Walk through history – castles and museums
Hungary has many historical places offering you great ways to not just learn, but really experience how life was back in the days – from the Bronze Era to the Dark Ages.
For those curious about the art of war, the old, strategically located and built castles are offering an action-packed adventure. Some of the most famous castles are the castles of Buda, Dióspatak, Eger, Gyula, Nagyvázsony, Sárospatak, Siklós, Somoskő, Sümeg, and Visegrád. Many of them even organise cultural-historical festivals and Castle Games, where professionals show how medieval times looked like. If you are more interested in how agricultural folks have been living their everyday lives, you can also visit some open-air, ethnographical museums (also called “Skansen”), where authentic craftsmen help you feel like you travelled back in time. Be sure to check out: Hollókő, Majk, Ópusztaszer, Szalafő-Pityerszer, Százhalombatta, Szentendre, and Vértesszőlős. For the ones who want to spend a day in the picturesque settings of a romantic historical movie, we suggest checking out some of the royal palaces, like the Festecsis Palace in Keszthely, the Grassalkovich Palace in Gödöllő, the Nádasdy Palace in Nádasdladány, the Esterházy Palace in Fertőd or the Andrássy Palace in Tiszadob.
Hike high and low – mountains and caves
Hungary is surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains and offers some hikes with incredible views and hidden natural gems. We would suggest to first take a look at the National Parks – reserved natural places from which many are part of the World Heritage. Climbing to the highest point of Hungary (Kékestető, Mátra Mountain) or descending into the breath-taking stalactite caves (like Aggtelek or Tapolca), you can see and feel how natural forces have been altering our landscape for thousands of years. Other natural wonders of Hungary include the Salt Hills of Egerszalók, the Tarn of Megyer Hill, the Red Stone Spring in the Mountain Bükk or the Rám Canyon in the Pilis.
Dive into our waters – from lakes to thermal baths
Hungary is in a lucky position of having boiling thermal and medicinal water under its soil that has been utilised for a long-long time (the first thermal baths are originated from the Roman Empire dating back to the 1st century). Many towns have been built around natural springs of this valuable, healing water. If you wish to spend your one-day trip soaking in warm water, you might want to check out one of the many thermal baths of Budapest – with architecture dating back to the times of Ottoman Empire (they are: Gellért, Király, Lukács, Rudas and Széchényi Baths.) Outside Budapest, the following towns and their baths are definitely worth a visit: Bükkfürdő, Gyula, Hajdúszoboszló, Harkány, Hévíz, Miskolctapolca, Sárvár, and Zalakaros.
For those who prefer natural lakes, we also have good news – Hungary has many sweet water lakes where you can swim, enjoy water sports or try traditional Hungarian fish dishes. For the lovers of natural lakes, we can recommend the lakes of Deseda, Dorgó, Fertő, Orfű, Sóstó, Szálkai, Szelidi, Vadása, Velence and of course we have to mention the “sea of Hungary”, Lake Balaton, which in itself combines all historical, natural, culinary and leisure wonders of Hungary.
Hungary offers a great variety of places to visit, from natural wonders to man-built mementos of the past. Start with your neighbourhood and work your way to the furthest parts from you as well. With coaches and trains, you can definitely find something new and worth exploring.
Links and sources: top7hungary - Legszebb magyar várak, top7hungary - Legszebb szabadtéri múzeumok, top7hungary - Legszebb magyar kastélyok, top7hungary - Legszebb magyar természeti csodák, top7hungary - Legjobb hazai kis fürdőtavak, top7hungary - Legjobb hazai fürdővárosok