Market value

Budapest glitters in the frosty run-up to Christmas, streets and squares teeming with markets to get you in the mood. Vörösmarty Square – home of the historic, must-visit coffee house Café Gerbeaud – is the main event, filled with stalls selling folk art and local design. The chilly air smells of cinnamon and mulled wine. Come on a Sunday afternoon to hear choirs sing. Make for the Basilica Christmas Market, too – on the square before St Stephen’s, it’s popular for its skating rink.