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Holiday Ideas
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Hungary is located in the Carpathian Basin in Central Europe. Its greatest distance is 268 km north to south, and 528 km east to west. Nearly half of the country’s area is plains: the Great Hungarian Plains occupying the entire eastern half of the country, the interstream area between the Danube and Tisza rivers, and the Western Hungarian Lowlands along the north-western border. West of the Danube is the Transdanubian Central Range with altitudes of 400-700 meters (the Keszthely, Bakony, Vértes, Gerecse, Pilis and Visegrád ranges), and to the east of the Danube the Northern Central Range is to be found with altitudes of 500-1000 meters (Börzsöny, Cserhát, Mátra, Bükk, Cserehát and Zemplén ranges). The country’s highest altitude is Kékesteto (1014 m) in the Mátra Mountains. The country’s two most important rivers are the Danube (Hungarian segment 417 km) and the Tisza (598 km). The Transdanubian region west of the Danube is made up of rolling hills, with the warmest lake in Central Europe, Lake Balaton, located in the centre of the region. Two other lakes are Lake Velence in Transdanubia, and Lake Tisza in the east.
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Hungary has plenty of natural riches, and the visitor can enjoy unspoilt nature in ten national parks. The country is uniquely rich in hot springs, and medicinal baths are one of the most important attractions, together with therapeutic and thermal open-air baths, and the related therapeutic hotels. In addition, Hungary also offers excellent opportunities for enthusiasts of horse riding, cycling, hiking, fishing, hunting, water sports and golf.
In the history of Hungary, eastern and western cultural influences are welded with the traditions of a thousand-year old state. Budapest is often known as the Queen of the Danube, and its unequalled situation, its monuments, museums, theatres, concert halls and opera house, its coffee houses, pubs, and jazz clubs make it one of the most beautiful and exciting cities in the world. Hungary can justly be proud of her sparkling cultural life, of which music is one of the most important elements: the musical heritage of Bartók and Kodály, just as operetta, gypsy music and folk music. Over the year countless arts festivals are held throughout the country.
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Of all the colourful folk art of Hungary, its motives and colours, the folk art of Kalocsa and Matyó is the best known. The finest examples of folk architecture are on display in the open-air museums, known as skanzen, at several locations in the country.
Hungary is famous for its gastronomy and is excellent wine, produced in twenty-two historical wine growing regions.
To date, eight locations in Hungary have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list: Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst, Ferto/Neusiedlersee Cultural Landscape, Old Village of Hollóko and its surroundings, Hortobágy National Park – the Puszta, Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs (Sopiane), Millenary Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma and its Natural EnvironmentBudapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy avenue and Tokaj Wine Region Historic Cultural Landscape.
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Budapest and Central Danubian Region
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The Budapest and Central Danubian Region includes Budapest, Pest county, Komárom-Esztergom county and a part of Nógrád county. In terms of geographical size, the Budapest and Central Danubian Region is the smallest region in Hungary, but with regard to the place it holds in the social and economic life of the country, it is the most important. The international attraction of the capital, Budapest, dominates not only the region, but also the entire country. The panorama of the city along the River Danube, and Andrássy út and its surrounds have been designated part of world heritage by UNESCO. Budapest was declared a city of spas in 1934, and is the only city in the world where seventy million litres of water from eighty hot springs feeds twenty baths and swimming pools, including the popular Rác, Rudas, Király, Császár, Gellért and Széchenyi thermal baths.
The capital is especially rich in sights and buildings that remind one of various ages and religions. The Castle District contains Matthias Church, the Fisherman’s Bastion, or the exciting Labyrinth of the Buda Castle. From the walls of the Buda Castle there is an excellent view of the Parliament, the Basilica, and the city’s unique bridges. It is worth taking a walk around the inner districts of the Pest side: within the ancient walls can be found museums, churches, and nice coffee houses.
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In addition to Budapest, another favourite tourist destination in the region is the Danube Bend: the towns of Szentendre, Esztergom (centre of the Hungarian Catholic church) and Visegrád. Though there are more opportunities for cultural tourism in Budapest, the region too offers internationally competitive cultural programmes. As well as cultivating folk traditions (wedding and Pentecostal festivities), a whole series of individual event are organised (for example horse festivals, ceremonies, flower festivals, St Gellért week). Amongst the annual events that attract the most interest are the Budapest Spring Festival, the Festival of Folk Arts in the Buda Castle, the Sziget Festival, the International Summerfest Folklore Festival, the Jewish Summer Festival, the Budapest International Wine Festival, and the Visegrád International Medieval Games.
In addition to cultural tourism, including the visiting of stately homes and castles (such as Gödöllo and Visegrád), and health tourism, the plain, the hilly regions, the cities, conference opportunities, and active tourism, all form part of what is on offer to the tourist, and the centre of this is the Danube. Those settlements of Nógrád county which belong to this region are attractive mainly for domestic tourism. Hungarian cuisine and wine producing are a unique attraction amongst the tourist attractions of the region, for the area of the regions touches two wine-producing regions: the Etyek Buda and Kunság wine regions. A special attraction is the world famous Budafok Törley Sparkling Wine Factory, founded for the processing and storage of grapes.
The region hosts several of the country’s more important sports events. The best known is the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, held each year in Mogyoród.
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