A jewel of a neo-Renaissance opera house on Andrassy, dripping with gold, frescoes and chandeliers. Take the guided tour by day, or better still catch a performance for a taste of Budapest’s grand cultural life at bargain prices.
Budapest’s grandest church, holding the mummified right hand of Hungary’s first king. Step into the opulent nave for free, then take the lift or stairs up to the dome for a superb 360-degree panorama over the city.
A powerful, unsettling museum in the former secret-police headquarters on Andrassy, documenting Hungary’s fascist and communist terror regimes and their victims. Sobering and essential for understanding the 20th century here.
Europe’s largest medicinal bath complex, a butter-yellow neo-baroque palace of steaming outdoor pools (open even in winter), indoor thermal pools and saunas. The quintessential Budapest experience; go early or book a timed ticket.
The vast neo-Gothic parliament on the Danube is Budapest’s signature building, all spires, arches and a soaring central dome that guards the Holy Crown. Interiors are by guided tour only, so book ahead; it is breathtaking floodlit from across the river.
The grand hilltop palace crowning the Buda side, now home to the Hungarian National Gallery and Budapest History Museum, with sweeping views over the river and Pest. Ride the old funicular up from the Chain Bridge.
A coworking and community hub for people building social and environmental projects, with events, incubators and a network of changemakers. A window into Madrid’s lively social-enterprise scene.
A worker-owned cooperative restaurant built on agroecology, sourcing from local eco-friendly producers and run by assembly with equal pay, including members who came to Madrid as migrants. Good, honest food that supports a fairer food system.
A restaurant with a twist, run by the charity Mensajeros de la Paz: paying diners at lunch fund a proper sit-down dinner, served with waiters and tablecloths, for people experiencing homelessness at night. Eat well, and do genuine good.
A design hostel near Gran Via with dorms, private rooms and a sociable bar, the easy and affordable base for younger travellers who want to be central and meet people.