Soak up the natural minerals at the historic Széchenyi Baths, where you can enjoy an impressive assortment of thermal pools. There are also saunas and steam rooms.

Lined with interesting shops and historic sights, Andrássy út (Andrássy Avenue) connects Heroes' Square with Elizabeth Square. As you stroll along the leafy boulevard, you can stop off at the State Opera, admire 19th-century villas and enjoy a drink at one of the city's famous coffee houses.

Looming over Budapest, the 19th-century lookout tower of Fisherman's Bastion gives the best views of the city. If the walk up to the top of the hill on which it sits is too daunting, just hire an electric scooter to get you there – Budapest has plenty of companies renting them out.

Explore Bucharest’s 45-acre Botanical Garden. Highlights include the gently crumbling Old Greenhouse, the rose garden, and the Botanical Museum. The lawns and lakeshore are popular picnic spots on sunny days.

Learn about traditional Romanian rural life at the Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum, a collection of vernacular buildings by Herăstrău Lake. Wander through the open-air museum to see homes, churches and workshops from the last four centuries.

Built in 1724 and tucked between tall buildings in the heart of the city, the small but beautiful Manastirea Stavropoleos (Stavropoleos Monastery) is one of Bucharest's most beautiful churches, with frescoes, wood-painted icons and a pretty garden.

Explore the former residence of the Ottoman Sultans, Topkapi Palace, a grand complex and museum filled with lavish chambers, lush gardens, and an extensive collection of artefacts, including the revered Topkapi Dagger and the Spoonmaker's Diamond.

Get lost in one of the world's oldest and largest covered markets with around 4000 shops across over 60 alleys, it's almost a city in itself. Wander through the maze of alleys and discover a vast array of shops selling everything from traditional Turkish carpets and spices to jewelry and souvenirs.

Descend into the underground world of the ancient Basilica Cistern, also known as the 'Sunken Palace', a vast subterranean reservoir built during the Byzantine era by Emperor Justinian I. The dimly lit atmosphere, the reflections of the columns in the water and the sight of the Roman Medusa's head columns make it a memorable experience.