Fodor's Expert Review Vörösmarty tér

Downtown revitalization since the early 1990s has decentralized things somewhat, but this large, handsome square at the northern end of Váci utca is still the heart of Pest's tourist life in many respects. Street musicians, sidewalk cafés, and ice-cream-toting tourists make this one of the liveliest places in Budapest and a good spot to take it all in. At its center is a white-marble statue of the 19th-century poet and dramatist Mihály Vörösmarty, and nearby is an elegant former pissoir—today a lovely kiosk displaying gold-painted historic scenes of the square's golden days. Stores and businesses occupy the perimeter, and as of this writing a grand new "multifunctional" building was rising on the square' west side. In June the square plays host to Budapest's annual "Book Week" and in the run-up to Christmas it is awash with gift stands selling handmade, traditional crafts items.