Budapesteuropean beauty

Walking tours, restaurant reservations—there are many ways to ogle the city’s architectural treasures. Then again, you could make like a local and simply head for the nearest Art Nouveau coffeehouse. Not unlike Vienna, Budapest has a historic and robust coffeehouse scene. These low-key destinations allow the traveler to sip his coffee in relative silence while enjoying eyefuls of ceiling frescoes, Italianate chandeliers, and ornamental plaster. For an extra-cozy affair, try the newly restored Párizsi Nagyáruház (Paris Department Store) on Andrássy út, now home to the Alexandra bookstore. Inside there’s an expansive bookstore, plus a stunning second-floor café inhabiting a former ballroom.