Eastern Europe's Most 'Live-able' City

Budapest has come top among Eastern Europe cities as being the most 'live-able' - according to a new poll by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

The British based research unit's annual poll looked at cities in the world and totted up their scores according to factors such as crime, culture, access to green spaces, transport, employment opportunities and earnings.

Budapest came 55th out of the 140 cities ranked in the list - which was dominated in the top 20 by cities in Australia, Canada and Austria, with a noticeable exception being Paris. Not far behind the Hungarian capital were Prague(60), Bratislava (65) and Warsaw(70).

So what is it that nudges Budapest above the likes of the others and popular tourist spots such as Krakow, Riga and Zagreb which have all, to some extent or another, 're-invented' themselves since 1990?

Could it be the city's central square Erzsebet ter, which is always bustling with chic locals lounging in high-end cafes, skateboarders zapping around on the pavements, and party goers on their way to the hip new Godor Club?

Perhaps it's the legendary bathhouses and spa pools, evocative of a Byzantine era, where you can float in mossy-green coloured water and gaze up at mosaic-glassed ceilings while listening to the echo of locals as they banter about business deals.

Or maybe it's that Budapest is getting a reputation as the cutting-edge fashion capital of the former Soviet bloc. A wander around the creative, alternative districts of Pest will reveal to you all manner of weird and wacky boutiques springing up in every available nook and cranny.

Whatever the reason for their rankings, these lists sure offer a rich source for heated argument and debate among backpackers holed up in hostels the world over.