There are places that disappointed me. I had gone there with great expectations, but ended up returning home with a resolution that I would never go back.

Budapest is a different story.

I had been there some years before, but the visit had been too short to assess the real beauty of the Hungarian capital. That earlier stay had however instilled a desire to return, and when I had the opportunity to do so in the last week of May, I had a most pleasant experience. Actually, Budapest offered me more than I thought it would.

It was the week which preceded the floods that caused some havoc in the areas closer to the Danube river which snakes across the city to divide the higher section – called Buda – and the low-lying part – called Pest. The two sections were different cities until they became one in 1873 to become one.

The weather was more winter than spring, and it rained on three of the four whole days that we were there. For someone who prefers colder temperatures, it was ideal.

I have already had occasion to remark about the splendour of the Hungarian Parliament building in my weekly column last Sunday. So I will not go there again except to say that whoever goes to Budapest must make it a point to pay a visit to the place.

The palace-like structure from the outside – especially from the riverside – is tremendously beautiful. When entering the building, visitors can walk up great ornamental stairs and see frescoes on the ceiling on the way to seeing the Holy Crown of Hungary, which has been displayed in the central hall since 2000. Just be sure to stay away from the tall soldiers guarding the crown; they stand like statues but move abruptly every five minutes, giving unwary onlookers a fright.

Some 1.8 million of the 10 million Hungarians live in the capital city, but the city centre is relatively small and one can easily go from one place to another on foot – if one has a guide or is good at map-reading. Public transport is also quite efficient, and there is an underground service too, with three lines that cross the city and have stops in all the more important places.

One difficulty that may arise is the fact that names are in Hungarian and not everyone can speak English. My tip is for travel agencies to look seriously into organising organised trips to this wonderful city. The less adventurous might find it hard to travel there on their own, but I am sure that the city carries a great potential which agencies might want to explore.

As we snaked our way through the streets, we saw several landmarks that are worth a stop. It was rather ironic that, for example, a monument dedicated to the times when Hungary was a Soviet satellite is facing the United States Embassy. There was a time when the Soviets used to hold grand parades in the square just to tease their rivals; today, the monument is fenced off after attempts were made for its dismantlement.

For those who love Cathedrals, a visit to St Stephen’s Basilica is a must. Like most cathedrals in m any European cities, it towers over the rest of the buildings surrounding it. Only one person is buried there, and he’s neither a religious person, nor a politician. He is Hungary’s best known footballer Ferenc Puskas, although it must be said that there was controversy following the decision to have him buried there. Puskas spent most of his life outside Hungary, and there are still many who believe that he did not do his part when his country needed him most – under the Soviet rule.

Football has lost popularity since the Puskas days. It has been nearly three decades since Hungary last took part in the World Cup, in 1986 in Mexico. Conversely, in spite of being a landlocked country, Hungary is a world power in waterpolo. The Hungarian national team won Olympic gold nine times and silver and bronze medals another six times.

Andras, our guide in Budapest, is a great waterpolo fan like I am and it was great to talk about the sport we both love so much – including the famous 1956 Olympic Games final against the Soviet Union, which ended in a bloodbath.

Most of the Hungarians’ swimming power comes through the many indoor swimming pools that dot Budapest and other parts of the country. But Hungary is also famous for its so-called baths, large pools with water which is supplied by thermal springs. Many use it for medicinal purposes, as the warm waters are of great assistance to people needing therapy. It was an experience to dip into the Széchenyi Medicinal Bath, which is the largest of its sort in all of Europe.

With the water at a constant 37 degrees Celsius, it is advisable that people stay in the pool for a maximum of 20 minutes. I obeyed the orders, but many people who were there stayed on for much longer.

Part of the fun of travelling for many people is to taste traditional food. I am not one of those who like to try unknown dishes, and so perhaps I am not the right person to give advice on this. But I did like the goulash, the winter salami grilled sausage and, most of all, their lemon drinks laced with mint and wide array of desserts.

Speaking of food and drink, Budapest boasts of many restaurants who offer traditional food, but most of the international franchises are there too, so one will always find something to his or her liking. When there, do have a taste of the Palinka, a fruit brandy with a high percentage of alcohol. I did, and brought a large bottle back with me too.

Evenings can be spent in public open spaces, where many people gather if the weather is mild, or otherwise in what are known as ruin pubs. These sprouted years ago when several buildings, which had been abandoned by their owners, were taken over by enterprising youngsters who converted them into pubs. There are no elaborate finishings – in fact, many of the items that are used as chairs, tables and decorations were collected from the streets after they were discarded by their users. For example, I saw a couple of “sofas” which were nothing but baths which were halved across the width to provide seating places.

One particular area is Budapest’s own Paceville, with many of such pubs lining the streets and hundreds of young people having fun. We were there during the week, but it did not seem that this made that much of a difference – the places were full of young people at 1am, although they needed to get up for work just a few hours later.

The Buda Castle is also a place not to be missed. It is not just a majestic building surrounded by a quiet residential area, but is also offers a magnificent view of the city. Another castle worth a stop is the royal one at Godollo, but one has to leave the city to get there. It is a 30-minute trip to the outskirts – and on the way one passes quite close to the Hungaroring, the track where Formula 1 races are held – and this is one of the reasons why I earlier suggested organised trips.

Once in Godollo, it would be a shame not to go to watch the equestrian show at the Lazar Park. The Lazar brothers have been crowned world champions for several times; no wonder, because the show they provided was fascinating.

I am no fan of shopping, but for those who are, there are several individual shops or department stores that offer great value for money. With Hungarian average wages below those in Malta, items there are cheaper than over here. Even restaurants offer lower prices than those available in Malta.

Wizz Air

Wizz Air is a young low-cost airline company which has been in operation for less than 10 years. The first flight took off from Katowice in Poland on 19 May 2004, and today the airline has 16 operating bases in Eastern Europe – five of which are in Poland. Flights are offered to 250 different destinations.

Malta has joined the list in May, with flights operating twice weekly to Budapest, on Mondays and Fridays. The service is being offered for the summer season but talks are in hand to extend it for the whole year. Times of departure from Luqa – early morning on both days – makes it ideal for people planning a weekend in the Bulgarian capital or, why not, a whole week.

Wizz Air flies a young fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft with 180 seats.

Hilton Westend Budapest

Located in the heart of the city and within walking distance of most of the more popular landmarks, Hilton Westend Budapest offers a great value for money experience. It is only 30 minutes away from the airport too.

Visitors can enjoy a short walk to the Champs Elysees of Budapest, St Stephen’s Basilica, the Parliament Building and several other landmarks. What’s more, the hotel is right next to the WestEnd shopping mall – there is a door in the reception area that leads directly to the shopping centre; so if it’s raining, you can walk directly into the hotel without fear of ruining your newly-bought items.

The hotel boasts of all facilities in the top-tier accommodation sector at reasonable prices. It has a modern fitness centre as well as business facilities, suiting both the business and leisure travellers.

Managing editor Stephen Calleja was part of a group of Maltese journalists who travelled to Hungary courtesy of the Hungarian Tourism Office, Wizz Air, the Hilton Budapest Westend and Malta International Airport