Things to do in Hungary

 

Things to do in Hungary

Things to do in Hungary

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What is possible to do in Hungary ?

There are plenty of possibilites. Hungary’s main attraction is the thermal water can be found everywhere around in the country, available summer and winter alike. There are several types of thermal water with different kinds of attributes. One of them salty, other contains sulfate, or iodide, etc. In Hungary there is a thermal spa in the vicinity almost anywhere in the country.

The most popular spas are:

Hévíz (here is a hot water lake), Hajdúszoboszló, Bük, Zalakaros, Gyula, Sárvár, Kehidakustány, Harkány. Hungary’s highest point is 1015m (Kékestető in Mátra hills), so no Alps and big hills here. Hungary situated in the Kárpát basin surrounded by the hills of Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Romania.

The country has 2 bigger rivers:

the Danube and the Tisza. Most of Hungary’s area is plain or called ‘puszta’ in hungarian with two lines of smaller hills on the North and Middle West, or if we want to think of them that way, one continuous line of hills. The biggest lake is here the Balaton with an area of app. 590km2, Fertő lake (309km2, together with the Austrian area, Hungarian area is smaller: 75km2), and Tisza lake water reservoir. (127km2). There are many smaller lakes as well, with lots of fishing, swimming, or water sports opportunities.

Most beautiful places in Hungary

The most beautiful places situated in Hungary are situated around the blue tour line (Országos kéktúra in Hungarian). This line basically follow the hills line mentioned in the introduction.

Hungary is rich in natural beauty:

You can find forests, (smaller) hills, caves, lakes, vulcanic structures, rivers, backwaters, hot water lakes, cave lakes. Hungary is a popular target for wildlife photographers: you can easily see lots of birds, and animals here. There are more than 400 species of birds has been recorded in Hungary (The most uniques are: Great Bustard, Saker Falcon, Imperial and white tailed Eagle, Blue Kestrel, Roller, Bee-eater). Other usual mammals in Hungary are: roe deer, red deer, European hare, red fox, boar, moufflon (Northern hills),  more rare animals are: bobcat, golden jackal, wild cat. Lots of butterflies and bugs can be find here.

At the aspect of cities

Budapest is much bigger than any other city here with a mass of 1,7-2,5 million people, true metropolis with heavy traffic, lots of multicultural events, second biggest city Debrecen has around 208 000 inhabitants. Hungary has a rich history from the early roman times (or even before), through Turkish invasion, Austrian Hungarian Monarchy, Ist and II nd World war, Communism era through present conditions.

The weather in Hungary

originally consisted of 4 seasons, with long cold winters up -10,-25 celsius degrees, hot summers up to 30-35 celsius degree, and spring, and autumn between. Recently seems not so much separation between seasons: sometimes mild winters barely under -10 celsius, hot summers not rarely with a maximum temperature of 35-42 celsius, and weather can quickly change in any season. Hungary is a quite sunny country: very high the number of sunny hours in Hungary.

The list below you can find places recommended to visit here. The idea is go by car, and visit the surrounding areas as well.

I thought I put the places in packages by regions.

1. Balaton – summertime – my absolute number 1. See the separate article about Balaton here:Balaton
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Balaton is a very friendly place with unique athmosphere for families and singles alike. Noisy party places and calm, quiet relaxing places as well. Balaton sound is the regular music festival arranged here. There are lots of events organized, mainly in summer: Harley Davidson festival in Alsóörs, cooking festivals, vine festivals, Anna ball in Balatonfüred.

 

2. Near Danube cities next to Budapest, Danube bend, and Pilis hills (Szentendre, Visegrád, Esztergom, Dobogókő, Verőce, Nagymaros, Zebegény) and Budapest  extreme amount of program possibilites. In Visegrád can be found the castle of the famous Hungarian king Mathias, they have annual festival with sword fighting, costumes, etc. Szentendre is very close to Budapest, it is a beautiful Danube bank city with restaurants, narrow streets, and a village museum. Esztergom is also very popular tourist target with the Danube, huge cathedral, a bridge towards Slovakia with museum, spa and good athmosphere.

3. Sopron or Bük, or Balf and Fertő lake: very nice friedly arranged places just next to Austrian borders. Sopron is very popular among hungarians and foreigners alike. Nice nature, lovely athmosphere, quality food.

4. Lillafüred, Szilvásvárad, Kékestető, Mátrafüred or Eger and Northern hills

Lillafüred the most beautiful place in Hungary I have ever seen. Beautiful hills, waterfall, lake, 2 caves, castle hotel, natural beauty. In Aggtelek you can find one of the biggest cave system in Hungary. Mátra is the highest hill in Hungary with lots of creeks, forest and several beautiful lakes. Next to Szilvásvárad Szalajka valley is a popular tourist target with beautiful waterfall, hills, forests, creek. Egerszalók, Demjén and Bogács are popular spa places nearby. Eger is also a famous historical city with his castle ruin, friendly athmosphere, and vine cellars.

5. Pécs and Mecsek hills Pécs is a beautiful historical city with world heritage sites, with a zoo at the top of the hill, nice athmosphere. The city has been greatly influenced by Turkish invasion. Lots of buildings shows that in the city. The city surrounded by beautiful hills, lakes, valleys.

6. Bakony – pure nature, forests, hills, small villages between the dominant green area, north from Balaton in few days we spent there saw 3 foxes, roe deer, deer, several birds, including an eagle. We were in Csesznek, beautiful scenery, horse riding possibility.

7. Őrség, nature, forests and lovely villages at the bottom of the Alps, next to Austrian and Slovenian border.

8. Hortobágy and Hajdúszoboszló, or Debrecen, Tisza lake Abádszalók, and Berekfürdő. Hortobágy is a famous ‘puszta’ world heritage site in Hungary, great plain with a famous 9 hole bridge, vast plain area, a bird hospital, with a famous hungarian grey cattle, Hungary’s first National Park in 1980. The area with the fishing lakes and marshes gives home one of Europe’s richest wildlife including unique species like Blue Kestrel, Great Bustard, Crane, Pygmy cormorant, Roller, Bee eater, etc.

9. Szeged or Gyula and South East Hungary: Szeged is beautiful sunny university city at the bank of the Tisza river with lots of social activites and their usual outside summer Stage (Szabadtéri Színpad in hungarian), with beautiful buildings, several lakes, including the famous Canoe Kayak course Maty-ér and the famous Fehér tó (white lake) with their winter Crane migration. Gyula is unique spa city with a brick castle and lovely athmosphere.

10. Kiskunság and Kecskemét or Kiskunhalas: Kiskunság area is situated  between the two big rivers (Danube, Tisza) of Hungary, lots of its area protected because of their natural treasures. The land is sandy, with shallow lakes, marshes and forests. Good abandoned athmosphere with horse riding possibilities everywhere.