Considering Budapest’s role as an opulent capital of the Hapsburg empire (second only to Vienna), it’s hardly surprising that there is an ingrained appetite here for the good life. In Budapest you sip excellent local wines and Champagnes (the premium local sparkling wine is pezsgő) and dine on foie gras (Hungary is the world’s second-largest producer, after France). The Museum of Fine Arts is home to outstanding galleries, in particular the paragons of Spanish painting: El Greco, Velázquez and Goya. The marvellous Great Market Hall has roofs that glitter with iridescent metallic Zsolnay tiles of the kind found on buildings all across the city, from Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace to the award-winning elephant house at the zoo. Spending your days in historic spas and nights at the city’s reputable opera and ballet will have you feeling like the royalty who once called this city home.