Budapest, Hungary is a city for romantics and aesthetics alike. Its stunning architecture, historic districts, the winding Danube River and the nearby Buda hills make it the most beautiful city in Central Europe. In the past ten years Budapest has grown in popularity as a tourist destination and is now well equipped to delight any traveler. Forget “We’ll always have Paris” for this generation of adventurers: it’s “We’ll always have Budapest.” Here is a list of the most romantic things to do to ensure that you too fall in love in (or with) Budapest.

Of Wine and Walking Tours
Budapest is a great city for meandering walks and never ending picnic lunches. For an organized walk try- Free Budapest Walking Tours for guided tours of the city; the trained guides work only on tips. They offer a thorough general walking tour all year round; communist and Jewish Quarter walking tours are offered from April through October.

After the tour get out your picnic blanket and take a rest in the historic City Park, be sure to pass by the Vajdahunyad Castle, a model castle built to demonstrate the different phases of Hungarian building design.

After an afternoon in the Hungarian sunshine, you can quench your thirst at the House of Hungarian Wines (Magyar Borok Háza) in the Castle District. Enjoy the ambiance of a neo-gothic wine cellar and sample from nearly 700 wines representing the 22 wine producing regions of Hungary. If wine is your passion- consider making the trip for one of the annual Budapest wine festivals. The Spring Wine Festival takes place in mid-April in downtown Budapest. The Wine Village is next and takes place in mid-August; this festival is a more economical and less touristy than the International Wine & Champagne Festival in the Castle District, which takes place in September. However, at this popular festival both Hungarian and visiting wine makers introduce their best.

Dinner and Dancing
Next in the romance category should be a fabulous dinner with spectacular views of the city. Consider Spoon Café and Lounge or Café Pierrot. Spoon is located on a boat in the Danube River while Café Pierrot is warm and cozy. Both restaurants have extensive menus with vegetarian options. As the evening continues make a stop at Fat Mo’s Music Club, styled as a 20s style American speak-easy, it features live music on all weekend nights. For the serious club dancers, be sure to check out B-7. If traditional dance is more your style consider the Aranytiz Cultural Center. Here you can learn the czardas, the ‘tango of the east’, or simply enjoy the music. Since the 1970s the ‘dancehouse movement,’ as one part of a larger folk revival movement, has been popularizing Hungarian dance tradition. After the dancing, if you haven’t already had too much wine, be sure to sample pálinka, a Hungarian fruit brandy that is a common stable in most local bars.

Budapest is a great place to visit. While you there, make sure you stay in one of there many beautiful hotels. These hotels keep the historic grandeur that they used to have and look very old and European. I loved my time there. Plus, the city is so cheap, you can get a lot of bang for your buck. Usually, I stay in hostels when I travel, but here, I splashed out and got a great hotel in Budapest.