Hungary
EUROPE · 6 PLACES
Hungary is thermal water, paprika and volcanic wine: Budapest's bathhouses and ruin bars, then baroque Eger, Zsolnay-tiled Pecs and the vineyard shores of Lake Balaton. Landlocked, forint-priced, cheaper than Vienna.
Budapest
Baths, ruin bars and museums; the base everything else runs from
Eger
Castle, minaret and a valley of cellars pouring Bull's Blood
Lake Balaton
Tihany abbey, Badacsony vineyards and swimming off the north shore
Pecs
Ottoman mosque, Roman tombs, Zsolnay tiles and Villany reds
Szentendre
Danube Bend art town, quiet once the day-trippers leave
Debrecen
Second city, student nightlife and the Hortobagy puszta next door
One month here
Baths, ruin bars and museums; the base everything else runs from
Danube Bend art town, quiet once the day-trippers leave
Castle, minaret and a valley of cellars pouring Bull's Blood
Second city, student nightlife and the Hortobagy puszta next door
Ottoman mosque, Roman tombs, Zsolnay tiles and Villany reds
Tihany abbey, Badacsony vineyards and swimming off the north shore
Three months here
Long enough to live there: markets, baths and neighbourhood bars
Slow base for the whole Danube Bend, Visegrad and Esztergom
Wine country walking, thermal baths and the Bukk hills
Great Plain hub; Hortobagy, Tokaj and the Romanian border
Warmest corner of Hungary, with Villany and the Mecsek hills
Full summer season: swimming, ferries, cellars and cycling the ring
Festivals worth flying for
Sziget Festival · August
Week-long music festival on Obudai Island, Budapest. 2027 runs 10-14 August.
Busojaras · February
Masked, horned busos parade through Mohacs to end winter. UNESCO-listed.
Debrecen Flower Carnival · August
Floral floats parade on 20 August, with a week of concerts and markets around it.
St Stephen's Day · 20 August
National day: fireworks over the Danube in Budapest and celebrations countrywide.
Budapest Christmas markets · November-December
Vorosmarty ter and the Basilica square, from mid-November into early January.
In an emergency
Emergency number 112
112 reaches police, ambulance and fire, usually with English. Pharmacies (gyogyszertar) post the nearest all-night branch on the door.
Language
Hungarian. English is common in Budapest, patchier in small towns; German helps.
Money
Hungarian forint (HUF), not euro. Cards work almost everywhere; carry cash for cellars and markets.
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