11 Things To Know Before Visiting Hungary
- 22 Nov 2013 8:00 AM
Slightly smaller than the U.S. state of Indiana, and with a slowly decreasing population of just under 10 million (1.7 million of whom live in the capital, Budapest), Hungary is a land in thrall to its history. The horse is still revered here, Franz Liszt is huge and goulash is a soup not a stew. You may find yourself overtaken in a revolving door, but you'll be made to feel thoroughly welcome -- as long as you don't clink your beer glass.
1. It has Central Europe's largest lake
At almost 80 kilometers (50 miles) long, and covering an area of almost 600-square-kilometers (230 square miles), Lake Balaton is so big it's known as the "Magyar tenger" or the Hungarian Sea.
The lake is a favorite vacation destination for Hungarians -- the southern shore, and especially the city of Siófok, is something of a party spot.
The annual Balaton Sound summer music festival is held in the nearby town of Zamárdi.
Families with kids prefer the relatively quiet northern side.
2. Swimsuits are necessities - Hungary has hot water to spare.
There are more than 1,000 natural springs in the country (and the world's largest thermal lake at Hévíz, near Lake Balaton), with 118 in Budapest alone.
On the Pest side of the river in the capital, Széchenyi Thermal Baths (Állatkerti körút 9-11, 1146 Budapest; +36 1 363 3210) claims to be the biggest thermal bathing complex in Europe.
Another good Budapest bathing spot is the art nouveau Gellért Baths and Hotel (Kelenhegyi út 4, 1118 Budapest; +36 1 466 6166), at the foot of Gellért Hill.
Republished on XpatLoop with the permission of CNN Travel - follow the link to read the full article.
LATEST NEWS IN travel