Hungary: The Rough Guide (4th Edition) (Paperback)

Encircling Balaton and encompassing the area west of the Danube, Transdanubia has the country’s most varied topography, from the flat, rather monotonous landscape of the northern Kisalföld to the verdant, forested Orség in the southwest. The region also claims some of the country’s finest towns and cities, most notably Sopron with its atmospheric Belváros (Inner town), and the vibrant city of Pécs, notable for its superb museums and Islamic architecture. Further south, the vineyards around Villány and Siklós – Hungary’s first wine road – yield some of the country’s finest wines.

The mildly hilly mountain ranges of the Northern Uplands, spreading eastwards from Budapest, offer Hungary’s best opportunities for leisurely pursuits, including hiking, cycling and even skiing. The region is also home to the country’s most fantastic natural wonder, the Aggtelek caves, whilst the more sparsely populated northwestern region, the Zemplén range, will appeal to castle enthusiasts and those seeking to get off the beaten track. The Uplands are also famed for their wine centres, the most renowned being Eger – an enchanting town in its own right, showcasing some marvellous Baroque architecture – and Tokaj.

The area south of the Uplands is dominated by the vast, flat swathe of land known as the Great Plain, bisected in two by Hungary’s other great river, the Tisza. Covering almost fifty percent of the country, the Plain doesn’t have the clear-cut attractions of other regions, but it can be a rewarding place to visit. Szeged, close to the Serbian border, is the area’s most appealing centre, with some delightful architecture and perhaps the country’s most beautiful synagogue. Further east, its rival city Debrecen serves as the jumping-off point for the archaic Erdohát region and the mirage-haunted Hortobágy puszta, home to a fantastic array of wildlife.

WHEN TO GO
Most visitors come in the summer, when nine or ten hours of sunshine can be relied on most days, sometimes interspersed with short, violent storms. The humidity that causes these is really only uncomfortable in Budapest, where the crowds don’t help; elsewhere the climate is agreeable. Budapest, with its spring and autumn festivals, sights and culinary delights, is a standing invitation to come out of season. But other parts of Hungary have little to offer during the winter, and the weather doesn’t become appealing until late spring. May, warm but showery, is the time to see the Danube Bend, Tihany or Sopron before everyone else arrives; June is hotter and drier, a pattern reinforced throughout July, August and September. There’s little variation in temperatures across the country: the Great Plain is drier, and the highlands are wetter, during summer, but that’s about as far as climatic changes go. The number of tourists varies more – popular areas such as Szentendre and Tihany can be mobbed in summer, but rural areas receive few visitors, even during the high season. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.