Northern Hungary
The Northern part of Hungary is geographically different from the other regions. The highest hills of Hungary are here with creeks, castles and with lots of sights of interest. Small villages with living folk culture (Hollókő, Mezőkövesd), spas (Eger, Miskolctapolca), historical sights and buildings and medieval towns could be the most interesting for tourists. The region has a long border with Slovakia. This part of Hungary is the home of famous wines (Eger Bull's Blood and Tokaji Aszú) and this is where the highest elevation of Hungary can be found: Kékes in Mátra Hill.

• Aggtelek: rare natural spectacle in the north east of Hungary, next to the Slovakian border. It is a 25km long cave system, which is the largest in Europe
• Sárospatak: cultural and tourist centre of North-East Hungary
• Hollókő: the only village in the world listed among the World Heritage
• Eger: a beautiful, old town, rich in historical buildings
• Diósgyőr: the castle of four corner bastions, Forest-covered romantic Matra hill

Aggtelek, located at the border of Slovakia,has one of the most significant stalactite caves in Europe with 850 discovered caves. Three of them are open to the public: Anna-barlang and Szent lstván-barlang, rich in stalagmites and stalactites in Miskolc-Lillafüred, and Tavasbarlang in Miskolctapolca. The exceptionally charming Bükk Highlands, a forest-covered land streams, caves, and magnificent rock formations, with many native animal species is the third national park in Hungary. The most frequented spot of the region is the Szalajka Valley full of wriggling trout.

Sárospatak and its region is an area which grow grapes for the world famous Tokaj-wines. Tasting wine is possible in several cellars. Its natural Surroundings are beautiful, the air and water are unpolluted and the infrastructure is well-built. Sárospatak is the cultural and tourist centre of the region. Tourism is widespread, the Renaissance Rákóczi Castle, the late-Baroque Reformed College and the 48 °C thermal water attract the most visitors but popular international wents like the Zemplén Art Festival also have a lot of spectators every year.

Hollóko is the only village in the world listed among the World Heritage. It is an outstanding example of a deliberately preserved traditional settlement. This village, which was developed mainly during the 17th and 18th centuries, is a living example of rural life before the agricultural revolution of the 20th century.

Eger lies where the Bükk and the Mátra Hills meet. The castle, which was defended by heroic warriors during the European conquests of the Turks, offers an excellent view of the town, which carefully preserves the many witnesses of its long history "engraved in stone.". The most important sights and historic monuments in Eger are the Fortress, the Cathedral and the Lyceum. The pride of its library is the first printed Hungarian book, the Chronicle of Buda, 1473. Other interests the famous wine "Egri bikaver" the medicinal water "Egri Viz" and lots of mineral water with baths around the town.

The castle of stands in Diósgyőr, now part of Miskolc, which flourished in the 14th century, during the time of Louis I, the Great. Another part of town, Lillafüred, is a climatic holiday area. There are hot springs supporting the thermal spa, cave baths, and the lake at Miskolctapolca, the famous holiday resort.

The forest-covered romantic Mátra Hills are one of the most popular holiday spots. The fields in full bloom in spring, the dazzling green foliage of summer, the colour carnival of autumn, and the pine branches heavy with snow in winter attract visitors looking for rest, recreation, and sports all year round. Kékestető is the highest point in the country with an elevation of 1014 metres (3330 ft). There are several climatic medicinal spas in the area: Mátrafüred, Mátraháza, Galyatető, Parád, Mátraszentimre.

The Great Plain
The sand-hills of Bugac in the middle of Great Plain stretching from the Danube to the eastern border of the country together with the alkaline soils of Hortobágy to the northeast give the flat region of the incomparable "Hungarian Puszta". Typical farm life in Bugac has survived, typical Hungarian rural settlement, the "tanya" developed here and during horse shows the tourist has the opportunity to learn about the traditions of the earlier pastoral way of life, animal husbandry in the Puszta, and taste fine
Hungarian cuisine.

• Debrecen: economic and cultural centre of the Tiszántúl, a large city rich in historical traditions
• Hortobágy:The National Park preserves some of the most unique curiosities and treasures in the middle of Europe
• Kecskemét: "Famous Town" of the apricot brandy, the "Kodály method" and the ceramical decorated buildings
• Kalocsa: city of the red paprika
• Bugac: part of the seven-section Kiskunság National Park, declared a bioreserve by Unesco
• Ópusztaszer: historic site of the first Hungarian assembly
• Szeged: the "Sunshine Town" and the city of "Blonde tisza"
• Gyula: prefered tourist destination near the southern border of the country

Debrecen: the largest Reformed Calvinist building in the country, the Great Church has become the symbol of the city, which is often called "the Calvinist Rome". Its harmonic beauty and subdued classical architecture deserve attention. A church stood in its place as early as five to six hundred years ago and it received its current form in the last century. The Calvinist College, one of Hungary's first educational institutions, has been in the service of education, literature and science for more than 450 years. The regional, folklore and applied arts collections of the museum are well-known throughout the country.

Hortobágy National Park preserves a grassy plain shaped by the floods of the Tisa River. The park covers 200,000 acres, most of it grassland. Approximately 40 percent of the park is marshland, and there are also large fishponds.The park offers some of the best bird watching in Europe, with more than 310 species recorded in the past 20 years. Among the wetlands, marshes and saline grasslands are many types of herons, egrets, spoonbills, storks, warblers and eagles. The park was recently placed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's World Heritage List because of its unique flora and fauna, and its role as an important cultural region.

Kecskemét: The motifs of the style known as Hungarian Art Nouveau decorate the facades of many buildings in the city. The Cifra (Fancy) Palace built in 1902 is also in this style. It now houses an art gallery. Kecskemét owes much of its charm in the spacious rnain square with its promenades, with the churches of various denominations side by side. The town hall dating from the 19th century has been beautifully refurbished. Its facade is decorated with a set of chimes containing 37 elements; they mark the passing of time with a pleasing tune composed by the towns famous son, the composer and teacher Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967).

Beside the Danube, Kalocsa is one of our oldest towns. Tasty red paprika drying in strings on the eaves of houses, the flower-ornamented wall paintings of verandahs, and the beautiful embroidery and folk costumes combining fine laces with colorful flower motifs has spread the fame of Kalocsa into distant lands.The most attractive embroideries, folk costumes, room and kitchen furnishings from the beginning of the century can be seen in the 200-year-old Regional House of Folk and the method of fine ground paprika spice producing can be known in the Hungarian Spice Paprika Museum.

Bugac, the land with no limits, Hungary's most visited national park, containing areas of undisturbed ancient vegetation and animal life found nowhere else in Europe, leaves a memorable impression on all who visit. In the area many interesting programs await those who are interested.Various horse shoes, a shepherd's museum, stud farms, the rare "Hungarian Gray" cattle herds, "Racka" long haired sheep, carriage rides, horse back riding and more.

Ópusztaszer: recalls the time of the Hungarian Conquest 1100 years ago. It is the place where, according to legend, Árpád and his chieftains camped for 34 days and adopted the country's first laws. This made it the site of the first Hungarian national assembly. Its memory is preserved in the National Historical Memorial Park. There is also an open-air ethnographic museum here, showing the typical settlement form of the Great Plain, the tanya, unique in Europe. Several of the most archaic types of Hungarian dwellings can also be seen here. Another attraction is one of the biggest paintings in Europe, the cyclorama by Árpád Feszty (1856- 1914), showing the entry of the Hungarians into the Carpathian Basin.

Szeged, a town with a long past, is the economic and cultural centre of the Southern Great Plain. With an annual 2,100 hours of sunshine it holds the title "Sunshine Town". World-famous products originating from here include the inimitable Pick salami and the Szeged red paprika which provides a fine taste to Hungarian dishes such as Szeged fish soup. The traditional intellectual atmosphere and the famed schools of the town gave and still give graet writers, poets and scientists to the country.Several of the town's most famous buildings are sited on one of the finest squares in the country, Dóm square.

Gyula:The only mediaeval brick castle that has survived intact on the Great Plain is found in Gyula. Theatre performances are held in the court of the enormous Gothic building in the summer and spectacular shows can be seen on the floating stage on the picturesque boating lake in front of the castle. The Castle Theatre Festival is held in the mediaeval castle at Gyula with outdoor performances in the shelter of the massive brick walls, in the court famous for its excellent acoustics, and on the stage on the picturesque boating lake beside the castle.

Northern Transdanubia
Located in the nortern part of the former Roman province of Pannonia, the widely-known tourist region of Northern Transdanubia covers the area north of Lake Balaton, and from the western border of the country to the Danube. It is characterized by gentle hills, forests rich in wildlife, springs, bubbling brooks, castles perched atop rocky outcrops, castle ruins, tiny medieval village churches, and towns with Baroque atmosphere.

• Győr: "city of rivers", the confluence point of the Danube, Rába and Rábca rivers
• Pannonhalma: city of the "most ancient Hungarian House", the Benedictine Abbey
• Sopron: both a popular holiday resort and a city soaked in history
• Kőszeg: a historic little town famous for its defenders who held up the Turkish invaders
• Szombathely: one of the Roman Empire's important towns
• Ják: city of the finest Romanesque church in Hungary
• Veszprém: one of the most frequented tourist spots in the northern part of Transdanubia
• Herend: city of internationally famous porcelain
• Nagycenk: its mansion was one of the family estates of Count István Széchenyi
• Fertőd: the country biggest and most beautiful Baroque mansion ("Hungarian Versailles")

Gyor, "The town of waters" situated half way between the Austrian and the Hungarian capitals at the meeting point of the rivers Danube, Rába and Rábca, is the third most important monumental town in the country. During the course of long, hectic centuries it has been inhabited by Celts and Romans, nominated bishopric see by the first Hungarian king, The herma and the reliquary of the head of king Saint Ladislas (Szent László) are exhibited in the Gothic chapel. These masterpieces of medieval jewellery were made on the occasion of the king's canonization. The treasury is the second richest collection in Hungary. Artefacts of the ceramicist Kovács Margit are permanently presented in Kreszta house and sculptures by Borsos Miklós are also on display. Both artista were born in Győr.

Only about twenty kilometres from Győr, the Monastery of Pannonhalma has been functioning for over 1000 years. This place has witnessed much of Hungarian history. It recalls a number of national diets, peace treaties, a successfully beaten attack of the Tartars, domestic struggles of the Árpád dynasty, Turkish invasion, great fires and restorations. This fortress of Hungarian Benedictines, this illustrated "picture book" of European art history from Romanesque to Classicism was undoubtedly worthy of being registered as Worid Heritage site by UNESCO.

Both a popular holiday resort and a city soaked in history, Sopron lies in Hungary's western frontier region, less than 50 miles from Vienna and 150 miles from Budapest. The city's architectural delights include examples of the Roman, Medieval and Renaissance traditions. As for culture, Sopron is noted for its connection with Franz Liszt, having hosted the composer's concerts when he was a child prodigy.

Koszeg: sited on the western border of the country at the foot of the Alps and with its sub-Alpine climate is trully one of Hungary's most beautiful, and smallest towns. Around Kőszeg the air is fragrant and bracking, the meadows and hills are green. And in autumn the ancient chestnut trees yield their abundant fruit.It is here that the Alps meet the gently rolling hills of Pannonia. And the town, where practically every building has a story of its own- where the vast number of ages and styles have blended together over the centuries, is a living treasure of art history.

Szombathely: this is a town which is older than Hungary, older even than itself. Savaria was the predecessor of Szombathely, today's county seat. It was founded by the "divine" Roman emperor Claudius in the year 43 BC as one of the northernmost towns in his empire. Today, Szombathely is proud of its traditions reaching back almost two thousand years – and it carefully cultivates them. It treasures its Roman past, excavates the remains of old splendour, gathers the fragments of a long lost world.

The 13th century Benedictine abbey church, standing in the middle of the village of Ják, but noticeable from already a great distance, is the most significant rnemory of Romanesque architecture in Hungary. The original arches of the portal the three nave basilica is owe-inspiring. A few statues of the apostles are somewhat damaged. The invading Turkish troops are likely to be liable, as any representation of human faces is forbidden by the lslam.

Veszprém: the capital of the Bakony Mountains, has been built on several hills. The highest of these is Castle Hill, a rocky outcrop rising above the Séd stream that seems to have been created by nature specially for a castle. All of the buildings here are historic monuments: while strolling around the area, fine facades, stone-framed ancient gateways and Baroque sculptures will blind the tourists. The first queen of Hungary, Gizella of Bavaria, lived here. There is such an intimate atmosphere, such charm here, thanks to the special touch of Gizella – who also founded the Cathedral.

Herend: Herend porcelain, beloved throughout the world, is always hand-painted and comes in hundreds of shapes with thousands of motifs. The art of making the decorative objects and tableware and of painting the beautiful patterns has passed from father to son at Herend. Each generation has produced its own masters. The pieces on display in the factory's museum allow visitors to trace the history of the porcelain made here:: from the beginning, when siple additions were made for existing sets, to the first big successes at the Great World Exhibition in London.

Nagycenk, a small town near the Austrian border became the estate of the Széchenyi family in the 1600s. The baroque complex was begun by Count Antal Széchenyi around 1750. It was rebuilt by Count Ferenc Széchenyi, founder of the Hungarian National Museum and a new early classicist facade was put on. His son, Count István Széchenyi during his life had the ambition to transform Hungary into the modern, bourgeois economy the contemporary model of which was Britain. His initiative and support brought about the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, river control on the Danube and the Tisza, the construction of the Chain Bridge in Budapest, steamboat transport on Lake Balaton, railroad constructions, horse races and the revival of Hungarian horse breeding traditions. His work earned him the title "the greatest Hungarian" in his lifetime.

Fertőd: In the 18th century Duke Miklós Esterházy built a pompously ornate, incomparably beautiful Baroque palace with 126 rooms in Fertőd. Today the palace functions as a museum, and its grounds, imitating the parks of Versailles Palace is now a nature reserve. In the days of Duke Miklós Esterházy the music life of Fertőd (then called Eszterháza) was admired throughout Europe with Jopseph Haydn as the conductor of the duke's orchestra for nearly 30 years. The composer's old home, the "House of Music" (Muzsikaház) is now open to public. The annually held Haydn Festival pays tribute to the memory of the great composer.

Southern Transdanubia
The visitors of this part of Hungary find a varied landscape in the region inhabited by friendly people. They can see here practically all the topographical variants characteristic of Hungary. The rivers Danube, Dráva and Mura which border it in the east and the south are flanked by low- land-type flat stretches. A most characteristic feature of the Pannonian region, the gently rolling hills with their forest-clad ridges and articulated by valleys, constitute a typical Transdanubian landscape. The picture can only be complete with the Mecsek and Villány Mountains, two alpine "islands", favourite venues for nature lovers attracted by the precious and protected botanical rarities.

• Pécs: city of culture
• Harkány: internationally famed spa town
• Szigetvár: symbol of self-sacrificing patriotism
• Villány: centre of great Villány wine region
• Siklós: famous for its medieval castle and its wines
• Mohács: present southern frontier of the country

Hungary's fifth largest town, Pécs, is situated at the foot of the Mecsek Hills Even if it were not graced with a Mediterranean climate, the genuine warmth of Pécs would win the tourists over. It may be 2,000 years old, with the ancient Roman burial vaults to prove it, but this is an easygoing place. Student life animates the city, which is fitting when you consider that Hungary's first university was founded here - in 1367. A richly textured past suffuses the city with a gentle sophistication, from its delightful shops and restaurants to its wealth of cultural treasures.

Harkány: internationally famed spa town with medical water from a sulphurous spring, and which – unique in the world – contains dissolved sulphide ions in the form of gas. The healing power of the water was discovered about 150 years ago. It is especially suitable for healing rheumatism and locomotor after-treatment after accidents. The drinking cure is effective for catarrhal diseases of the pharynx, the stomach, and the intestines. The average temperature of the water is 35-37şC in summer and 30-35şC in winter. On the territory of the bath there are, among others, a thermal lake-bath and a hospital for rheumatism.

Szigetvár: The castle of Szigetvár is famous for the siege laid against it by the Turks in 1566, and for the captain of the Hungarian defenders, Count Miklós Zrínyi. The Turks commemorated their victory by erecting the Suliman Mosque with a minaret. A huge monument erected outside the town also commemorates this historical event. In the memorial park laid out in 1996 and financed by the Turkish state, statues of the two erstwhile foes, Sultan Suliman II and Miklós Zrínyi, face one another.

Villány: Romans produced wine in this scenic pocket of Europe 2,000 years ago, and today over 5,000 vineyards yield some of the finest wines in Hungary. The mild Mediterranean-like climate of the region, along with its fertile soil, helps endow the wines with their sunny southern flavor. Villány and Villánykövesd are known for their ruby-toned red wines, including Blue Franc, Blue Portuguese, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Siklós is best known for its white wines, such as Italian and Rhine Riesling, Chardonnay and Traminer.

Siklós: This town was already inhabited in the Roman times with the name Serea. The castle of Siklós is first mentioned in 1294, it got its present form in the XVth century. The Franciscan church was built in the XVth century and reconstructed in the XVIIIth century in baroque style. The Greek Orthodox Serbian church originates from the XVIIIth century as well. The remains of a Turkish mosque have also been uncovered here. The water of the bath near the castle is efficient against rheumatic diseases.

Mohács: Mohács is a more than 900 years old town that has a history of grave import. This town which lies on the bank of the Danube in a beautiful natural environment, steadily developed through centuries. The battle of Mohács in 1526 is a part of the World history. Following the defeat of Mohács, Hungary fell under Turkish domination for 150 years. This period is recalled by the carnival folk tradition of the "Busójárás" masked procession held at the beginning of February and designed to scare the Turks away.

Lake Balaton
Beautiful Lake Balaton, Central Europe's largest freshwater lake, some 60 miles southwest of Budapest, is Hungary's number one vacation resort and a major wine-producing region. Easily reached by car, bus or train, Balaton offers dozens of resort hotels for longer stays. The north shore of the lake is noted for its resorts, wineries and spas. Jutting into the lake, the Tihany Peninsula is one of the country's most interesting national parks and site of a Benedictine abbey founded in 1055. In fact, the abbey's deed of foundation is the earliest written record of the Hungarian language.

For more info about Lake Balaton, click here.