, functional and elegant at affordable prices. The self-service breakfast is copious and varied, and the common areas comfortable, but the best thing is the service – they are helpful and, if you require a booking, they do it for you… and they speak Spanish!

Text and photos: Isabel Loscertales (Gastronomistas)

Budapest is said to be one of the most beautiful capitals in Europe, and with good reason. The rise of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1867 and the subsequent union between the cities of Buda and Pest turned the newfound metropolis into one of the continent’s leading magnets. Aside from its grand avenues, luxury palaces and bridges over the Danube, its appeal lies in its 118 springs spouting 70 million litres of water a day, at temperatures that vary from 20°C to 78°C.

The Spa City

Budapest has more thermal and medicinal water wells than any other world capital, earning it the title of “Spa City” in 1934. However, the properties of those waters have been known since ancient times. The Romans built thermal complexes during the period they settled there, as did the Ottoman Turks. Vestiges such as the Turkish baths have been preserved until today and are still operating at full steam.

However, the real boom in spa resorts took place in the early-20th century, coinciding with an upsurge in the city’s development and the foresight behind the decision to harness these waters for treating all kinds of diseases.

Planning Your Visit

Nowadays thousands of Budapesters and tourists from all over Hungary and the rest of the world come to delight in the city’s waters. There are obviously more spa guests in summer, but any time of the year is suitable for having a dip.

Each spa has its house rules, but most of them hire towels, have lockers for storing your clothes, and provide swimming caps. Check out the website of each establishment when planning your visit. While most resorts are mixed, some have different days or times of the day for men and women.

Here are the five thermal baths you simply cannot fail to visit:

Gellert

Remember that famous Danone advertisement from the early nineties, in which some hard-bodied models were swimming in a dream pool? Well, the pool in question happens to be the main one in the historic Gellert spa baths. Built in 1918, it is one of the city’s most elegant. It boasts 9 therapeutic pools, including a thermal bath, a bubble pool, a paddling pool and even a wave pool, flanked by statues and adorned with mosaics and stained glass windows.

It is also one of the more expensive baths. Admission varies from 3,800 to 4,200 forints (€13.20 to €14.60), but you simply can’t leave the city without visiting it.

Széchenyi

Inaugurated in 1913, it is one of the largest thermal bath complexes in Europe and the most popular one in Budapest among tourists. This does not, however, detract one bit from its charm. Bathing in one of the large outdoor thermal pools at Széchenyi is a wonderful experience. And, as it is the only spa in the Pest side of the river, you can sightsee this area before heading to the baths.

The admission fee depends on the services you hire, varying from 2,900 to 3,750 Hungarian forints (€10.10 to €13.05).

Rudas

Built by the Ottoman Turks in 1550, the Rudas Baths feature an octagonal pool covered by a dome, transporting one to A Thousand and One Nights. This spa is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays for men only, and on Tuesdays for women (wearing a swimming costume is not required). Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are mixed. One option is to visit the spa baths on Friday or Saturday evening and extend your stay into the night at the Romkert, open from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. It is an open-air disco where you will be dancing at the foot of Mt Gellért.

Király

Together with Rudas, the Király are the most famous Turkish thermal baths. Opened in 1565, they resemble the Rudas Baths, although on a smaller scale, so you are advised to book ahead and take your own towels with you. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are set aside for men and indeed this spa has become one of the major gathering places for gays. Király is also among the more economical baths in Budapest: 1,300 HUF (€4.50).

Lukács

Specialising in digestive disorders, the Lukács are famous for having been a meeting place for intellectuals in the 1950s and for being one of most popular resorts among tourists. With its seven pools set in a beautiful park, this is one of the best spots for coming into touch with Budapest society.

Now all that’s left is to pack your swimsuit and get ready for a dip. Check out our flights here.

Text by Aleix Palau for Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS

Although the epicentre of festivities is located in Ireland, St Patrick is celebrated as their own in many cities the world over. At any pub in the world which marks this festivity you can find four-leaf clovers, caps or pastries… the sky’s the limit when it comes to tingeing any object or food with green to mark the popular event. So green are the pubs on St Patrick’s Day that they look like the living-room of a leprechaun, those tiny, pipe-smoking gnome-like beings wearing a striking, tall hat and holding some gold coins in their hands. Now a pot of gold is said to be found at the end of a rainbow, so be alert on the big day because, if you spot one of them, he might lead you to his treasure. Leprechauns are also reported to pinch people who are not wearing green, so watch your step!

The Origin of Saint Patrick

Some legends hold that St Patrick was born in the mining village of Banwen in the Dulais Valley, some 40 kilometres from Cardiff. The inhabitants of that village lost no time in putting up a sign in honour of the saint on the ancient Roman road and claiming it to be his birthplace. Of course, the Irish totally reject that story. They do, however, agree that he died on 17 March 461 and his feast is celebrated with joyful festivities and spectacular parades throughout the day.

Pubs: an Irish Idiosyncrasy

Don’t be fooled – one of the main activities on St Patrick’s Day is having a few pints at the local pub. This is taken so seriously that, while the daily average of Guinness consumption in the world is 5.5 million pints, on St Patrick’s Day this figure climbs to 13 million pints. St Patrick’s is a perfect day for touring the pubs and beer houses of Cardiff. Please follow us!

1- The Finest Welsh Cuisine at Y Mochyn Du (The Black Pig)
Sophia Close, Cathedral Road

Surely one of the best pubs in Cardiff. Regarded as one of the finest in the United Kingdom, it was named Best Pub of the Year in 2007. Its staff is particularly helpful and efficient and they provide a vast array of beers, including many local varieties. Their homemade food is good, too, and includes such typical Welsh dishes as laverbread. Based on algae, this traditional recipe was once dubbed “the Welsh caviar” by no less than Richard Burton. And, weather permitting, what better way to while a few hours drinking in their glassed-in area, or in the garden.

2- The Largest Selection of Beers at Urban Tap House
25 Westgate Street

Sited in an erstwhile fire station, Urban Tap House is not a typical Welsh pub in the historical sense. Instead, this is a modern brick building comprising five large saloons distributed on two floors which features a colossal selection of home-brewed beers and ciders. They rotate weekly between a total of 15 handpumps and have fridges crammed with an assortment of beers from all over the world. This is the Mecca of all good beer-lovers, and of gastronomes, too. Their selection of hamburgers and generous helpings are also among the best in the city, as well as being the ideal companion to a good pint.

3- The City Arms – the Sports-Lovers Pub
10-12 Quay Street

This charming pub located in the heart of Cardiff serves fine-quality beer, notably Welsh, classical, wheat-based and fruit beers. City Arms is frequented by both lovers of the malted elixir and sports enthusiasts who flock here to quaff their favourite drink while watching sporting events on plasma screens, engrossed in lively conversation. It was chosen as the city’s best pub in 2012.

4- The Pen & Wig and its Fantastic Terrace
1 Park Grove

A traditional pub with a modern touch and an incredible terrace. The Pen & Wig sources its beer from local production and its selection varies from time to time. With a full-blown kitchen, it also offers tasty dishes crafted from the city’s freshest produce.

5- Dempsey’s Irish Bar –The Castle Pub
15, Castle Street

If you happen to be visiting the famous castle, one of the city’s icons, you can’t fail to miss this delightful Irish pub located immediately opposite the main entrance. It features live music and fun-packed nightlife – the ideal spot to have some typical Guinness or Harp Lager and to soak up all its Gaelic essence.

Go for it! Check out our prices here!

Text by Scanner FM

Image by Bkkbrad

Düsseldorf is the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia. In the mid-19th century it experienced economic growth fuelled by the Industrial Revolution. During the Second World War, the city was practically reduced to rubble but, thanks to the German miracle, it soon became one of the economic powerhouses of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Düsseldorf – Centre of the Avant-Garde Universe

Brian Eno once said that the Neu! experimental rock band from Düsseldorf was one of the three most inventive beats of the sixties, together with Fela Kuti’s afrobeat and James Brown’s funk. In the late sixties and early seventies, a characteristic Düsseldorf sound started to take shape, based on elements of early rock combined with those of experimental rock. Michael Rother and Klaus Dinger were the pioneers and both of them were members of Neu!, a reference model in the development of the endless machine beat typical of krautrock and, subsequently, in the early creation of Kraftwerk, the primogenitors of modern electronic music. Dinger is also credited with being the originator of themotorik beat, a rhythmic pattern based on a regular, mechanical and repetitive beat. Rother, for his part, also worked with Dieter Moebius and Hans-Joachim Roedelius, members of Cluster; they later teamed up to found Harmonia.

Kling Klang Studio

Ralf Hütter of Kraftwerk once said that the synthesizer is a psychoanalytic machine. Indeed, synths were the instruments that nourished the music of this German band, who also happened to design the world’s most modern studio in a flash. They called it the Kling Klang Studio, sited in the centre of Düsseldorf. The project was started by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, but was not finished until 1975, an event marked by the release of the record, “Radio-Activity”. During the eighties, the studio was refurbished according to a modular rack design, with a view to being taken along on their forthcoming tour. It was originally sited at 16 Mintropstrasse, but in 2009 it was relocated to Meerbusch-Osterath, some 10 kilometres from Düsseldorf. This move has enabled the studio and office to be located on the same premises. The new Kling Klang includes a rehearsal room for preparing concerts.

Kunstsammlung NRW

This is where, in 2013, Kraftwerk embarked on their current 3D tour which is taking them to emblematic places across the globe to present their daring visual show, during which the audience require 3D glasses to get a much more intense sensorial experience. At Kunstsammlung, art is the central focus. The backbone of the collection is made up of 88 works by Paul Klee, while the rest are highly valuable contemporary artworks.

The Düsseldorf Scene Today

The electronic scene is currently not as solid as it was a few years ago. Loco Dice is a local artist with some international acclaim within the minimal scene headquartered here – the Desolat label. Another label based in the city is Themes for Great Cities, the home of Wolf Müller, a project by Jan Schulte, one of the most restless souls on the local electronic scene at the moment and a direct heir to the Düsseldorf sound.

Salon Des Amateurs is undoubtedly one of the most interesting clubs in the city. It is located in the heart of the art community, namely the Kunshalle, an exhibition space specialising in contemporary art. When entering the premises, one is struck by the Max Ernst sculpture. Here, the kraut tradition blends with the most select electronic avant-garde. At “The Salon”, as it is known here, the whole liturgy of dance takes place. Two of the resident DJs are Jan Schulte and Detlef Weinrich, from the legendary elektronische musik group Kreidler, who pioneered a fusion of ambient, post rock and IDM in the nineties, although their sessions are characterised by a mix of krautrock, African percussion and cosmic jazz. The name is drawn from the Salon organised by the Société Des Artistes Français, an association of French painters and sculptors who held annual events featuring the work of non-professional artists. This was the spirit of the venue in its early years, marked by a certain degree of anarchy, as reflected in the type of audience that frequented the event, from professors in their sixties to teenage skaters. Loco Dice’s Desolat label is headquartered here and makes the club the cradle of the city’s techno once again. The mission of Salon Des Amateursis to take up where Creamcheese left off as a progressive music disco, heir to the non-objective art movement that set in during the late sixties and turned out to be essential to the birth and development of the krautrock style. Then there is Ratinger Hof, a refurbished pub near the Kunstakademie, which became the epicentre of the punk movement in the seventies and eighties, and was graced by bands of the stature of Kraftwerk, Neu! and DAF.It now operates more as a club and the audience is mostly young. Speaking of clubs, most of the ones that hosted electronic underground have now closed down. Only the 102, known as Kiesgrube during the summer season, is still going strong.

Come and experience the effervescent music scene in Düsseldorf. Check out our flights here.

Text by ISABELYLUIS Comunicación

Images by Kraftwerk, Kunstsammlung, Salon Des Amateurs