Budapest shines in summer, when pavement cafés and outdoor clubs are buzzing, and the locals shed clothes and inhibitions. August brings the Sziget Festival (1st wk of Aug, www.sziget.hu), a week of roots, rock and hip hop on a Danube island; St Stephen’s Day, the national holiday (20 Aug); and Grand Prix racing (mid Aug). Winter is high season for classical music – of a high calibre and at reasonable prices – in venues like the Opera House, Franz Liszt Music Academy (VI. Liszt Ferenc tér 8, 342 0179) and the new National Concert Hall (IX. Komor Marcell utca 1, 555 3000, www.mupa.hu).