Explore Hungary's diverse countryside from the mountainous north to the southern
plains. Or discover relics of the country's history from Roman ruins to
communist-era architecture in its villages, cities and fortified castles. Relax in
curative spa baths and sample traditional goulash - beef stew with paprika.
Background
Hungary was originally inhabited by nomadic Magyar tribes and you can still
experience their equestrian traditions in the southern plains around
Kecskemet. Located near the northern border with Slovakia, the capital
Budapest was once three separate cities. Today they are areas within the
city: the castle district of Buda, commercial Pest and Roman
Obuda. To the south-west of the capital you'll find Lake
Balaton, popular for thermal springs and summer holidays. The mountainous
north-east of the country is renowned for skiing, regional Tokaj
wines and the UNESCO-listed Aggtelek National Park and its stalactite
caves.
Urban
Start your trip in Budapest, where the ground slopes dramatically down from
Buda's Castle Hill, on one side of the River Danube,
across to bustling Pest. Take time out to relax at one of the city's
many luxurious spa baths before journeying south. Here you'll discover the
UNESCO-listed, attractive town of Pecs, full of Roman, Early Christian and
Turkish remains. Eger in Hungary's north is one of the
country's oldest towns and boasts Baroque architecture, a Turkish minaret
and Bull's Blood wine, said to make you strong and fierce.
Rural
Gasp at traditional csikosok cowboys' prowess and their bareback
riding skills in the southern Puszta plains around Kecskemet city.
Discover old Hungary in the eastern, UNESCO-listed Hortobágy National
Park, where village crafts are preserved in its wetlands, also home to
incredible bird life. You can hike and ski in the northern Matra and Bukk
Mountains, and join holidaying Hungarians at Lake Balaton for
swimming, partying and spa life. Even the capital, Budapest, has rural
pockets, from the caves in the Buda Hills to Esztergom along the
Danube Bend, where King Stephen was born.
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