Famous Viennese architect and artist Friedrich Hundertwasser was invited by the City of Vienna to design a living space in his own style. Respecting the arbitrary lines and curves of nature, the resulting house is a multicoloured monument to Hundertwasser's inimitable style. Very much worth a visit.

Corner of Kegelgasse and Lowengasse;
www.hundertwasserhaus.at/HwH/en_main.htm

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An essential part of Viennese culture and you could do a tour of Vienna's coffee houses alone. You can sit for hours and read the newspapers provided in a luxurious, velvet atmosphere and for goodness sake look at the dizzying array of coffees on sale before you order. Cakes the like of which you have never seen (or tasted) before are the order of the day, ranging from the humble but divine Apfelstrudel to the more sophisticated 'death by chocolate' of the Sachertorte created by the Hotel Sacher in... Vienna. Two of the most unmissable cafes are Demel and the Cafe Central.

Demel:
www.demel.at/en/index_en_flash.htm
See also:
www.aboutvienna.org/best_adresses/cafes.htm#

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A really old, beautifully decorated hotel bang in the heart of the city. Its strategic position meant it was used as an HQ by various political movements during Budapest's turbulent history. There’s a beautiful old restaurant and café as well.

If you want to get away from modern hotel chains and enjoy some old fashioned luxury - for around the same price as a modern three-star - book in here.

Kossuth Lajos Ut 19-21; tel: 1 889 6000; www.danubiushotels.com/astoria

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It's always thrilling to open the 'Pariscope' on a rainy night and see what films are showing. You get the feeling that any film you could possibly want to see, from 'Modern Times' to 'Mad Max' is on somewhere. If you're in Paris on a rainy night and fancy going to the cinema, then I thoroughly recommend 'La Pagode'. Not for lovers of the latest surround sound technology and the latest Computer Generated Images, this cinema is built in the style of an authentic Japanese pagoda. The house was commissioned by a rich French businessman for his wife in 1895 and was transformed into a cinema in the 1930s. It is fabulously decorated in oriental style, inside and out. The actual cinema itself is, I think, the ballroom with a stunningly ornate ceiling. You'll not get the latest Hollywood blockbusters on this screen. They're more likely to be showing a Woody Allen retrospective or the latest Kusturica. But it's not impossible to see familiar faces of the French cinema creeping out of the cinema unnoticed (I saw you, Mr Léaud!). It is in real need of rennovation, apparently, but still a stunningly beautiful place to spend a rainy evening in Paris.

Cinema 'La Pagode' 57Bis r Babylone 75007 Paris Metro : Saint François Xavier Tel: 01.45.55.48.48

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This restaurant is on the very top floor of the Tour de Montparnasse (the Montparnasse Tower) - one of the tallest buildings in Paris - and offers one of the most stunning views of the city possible. You look directly out onto the Eiffel Tower. Go there for an aperitif to enjoy the view or why not treat yourself to dinner - the cuisine's very good. Just been on their website and they say it's 'the highest restaurant in Europe.' They do a three course set menu at £37.27 per person. Not the cheapest place to eat in Paris but the view and the pleasant welcome make it worth it. You won't see a better view than this from a Parisien dinner table.

www.cieldeparis.com/index.php

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The Ecseri Flea Market in the ninth district has many treasures for collectors, browsers and anyone looking for an unusual souvenir to take home. I got a really old violin for $50. I’m convinced it's a Strad...

Apparently the Cityrama agency organises direct shuttles from the city centre; www.cityrama.hu/

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