Here is a cool little secret about Budapest I knew nothing about.

According to Amy Brouillette, writing for the LA Times, the Hungarian capital boasts a number of garden cafes hidden off the beaten path in old buildings and sections of town one ordinarily wouldn't go seeking out a café.

Known as kerts, these cafes are seasonal in nature and appear as the weather improves and then disappear just as quickly--or, simply change locations like a hot club. They are happenin', hip, and according to Brouillette, the "fashionable hot spots for the city's cool, intellectual, artsy crowd."

It's so very nice to hear about this explosion of cafes. Before World War II, Budapest was famous for being a city of cafes. Under communism, however, this fine tradition suffered horribly and café society nearly disappeared. When I last visited in 1995, it was still challenging (but not impossible) to find a comfy café. Today, it sure sounds like Budapest has finally returned to its days of café glory.

Filed under: Hungary