Valentine's in Budapest

Room with a view!

It’s in a great central location next to the Danube. There is a breathtaking view of Buda Palace and the Chain Bridge from the rooms on the river side of the hotel. As the Palace is illuminated at night, it is simply stunning. I’m not sure what the view from the other rooms would be like, though. There is a fantastic buffet breakfast with more than enough choices.

The metro is a 5-minute walk way, and the tram is about 5 seconds away. It is probably only worth staying at this hotel if you have a river-view room OR eat your breakfast slowly enough to absorb the splendid view!!

I have eaten there once before in 2002 and should not have gone back. The food was good, as was the beer, but they did the Hungarian trick of ripping us off when it came to wine - it was over £2 for a glass of wine. Purely for this I would not recommend them... or perhaps go there and just stick to beer, but remember the comments of the reviewers!!

There are 40 statues arranged around a gravel park. The statues, busts, and plaques were moved there from the city after the communists lost power, when the Hungarian people did not want the reminders of the past. A great idea in lieu of them being destroyed!

The statues range from Communist favourites like Lenin and Marx to figures from WWII and the uprising of 1956

The park makes an interesting diversion from the city. To get there, get a tram to Etele Ter and then take the Volan bus. Every city map has an advertisement for this place, so just show that to the person at the ticket office and they'll know what you want. Alternatively, you can get the expensive bus from the city centre, BUT the journey is half the fun and the former is cheaper.

See www.szoborpark.hu.