Budapest

Budapest is divided by the Danube and has three distinct districts: Buda (with Castle Hill) on the right bank, Pest (the business center) on the left bank, and the hills of Óbuda to the northwest of Buda. The Roman numeral at the beginning of each address refers to the postal codes; the first district is I, and so on.

The quality of desserts in Budapest can be hit or miss. After the world-class pastries at Gerbeaud, other bakeries can suffer in comparison. In fact, some of the garnishes can be quite garish. Concentrate on the local specialties and don’t judge by Viennese standards, and you’ll have a wonderful experience. Also, the cafés in Budapest are gorgeous, and the atmosphere makes up for any maraschino cherries you might see sitting on top of your cake.