Budapest, Hungary

It may be simply a small sample size, but it seems as if Budapest is hot as a tourist destination these days.

And why not? A visit there certainly ranks as one of the highlights of any trip to Eastern Europe.

The buildings in the downtown area range from beautiful to spectacular. There are about 1,750,000 people in Budapest, which is about a third of all of Hungary's population. That makes it a major commercial center for the region. 

Want things to do? There are plenty of museums, a ton of restaurants, live entertainment events, and even many thermal baths for those who wish to take a dip. As a world capital, there's enough history to satisfy the most curious of people - and almost all of it is unknown to Americans. 

Even better, it's a great city to walk. And it's a great city for when cruising down the Danube at night. The major buildings and structures, like the ones shown here, are lit up to provide some spectacular scenery.