Peterjon Cresswell

Museums and galleries are not the only game in town – there are spa baths, hilltop castles and a great big wheel slap in the city centre. It’s only when visitors come to my adopted home of the last 35 years that I pay proper attention to its attractions. Much like Londoners not bothering with the British Museum, Budapest residents on the Danube-hugging No.2 tram barely give the stunning Parliament building a second glance and practically ignore Buda Castle’s UNESCO-protected cityscape. But the city I fell for never fails to deliver. I may not wander into the National Gallery every week but I’m glad it’s there, waiting for whenever visitors give me the excuse to recapture that thrill of discovery – and, naturally, party like it’s 1989. Recommended: 📍 The best things to do in Budapest😋 The best restaurants in Budapest🍻 The best ruin bars in Budapest🏡 The best Airbnbs in Budapest🛏 The best hotels in Budapest Words by Peterjon Cresswell, original photos by Szabó Gábor, both based in Budapest. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

The word might be firmly out about Montenegro, but that doesn’t mean you know all there is to know about this brilliant country. You’ve got everything from sleepy coastal towns to luxury resorts here if you know where to look, all set across craggy cliffs and shaped by Venetian marble. Explore serene lakes, rare wildlife and hiking trails traversed mainly by mules until relatively recently, challenging hikes and a whole lot more – Montenegro is no easy ride, but it’s a country like no other.  Which is the best area to stay in Montenegro? In a word, it depends what kind if trip you’re after. The most popular spots – Budva, Kotor and Perast – are popular for a reason, and tend to attract holidaymakers perhaps jaded by pricier neighbour Croatia. For something more under-the-radar, try our most underrated place in Europe, Ulcinj, or for a blow-out luxury trip, no resort could be more exclusive than Swiss-owned Sveti Stefan.  RECOMMENDED:🇦🇱 The best places to visit in Albania🏖️ The best alternative Mediterranean beach breaks📍 The most underrated destinations in Europe🧳 The best city breaks in Europe Peterjon Cresswell is the editor at Time Out Croatia. Additional reporting and editing by John Bills, who has travelled extensively around the Balkans. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

Get ready to glide along the Danube, lay into a bowl of hearty goulash and take in some serious views from rooftop bars, chairlifts and great heights – Budapest awaits. This city is steeped in history, blessed with spa waters and embellished with grandiose façades from the Habsburg days, with plenty of new openings to get stuck into too. From attractions to nightlife, here’s our local’s guide to the city.  Is Budapest expensive? In a word, no. Budapest is no longer a cheap date but the weak local forint means your meal or night out is still affordable. Yes, that soak in the Széchenyi costs £20, but a tram ride is £1, a cinema ticket £5 and a beer £3 – if reclaiming the deposit on your glass. It might not be one of Europe’s cheapest city breaks, but it’s definitely good for a budget trip.  RECOMMENDED:📍 How to do a weekend in Budapest🍲 The best restaurants in Budapest🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Budapest🏨 The best hotels in Budapest🍽️ …and we’re opening a Time Out Market in Budapest! Words by Peterjon Cresswell, original photos by Szabó Gábor, both based in Budapest. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

People who don’t live in cities will tell you they’re busy, lonely and expensive places. But there’s a reason so many people choose to live in them: with world-class art and culture, unbeatable food and nightlife, buzzing neighbourhoods and a dizzying amount of stuff to do and see, there’s simply no better place to be.  Every year, we take the pulse of city living by quizzing thousands of locals across the planet about life in their hometowns. This year, more than 18,500 city-dwellers shared their insights on everything from food, nightlife and culture to affordability, happiness and the overall city vibe. When urban living can sometimes feel isolating and costly, this year we wanted to get a sense of what, exactly, makes a city feel like home. Sure, the nightlife is great, but is the city safe and walkable? Is good quality food and art available at a reasonable price? Is it easy to make friends, find love, and access nature?  Livability was a key factor in our ranking this year. But a great city to live in is, naturally, a great city to visit. So, along with the thousands of responses from locals around the world, we asked Time Out’s global network of city experts to vote on the places they think are particularly exciting right now. After crunching all that data, here we are: Time Out’s definitive ranking of the world’s best cities in 2025. Read on to see how your hometown fared… RECOMMENDED:🛍️ The coolest neighbourhoods in the world right now🌎 The best things to do in the

We live and breathe city life at Time Out, so to us, there’s no better way to spend a precious long weekend than by cramming in as much food, nightlife and culture as possible in one of Europe’s many great metropolises. This vast, diverse continent is home to hundreds of cities that tick all the boxes of the perfect break. You have the classics: Rome, Amsterdam, Paris. And then you have the second cities, the obscure cultural capitals, and those surprising little places that make for the ideal affordable city break.  But with so many options, where should you head in 2025? Well, we’ve narrowed it down for you: in our list of Europe’s best city breaks, everywhere from Ireland to Italy is covered. Why leave it at one? Take advantage of Europe’s amazing new train services and cram in a couple. RECOMMENDED: 📍 The absolute best things to do in Europe🗺 The most underrated travel destinations in Europe🛤 The ultimate Europe Interrailing itinerary

Ya has visitado los clásicos: las capitales, los lugares virales de TikTok, las ciudades con su propio programa de Netflix… Y no nos malinterpretéis, nos encantan los clásicos, pero hay un inconveniente en estos destinos de viaje grandes, bulliciosos y dignos de una lista. Si alguna vez has guardado una hora de cola para una pastelería, te has gastado el presupuesto del día en un café o has reservado un museo con tres meses de antelación, lo sabrás tan bien como nosotros: son las aglomeraciones. Lo cierto es que los autóctonos tampoco están contentos. Este verano se han producido una serie de manifestaciones contra el turismo en los principales puntos de interés europeos, al llegar a un punto crítico después de años de masificación turística; Ámsterdam se ha puesto dura con los nuevos hoteles y Venecia está preparada para duplicar su tasa turística en el 2025 (como Barcelona, ​​que también podría hacerlo). De modo que nunca ha habido un mejor momento para pensar fuera de la caja a la hora de planificar los viajes, sobre todo cuando hay tantos sitios olvidados increíbles. Desde escapadas urbanas llenas de cultura hasta parques nacionales desconocidos, estos destinos tienen todo lo que deseáis para vuestras próximas vacaciones, con la ventaja adicional de que habrá mucha menos gente yendo a los mismos lugares. Si viajáis con un presupuesto limitado, buscáis tranquilidad o simplemente estáis desesperados por probar un lugar nuevo, estos son los lugares más infravalorados para vi

Ja has visitat els clàssics: les capitals, els llocs virals de TikTok, les ciutats amb el seu propi programa de Netflix… I no ens malinterpreteu, ens encanten els clàssics, però hi ha un inconvenient en aquestes destinacions de viatge grans, bullicioses i dignes d'una llista. Si alguna vegada has fet una hora de cua per a una pastisseria, t'has gastat el pressupost del dia en un cafè o has hagut de reservar un museu amb tres mesos d'antelació, ho sabràs tan bé com nosaltres: són les aglomeracions. El cas és que els autòctons tampoc estan contents. Aquest estiu s'han produït una sèrie de manifestacions contra el turisme als principals punts d'interès europeus, ja que es va arribar a un punt crític després d'anys de massificació turística; Amsterdam s'ha posat dura amb els nous hotels i Venècia està preparada per duplicar la seva taxa turística el 2025 (com Barcelona, que també podria fer-ho). De manera que mai hi ha hagut un millor moment per pensar fora de la capsa a l'hora de planificar els viatges, sobretot quan hi ha tants llocs oblidats increïbles. Des d'escapades urbanes plenes de cultura fins a parcs nacionals desconeguts, aquestes destinacions tenen tot el que desitgeu de les vostres pròximes vacances, amb l'avantatge addicional que hi haurà molta menys gent anant als mateixos llocs. Si viatgeu amb un pressupost limitat, busqueu tranquil·litat o simplement esteu desesperats per provar un lloc nou, aquests són els indrets més infravalorats per visitar a Europa en aquest

For those of us lucky enough to live in Budapest, having a spa on our doorstep is one of the major plus points of living in Hungary’s capital. Our favourite might depend on proximity – though the Rudas, the Lukács, the Veli Bej and the Gellért all line the Buda embankment, where the Ottomans established baths around thermal sources 450 years ago. We may be regulars at the palatial, Habsburg-era Széchenyi, allowing us to invest in a season ticket and so avoid the steep one-day price and the queue of tourists at the entrance. Packing our towels, flip-flops, dressing gown in winter and bank card for drinks and snacks inside, we copy the routine of locals who have been doing this for generations, opening and closing the sauna door quickly, and leaving loud conversation for the nearest bar afterwards. Be it your first or hundrendth time in Budapest, the spas are a must. Here are the best spas in Budapest.  RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in Budapest😋 The best restaurants in Budapest🍻 The best ruin bars in Budapest🏡 The best Airbnbs in Budapest This guide was updated by Peterjon Cresswell, a writer based in Budapest. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

Wherever you stay in Budapest, you’ll be near a decent bar, relaxing spa and recommendable restaurant. That said, some may prefer the residential quiet of Buda to the urban buzz of Pest, each side linked by metro, trams and buses, not to mention cycle lanes. Use the BudapestGO app to buy tickets and plan journeys. Districts are referred to by a Roman numeral, some also by their historic connection to a Habsburg royal – District VIII is Józsefváros, ‘Joseph Town’. RECOMMENDED📍 A weekend in Budapest: the ultimate itinerary🏰 The best things to do in Budapest🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Budapest🍽️ The best restaurants in Budapest Words by Peterjon Cresswell, original photos by Szabó Gábor, both based in Budapest. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

You’ve done the classics: the capital cities, the TikTok viral spots, the cities with their own Netflix show. And don’t get us wrong, we love the classics for a reason. But there’s a downside to these big, bustling, bucket-list-worthy travel destinations. If you’ve ever queued an hour for a pastry, spent your day’s budget on a coffee or had to book a museum three months in advance, you’ll know it as well as us: it’s the crowds. The thing is, locals aren’t happy about it either. This summer saw a series of anti-tourism demonstrations in European hotspots, as locals reached breaking point with years of overtourism; Amsterdam is cracking down on new hotels, Venice is set to double its tourist tax in 2025. So there’s never been a better time to think outside the box for your travels – especially when so many incredible European spots are getting overlooked. And we’re not gatekeepers here at Time Out. From culture-packed city breaks to under-the-radar national parks, these destinations have got everything you want from your next holiday, with the added bonus of far fewer people jostling to see the same attractions. So if you’re travelling on a budget, searching for quiet or just desperate to try somewhere new, these are the most underrated places to visit in Europe right now, handpicked by Time Out's network of well-travelled writers. RECOMMENDED:🏰 The best city breaks in Europe📍 The most beautiful places in Europe⛷️ The best ski holidays in Europe🏘️ The coolest neighbourhoods

Budapest is one of our top spots for a city break in Europe right now, and we reckon it’s criminally underrated for a fabulous weekend that won’t break the bank. Budapest has got it all; galleries, views, nightlife and more, and all as photogenic as it was in the gilded late 1800s.  But some of Budapest’s best parts are hidden in corners, away from the tourist-filled spas and the buzzing bars. In fact, the best thing you can possibly do is hit up a local to craft your itinerary. So hey, we’ve done the hard work for you. From where to eat breakfast to the most scenic walks in the city, here’s our ultimate itinerary for an unforgettable weekend in Budapest.  RECOMMENDED:📍 The best things to do in Budapest🏛️ The best spas and baths in Budapest🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Budapest🏨 The best hotels in Budapest Peterjon Cresswell is a writer based in Budapest. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines. 

In 2024, what exactly makes a neighbourhood cool? Craft breweries, natty wine bars and street art are well and good, but the world’s best, most exciting and downright fun neighbourhoods are much more than identikit ‘hipster hubs’. They’re places that reflect the very best of their cities – its culture, community spirit, nightlife, food and drink – all condensed in one vibey, walkable district. To create our annual ranking, we went straight to the experts – our global team of on-the-ground writers and editors – and asked them what the coolest neighbourhood in their city is right now, and why. Then we narrowed down the selection and ranked the list using the insight and expertise of Time Out’s global editors, who vetted each neighbourhood against criteria including food, drink, arts, culture, street life, community and one-of-a-kind local flavour. The result? A list that celebrates the most unique and exciting pockets of our cities – and all their quirks. Yes, you’ll find some of those international hallmarks of ‘cool’. But in every neighbourhood on this list there’s something you won’t find anywhere else. Ever been to a photography museum that moonlights as a jazz club? Or a brewery with a library of Russian literature? How about a festival dedicated to fluff? When communities fiercely support and rally around their local businesses, even the most eccentric ideas can become a reality. And that, in our eyes, is what makes a neighbourhood truly cool. From formerly overlooked sub

What’s the vibe?  For a restaurant in Budapest’s business quarter that has held on to its Michelin star since 2014, ‘Wine Kitchen’ is pleasingly informal, its pavement terrace a relaxing option of a warm summer’s eve. What are the prices like? Even given the high quality and presentation, you can enjoy an excellent three-course meal for under €70, with all wines from the expertly curated selection available by the glass. What should I order?  The menu might be concise but you can always rely on local favourites like mangalica, a local variety of pork, and durbincs, a Danubian fish known in English as Balon’s ruffe. Let your waiter guide you on wine pairings – it’s called ‘Wine Kitchen’ for a reason – particularly where the choice Hungarian cheese are concerned, a popular bookend to any visit.  What’s worth visiting nearby?  If you’re here during the week, when Borkonyha operates evening-only, your options are limited to a pre-dinner visit to St Stephen’s Basilica round the corner or a late drink at Akvárium also nearby, a bar, live venue and party spot.  On Saturdays, you might want to take a stroll along the Danube waterfront before or after your meal. 📍 Discover more of the best things to do in Budapest

What’s the vibe?  ’Tradition, innovation, family’ runs the motto on the restaurant website, but family comes first at Tibor Rosenstein’s unassuming yet excellent Jewish-Hungarian eatery. Tibor’s son Robi shoulders a lot of the responsibility these days, along with his wife, pastry expert Timi.  What are the prices like? If you’re looking for a classic Budapest dining experience on a budget, then the daily offer here (€12-€15) is a steal – remember you’re dining where Helen Mirren and De Niro have done before you. À la carte, game, fish and poultry dishes are similarly priced, though you’ll pay a little extra for lamb. What should I order?  As those silly geese advise in The Aristocats, think goose. The dish of the day on Saturdays but also available à la carte through the week, Rosenstein’s signature goose leg comes with braised cabbage and prunes, served with a sampling of cholent bean stew. What’s worth visiting nearby?  Rosenstein is tucked down a featureless sidestreet – further evidence of its enduring attraction, nobody finds this place by chance. Alongside is Keleti station, a stately steam palace from the Habsburg era, while also close by, Hungary’s great statesmen and artists repose at Kerepesi cemetery, Budapest’s own Père-Lachaise.  📍 Discover more of the best things to do in Budapest

What’s the vibe?  Essência is, essentially, a love story, between Portuguese chef Tiago Sabarigo, who worked at Michelin-starred Costes Downtown in Budapest, and Éva Jenei, whose CV includes top luxury hotels around the world. The food (and the vibe) reflect their roots and their relationship. What are the prices like? If you’re here for dinner, Essência isn’t cheap as the kitchen operates according to a five- or seven-course tasting menu with wine pairings, meaning you’re looking at around €140 a head. Pop in at lunchtime, however, and you can select from a short selection of starters at around €20 and mains at around €30.  What should I order?  Octopus is a regular starter at lunchtimes, well cared for in Tiago’s capable hands, but for classic Hungarian, go for the duck liver. Serious carnivores should go for the aged beef rib-eye as a main. The evening tasting menus change daily but cod and lamb ensopado are firm favourites. What’s worth visiting nearby?  You’re in Budapest’s gastro and business hub, meaning you’re close to St Stephen’s Basilica as well as the Danube riverfront. For a nightcap or pre-dinner apéritif, on the parallel street of Hercegprimás utca, the Aria Hotel is topped by the panoramic rooftop High Note Skybar. 📍 Discover more of the best things to do in Budapest

What is it? Long established as the city’s hottest spot for dancing on deck, live bands down below and dining in between, the A38 sits in a converted Ukrainian cargo ship, ideal for a sundowner while admiring the skyline of Budapest. A key showcase for all major Hungarian bands and DJs.  Is it worth it?  If you’re here for the weekend, it’s a must, and far less tacky or clichéd than some (ahem) of the city’s ruin bars. What are the prices like? Admission prices vary according to the act programmed for that day but this shouldn’t be much more than £5-£7 – and shouldn’t sell out. Tickets are available through the website or, slightly pricier, on the night. It’s not particularly wheelchair accessible.  Can I eat there?  The A38 has its own bistro, open from 10am weekdays, 4pm Saturdays and closed on Sundays. The fixed menu ranges from venison ragout soup to New York steak, with plenty of vegetarian options. The weekday lunchtime specials at £7 for three courses are a steal. Alternative options can be found at the next bridge, around Gellért tér. 📍 Discover more of the best restaurants in Budapest

What is it? Imagine a nightclub and live venue on Trafalgar Square, and that’s Budapest’s Akvárium Klub. This was once the concourse of the city’s main bus station and mooted as the site of the new National Theatre. Now it’s a split-terrace alfresco bar open from mid-afternoon, and a multi-space party place and concert hall, ideal for top Hungarian bands and reasonably big foreign ones. Is it worth visiting? If you want to it central, Akvárium is ideal. Even if the act that night might not be to your liking, you can always hang around outside, where a water feature provides the perfect backdrop for Insta shots. What are the prices like? Admission varies entirely according to the act – for a Paul van Dyk appearance in May 2024, advance admission was £22, free for the mobility-impaired, while the charge that April for a little-known Hungarian band in the 300-capacity hall was just over £4 in advance, £6.50 on the door. Where’s good to eat nearby?  There’s a kitchen here for bar food but you’re right in town – the urban eateries by the Basilica, such as Bestia, are just around the corner. 📍 Discover more of the best restaurants in Budapest

What is it? If you’re going to have a rooftop bar, you may as well site it atop an architectural masterpiece on the city’s main avenue. The 360 Bar occupies the panoramic terrace of a fin-de-siècle department store, with its own separate street-level entrance done out equally stylishly. Thanks to a clutch of private igloos, it goes year-round for cocktails, wines and a full menu –though the view is what beckons people here. Is it worth visiting? Whatever the weather, you’ll have a memorable time at 360. If it’s winter, the two of you can cuddle up – though you’ll be sharing your igloo with other couples unless you pay for privacy. What are prices like? Book a table through the website at £11 per person, which is offset against the food and drinks you consume. It’s not particularly wheelchair-friendly. Where’s good to eat nearby?  There’s a full kitchen here but tables in the igloos are on the small size. SZÉK next door is excellent, serving Transylvanian specialities. 📍 Discover more of the best restaurants in Budapest

What is Madame Tussauds? The world’s 24th, and arguably most elegant, Madame Tussauds waxworks museum, which occupies the 200-year-old Palazzo Dorottya in the heart of Budapest. Using the Hungarian capital as its main theme, this English-friendly attraction takes visitors on an immersive journey, with movie stars and famous figures from Hungarian history.  Is it worth it? If you’re a fan of all things interactive and immersive, you’ll love it. Without leaving this spot by the Danube, you can zoom around town on the back of Tom Cruise’s motorbike, accompany Habsburg Empress Elisabeth in her carriage or schmooze with Brad Pitt at a wrap party at the Gellért Baths. Hungarophiles will enjoy the life-like representations of pre-war torch singer Katalin Karády and football star Ferenc Puskás, both showcased in suitable settings. How much are tickets and how long will I spend there? Tickets start at £33 for off peak times, and from £37 for peak times. But you’ll spend about two hours going through the experience, so you get your money’s worth. We recommend booking in advance, as tickets are cheaper and you don’t risk getting turned away if it’s full.  Where should I eat near Madame Tussauds?  

What is Szimpla Kert? Originally an outdoor cinema whose films were projected onto the back wall of this sprawling complex of courtyard and former flats on the first floor, Szimpla Kert evolved into an alternative bar and DJ club, dotted with curious artefacts. On Sundays, it stages a produce market, with live music. Is it worth visiting? Too successful for its own good, Szimpla Kert now mainly appeals to foreign partygoers, drawn by the allure of Budapest’s most famous ruin bar. You can still have a great time, but you’ll be rubbing shoulders with weekend drinkers from Gillingham and paying high prices in Budapest terms. What should I order? When in Rome… given the craze for craft beer in the Hungarian capital, it wasn’t long before someone had the bright idea to brand a beer after it. Featuring the Statue of Lady Liberty on the label, Budapest Lager is light and refreshing, easily sipped as you party. As it’s priced the same here as the cheapest mainstream domestic brand, it should be a straightforward bar call – and easier to pronounce, too. What’s worth going to nearby? The Szimpla Kert lies at the edge of the nightlife zone, surrounded by milling night owls and expectant taxi drivers. If the crowds get too much and hunger strikes, you can stroll a few metres along Kazinczy utca to Karaván, an open courtyard offering all kinds of street food, with its own party atmosphere. Still hungry? Check out the best restaurants in Budapest. 

What is Instant-Fogas? Instant was a prime party space on Nagymező utca in Budapest’s theatreland, before it was forced to move to make way for today’s Hard Rock Hotel. Cutting their losses, the owners decided to combine with a failing ruin bar, Fogas, which occupied a former denture repair workshop deep in District VII, distinguished by the sign of false teeth above the door. The result is Instant-Fogas, a multi-level nightlife complex, also comprising the spaces Unterwelt, Liebling, Robot and Frame for music ranging from dubstep to metal. Is it worth visiting? Yes, especially if there’s a group of you, there’s more than enough spaces to explore before you reconvene at some point in the night on the dancefloor of your choice. What should I order? To save you keep running up to the bar, it may be an idea to order as Hungarians do, especially in summer. Spritzer (fröccs) is a white wine and soda mix, not as heavy as beer. Drinks are served with two modest deposits on top, one for the reusable glass, the other for a token, both of which you have refunded when you leave. What’s worth going to nearby? For a light but top-quality fill-up before you go into party mode, Mazel Tov next door is Budapest’s prime spot for eastern Mediterranean cuisine, served amid bare-brick surroundings redolent of a ruin bar.  Still hungry? Check out the best restaurants in Budapest. 

What is Csendes? Csendes Létterem, to give this former literary café its official name, is done out with all the ruin-bar accoutrements of mismatching furniture and random décor. Offering decent wine and cocktails, it’s very much a sit-down experience rather than a wild party place, but puts on occasional acoustic nights and is particular about the music it plays. Is it worth visiting? Very much so. Original and inventive, Csendes provides a flavour of authentic Budapest within a minute of the Astoria Hotel and two of the National Museum. And it does so without making you feel that you’re a forint flytrap, ready to be shaken down for your last penny. What should I order? Csendes stocks the kinds of sought-after spirits that collect dust in other ruin bars, where speed and quantity are paramount. Here, you can order a Malfy blood orange fizz, a mix of Italian gin, artisanal cordial (referred to in Hungarian as szörp or ‘syrup’) and soda for little more than a pint of Czech beer, and let the night take its course. What’s worth going to nearby? Csendes has a partner outlet a few doors down, Csendes Társ (‘Companion’), essentially a wine bar with quality snacks, which puts out tables by the entrance to the pretty urban park of Károlyi kert just opposite. The gardens were landscaped by the noble Károlyi family in the 1700s and today contain a children’s playground, well-tended flowerbeds and sundry statuary. Still hungry? Check out the best restaurants in Budapest. 

  What are the Gellért Baths? Unveiled, like the adjoining hotel, just after World War I, the Gellért echoes Budapest’s Silver Age of the 1920s when its summer-only wave pool also opened. Interior tiling and decorative features remain faithful to this heritage, while men’s and women’s pools are still separate. Are they worth visiting? Another Budapest must-see, the Gellért is certainly worth visiting but much smaller than the equally grandiose Széchenyi, which would probably get the nod if you’re just going to enjoy one spa while you’re in town. Tickets, accessibility and booking Admission is £27 with a cabin to change in, £25 for just a locker, with no discounts for children. Online purchases are available. Visitors with limited mobility have access to the indoor thermal pools and saunas, but not the outside area. Where’s good to eat near the Gellért? While the hotel and its café are being rebuilt, you can easily find plenty of dining and drinking options nearby. Overlooking the adjoining main square and transport hub, the Palack borbár serves sought-after Hungarian wines and superior snacks while the Szeged Vendéglő opposite is an age-old traditional Hungarian restaurant known for its fish soups, goose liver and pancakes. Still hungry? Check out more of the best restaurants in Budapest. 

What are the Széchenyi Baths? Named after Hungary’s revered statesman of the mid-1800s, the Széchenyi echoes the Golden Age of Budapest with its grandiose façades and classical columns. Here you can bathe and swim in three large outdoor pools before ducking inside to sweat and soak in the sauna complex. Are they worth visiting? This is the classic Budapest experience, although it’s one you’ll mainly be sharing with fellow foreigners. If you’re only visiting the city once, set aside half a day to wallow in grandeur. Tickets, accessibility and booking Admission is pricey, £25 at weekends and over the Christmas holidays, £21 the rest of the week, with no discounts for children. So-called fast track online tickets, if 15 percent pricier, allow you to beat the long queues at the ticket office. The spa is not wheelchair-friendly. Where’s good to eat near the Széchenyi? While there’s a terrace eatery (card payment only) overlooking the lane pool, if you’re after something more than standard fried meat with fat chips, the superior Robinson is lapped by the lake you’ll have to walk round to access the restaurant from the spa.  Check out more things to do in Budapest. 

In the wake of new and revived links between Dalmatia and Sarajevo, and from Pula into the Istrian hinterland, further investment in Croatia’s long-neglected rail infrastructure has just been announced. Co-financed by EU funds, backing to the tune of €620 million has been earmarked to modernise and establish the route between Dugo Selo outside Zagreb and Novska, near the border with Republika Srpska. The line will run for 83km and bring a swathe of communities of Zagreb County and Sisak-Moslavina, including Ivanić -Grad, Popovača and Kutina, within easier reach of the capital. It stretches a third of the way to Belgrade, in tandem with the overall aim to create fast international rail corridors across Europe. Croatian railways has put construction of the project out for tender, with bids to be submitted by April 8, and an expected five-year deadline for completion.  

Dignitaries gathered at Pula’s waterfront railway station for the ceremonial departure of a brand new, Croatian-made train bound for Kanfanar. The event signalled more than just a journey of 37km, but the start of a rail revolution in Istria. The electric-diesel train, produced by Croatian firm Končar-Električna Vozila, is timetabled to continue all the way to the main town of Pazin twice a day. There will be a similar service between Pula and Buzet. Trains can reach speeds of up to 120km/h and carry 167 passengers. They come with free WiFi, ramps for wheelchairs and cycle storage. By 2025, a new fleet of 70 battery-run trains should be operation. It is envisaged that the Istrian routes will connect with the international line between Pula and Ljubljana in Slovenia, and so provide access to major hubs in Central and Eastern Europe.

Currently tipped to win the Oscar for Best Short Film for his acclaimed The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, Croatian director Nebojša Slijepčević is now planning his first full-length feature. Looking to adapt the award-winning novel by Kristian Novak, Dark Mother Earth, Slijepčević will have dramatise a complex story set in in a village in Međimurje in the early 1990s, involving local myths, suicides and the chaos of a community transformed. The setting reflects the writer’s own background before becoming a university professor in Germany. Interwoven narratives and flashbacks should keep the viewer enthralled throughout – much as The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, a true story from the Yugoslav War of 1993, ask all kinds of questions of the audience in its 13 minutes.

For the second year in a row, the World of Statistics has ranked Croatia at the top of a survey of 41 European countries for personal safety at night. The crime rates here remain low despite a significant rise in tourism since the pandemic. The most recent figures show the number of annual arrivals reaching 21.3 million for 2024, an increase of 4% on 2023, and 108.7 million overnight stays. Below Croatia in the safety study came Slovenia, Iceland, Georgia and Switzerland, with France and, perhaps bizarrely, Belarus, at the bottom. Serbia and Montenegro were ranked between 11 and 15.

As if Dubrovnik wasn’t romantic enough, the Pearl of the Adriatic holds a special charm in February when much of Europe is chilly and grey. While the cable car doesn’t start up until March and boats to Lokrum keep to a weekend timetable in winter, there are plenty of options for swooning couples this February 14. Here are four surefire tips for a panoramic stroll, a gourmet meal and drinks with a view! And if you happen to be in Zagreb, check out our guide to romantic adventures in the capital. Grgo Jelavic/PIXSELL Stroll the City Walls Scorching hot and crowded in summer, Dubrovnik’s historic City Walls are best visited in winter. The sun still glints off the wide azure Adriatic as you stroll at your own pace, stopping for a stare and a smooch whenever the fancy takes you. The online price of €15 also includes a visit to adjoining Lovrjenac fortress, upon which is carved the maxim, “Not for all the gold is freedom sold”. Dine à deux Running from February 13 to 16, Valentine’s Gourmet Days involves 16 participating cafés and restaurants around Dubrovnik, where special romantic menus have been prepared at set prices. Fish, meat and seafood mains are bookended with divine desserts and accompanied by fine wines. Peterjon Cresswell Clink glasses with a view Entered through a gap in the City Walls, the Buža bar has no walls of its own, nor floor. A scattering of chairs and tables is set on flat areas of the cliff-face and faces nothing but sea, horizon and the green fringes of

2025 marks the 15th edition of Hideout, five days and nights of top-quality beats running from June 22-26 across five stages at Zrće beach on Pag island. Spanning genres from house and garage, to techno and drum and bass, new stars, pioneering legends and global favourites will all be part of the birthday celebrations. See the full line-up here and book your tickets here! Festival director Mark Newton gives Time Out Croatia an in-depth look at how the event first came to the coast with the most, and how he and his team have kept the party going from day one: Time Out Croatia: How did Hideout start and what are your memories of the first event in 2011? Mark Newton: The idea for Hideout came about while I was organising events across the UK with a couple of business partners at the time. We focused on shows in the north of England, but they were mostly during winter and early spring, catering to a predominantly student audience. Wanting to explore summer events, we turned our attention to Ibiza, where we ran two incredible seasons of shows. We were among the first to introduce new music genres to the island – drum and bass, dubstep, electro and others, that had been largely overlooked. For two years, we brought over UK artists we were championing and the response was fantastic. Hideout Festival However, by the second year, we faced challenges with the venue. Larger clubs on the island began to notice how popular some artists were becoming and decided to host their own events.

Tickets have just gone on sale for Hideout 2025, five days and nights of top-quality beats taking place from June 22-26 across five stages at Zrće Beach on Pag island. 2025 marks the 15th edition of Hideout, Croatia’s five-day electro bash, next year to be given a fresh new look while staying true to the festival's contemporary but accessible feel. Cutting-edge production and a famously energetic crowd are a given. Names confirmed span genres from house and garage, to techno and drum & bass, as new stars, pioneering legends and global favourites all line up. Hannah Laing, Interplanetary Criminal and Girls Don't Sync feature on a roster 50-strong so far – watch this space for further announcements! Hideout 2025, tickets on sale here.

An award-winning film highlighting the history and celebrating spirit of Rijeka has just been showcased to packed houses at the city’s legendary cinema, Art-kino Croatia. Itself a historic landmark, first showing films a century ago and revived as an independent theatre in 2012, the downtown cinema was buzzing for the screenings of Fiume o morte!, which recently won two awards at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. Realised by Rijeka-born Igor Bezinović, the film relates the events immediately after World War I when Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio seized Rijeka and declared himself head of his own city-state. Known as Fiume to the outside world, including the Italians and Hungarians who had laid claim to it, Rijeka was a disputed territory whose fate was tied up with the collapse of the Habsburg Empire and rise of Fascism after 1918. But the real story lies in the people of Rijeka, hundreds of whom appear in the film, including several who play D'Annunzio himself. Praised by Variety magazine, Fiume o morte! (‘Fiume or Death!’) uses vintage photographs and film clips, as well as dramatisations in local dialect, to create a hybrid feature-documentary with shocking echoes that resonate with the present day.

Just opened at the Museum of New Wave on downtown Vlaška, the exhibition Urbana Plemena (‘Urban Tribes’) explores the various subcultures which have made their mark on Croatia and its capital. Running until March 10, the show looks at the fashion, trends and attitudes which have shaped at least one generation from the 1970s onwards. To complement the event, acclaimed Croatian graffiti artist Slaven Kosanović Lunar has come up with a series of designs to reflect the subject matter. Opened in November 2022, the Museum of New Wave is dedicated to genres instigated in the UK and USA but given their own twist in former Yugoslavia and post-independence Croatia. The museum also stages open-mic nights and record fairs. Urbana Plemena, Muzej Novog Vala, Vlaška 67. Open Daily 11am-9pm.

Eco-friendly trams for Zagreb’s extensive public transport network have just been unveiled in the Croatian capital. Due to come into force in the spring of 2026, possibly sooner, the low-floor NT2400, adapted for prams and wheelchairs, and equipped with USB ports and video surveillance, has been developed by Croatia’s most talked-about company, KONČAR. Specialising in electric vehicles, this award-winning Zagreb manufacturer actually dates back over a century, spending its early decades making generators and motors. It is now leading the way in the region for the roll-out of trams and locomotives as the world switches from fossil fuels to green energy. The new model showcased in Zagreb is more than 20 metres long and can accommodate (and count) 115 passengers. It runs on a combination of overhead electricity and battery power, thanks to a recharging system which kicks into action as the tram brakes.

Linking the Dalmatian port of Ploče with the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo by train, the line that weaves through the beautiful landscape of Herzegovina will soon be reopening for passenger traffic. The news follows several positive developments in the railway infrastructure of Croatia and surroundings, in line with recent investments across Europe to attract travellers back on board, and ditch cars and planes. In the summer of 2024, an affordable service between Trieste and Rijeka proved hugely popular while the night train trekking from Budapest to Split had to be extended until later in the season, such was the demand. While Ploče as a destination may not be on a par with Split or Dubrovnik, located almost exactly between the two, it’s a convenient transport hub and the perfect departure point to reach Bosnia’s celebrated multicultural capital. The train also stops at equally alluring Mostar, main city of Herzegovina. Journey time between Ploče and Sarajevo is around four hours. Passenger services are scheduled to start up again from Monday, February 10, ten days after the successful testing of freight trains along the same route. For tickets and schedules, see Bosnian rail.

Recently knighted in the King’s Birthday Honours List, Sir Wayne McGregor is best known for his groundbreaking fusions of contemporary and classical dance, as demonstrated by his work with the Royal Ballet where he is resident choreographer. This month, for four nights, a performance of McGregor’s DYAD 1929 is being staged at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, starting this Saturday, February 8. The piece is inspired by the seminal Ballets Russes, a travelling company which broke artistic barriers around the world for three decades, between 1909 and 1929, when their artistic director Serge Diaghilev died in Venice. First performed by The Australian Ballet on the centenary of Diaghilev's Paris debut in 1909, DYAD 1929 features music by contemporary composer, Steve Reich. On the same bill is a piece by Massimiliano Volpini, an Italian choreographer and Ballet Director at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb. Light Through the Fingers involves instinctive human reactions to situations arising from AI and everyday life. Macedonian composer Marjan Nečak provides the music. DYAD 1929/Light Through the Fingers, Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, Trg Republike Hrvatske 15. February 8, 11, 21-22. Tickets and schedule here. Performances run for 80 minutes.