On to Hungary now, and the capital Budapest which was the most westernised city in the eastern bloc long before the end of Communism. Vaci Utca, the main shopping street, was aglow with western goods before the ground caved in under the Communists, and is even more so today. The elegant international hotels that have long lined the Pest bank of the River Danube are even busier, but in general the visitor to Budapest in 1998 will see less changes since 1988 than the visitor to Prague, Krakow or Warsaw. Budapest has a strong claim too to be the most beautiful city in central Europe. The floodlit buildings of Castle Hill on Buda side and the great bridges spanning the Danube present a wonderful vista at night, and a tram ride along the Pest bank has got to be one of the greatest cheap rides in Europe.
Nightlife tends towards the seedy, and beware the street walking prostitutes.
But there are plenty of bars and restaurants of many nationalities, and despite the best efforts of McDonald's and Pizza Hut, traditional Hungarian restaurants with gypsy bands do good business. Try Matyas Pince, an atmospheric cellar restaurant close to Elizabeth Bridge, but only if you love hearty meat dishes. There is a strong argument for visiting central Europe now, before its cities become even more westernised. Retaining and building on their character, in the face of mass tourism and commercialism, will be a severe test. The author, Dave Richardson, is a freelance journalist who has travelled extensively in Central Europe.