Hungary
Budapest, capital of Hungary is the only major city in the world rich in thermal waters. It is also one of the few capital cities with caves which are open to the public. There are other highlights we could mention, for example that centuries of architectural and cultural heritage successfully fuse here with recent innovation.
Budapest is, truly a place to spend a couple of days or even weeks here on the banks of the Danube.
World Heritage Sites: The Danube view with the Buda Castle, and the splendid groups of buildings in Pest, as well as Andrássy Avenue with its luxurious palaces and the Heroes' Square with its ceremonious atmosphere.
80 mineral and thermal springs, 10 splendid thermal baths, themselves part of the built heritage, and more than 400 bitter water springs.
Lake Balaton Hungary's best panoramas are the hills that rise from the lake.
Wine lovers sing the praises of the Kéknyelű from Badacsony, or the Italian reisling of Boglár, while gastonomes rave about the toothfish delicacies. Vines were brought to the region two thousand years ago by the Romans. The soil and climate of the Balaton region favours this delicate plant, and now Lake Balaton has become almost synonymous with good wines.
The fishermen tell of metre-plus long fish, the yachtsmen of the racing boats bent over in the wind, the rheumatics of the healing powers of the Hévíz thermal baths, the music lovers of the Tihany organ recitals, the Opera fanciers of the Siófok opera galas.
Eger-Tokaj Hilly Wine Region
Due to its beautiful surroundings, impressive atmosphere, wine and bathing culture and the hospitality of its habitants, the town of Eger is today the third most visited locality in Hungary.
The fortress of Eger, which has lived through many tough centuries was begun on Castle Hill after the invasion of the Tartars, in the 13th century.
Eger is justly know as the city of Baroque. In its historic city centre many beautiful and valuable Baroque and late-Baroque buildings can be admired.
Grape-growing and wineries cannot go without mention when talking about Eger. One of the best known and most prestigious wines produced in the wine region around the town is the claret, Eger Bull's Blood. In the Valley of the Fair Woman, the most important part of town, where the taverns are, producers are always glad to receive guests and offer them wine.
Tokaj-hegyalja is a famous wine-district of Hungary acknowledged all over the world. The area of six thousand six hundred hectares has all the necessary conditions needed for preparing the noblest sweet wine of the world, the Tokay Aszu. Even the first Magyar settlers of Hungary found grape-vines in this region, though the first authentic reference to vine-growing was found in the deed of foundation of the Turóczi provostship of 1251.
