Hungary is a heart-stealer; it will lure you back again and again to
sample its rich wines, lounge in its thermal spas, gaze at its birdlife
and make one more attempt to master its hermetic language. It has all
the luxury of Western Europe with a Magyar twist and at half the cost.
Its graceful capital Budapest has a lively arts, café and music
scene, and is host to a range of cultural and sporting festivals. In
the countryside you'll find majestic plains, resort-lined lakes, Baroque
towns, horse markets and rustic villages.
Though it can be pretty wet in May and June, spring is just glorious
in Hungary. The Hungarian summer is warm, sunny and unusually long,
but the resorts are very crowded in late July and August. Like Paris
and Rome, Budapest comes to a halt in August (called 'the cucumber-growing
season' here because that's about the only thing happening).
Autumn is beautiful, particularly in the hills around Budapest and in
the Northern Uplands. November is one of the rainiest months of the
year, however. Winter is cold, often bleak and museums and other tourist
sights are often closed. Animal lovers might also want to skip this
season: many of the women are draped in furry dead things throughout
the winter.
Hungary's major celebration is the Budapest Spring Festival (March),
a two-week cultural extravaganza of local and international performances,
conferences and exhibitions. Other important events include: the Budapest
Film Festival (February), which premieres new Hungarian films; Busójárás
(Mohás; February also), the nation's top Mardi Gras; Sopron Festival
Weeks (Sopron; June/July), showcasing ancient music and dance performances;
the Folk Arts Festival (Nagykálló August), one of the
biggest and best events of the year; and Jazz Days (Debrecen; September),
which is Hungary's top jazz festival.
Budapest ... With its multifarious and often embittered history, incredible
architecture and rich cultural heritage, Hungary's capital deserves
its reputation as the 'Paris of Eastern Europe'. It has a complex identity,
somewhere between Western luxury and simple traditions.
Budapest's highlights include a cruise along the Danube, strolling along
the riverfront or across romantic bridges, browsing through antique
bookshops and jewellery stores, or 'taking the waters' at one of the
city's many spas. The city is well laid-out, rarely confusing, and ideal
for walking.
accommodation
budapest asterope
