(CNN) -- Just about every capital city in Eastern Europe seems to have been called "the Paris of the East" at some point. Unlike most other cities in the region, however, Budapest doesn't need the comparison. The grand old dame on the Danube is one of Europe's finest capitals by any measure. The eight landmark buildings below give you a feel for both Pest and Buda -- originally separate cities, divided by the river, but united about 150 years ago to form the modern metropolis. Visit these sights in the order presented here and they form a walking tour of sorts (see map to the left), albeit with the option of jumping on public transport or taking the odd taxi.
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"Paris of the East"? Budapest needs no such comparison
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Budapest's Opera House may be smaller than Vienna's -- but it's more opulent
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The city's Chain Bridge and Royal Palace look superb lit up at night
Budapest is a city of bridges, but the Széchenyi Chain Bridge (Széchenyi lánchíd) is the granddaddy of them all -- in 1849 it became the first permanent span linking Buda and @placeholder.