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WHERE TO GO |
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The capital, Budapest , dominates the country in every sense -
administratively, commercially and culturally. Divided into two distinct
parts by the River Danube - the historical Buda district on the elevated
west bank, and the grittier but more dynamic Pest district on the
eastern side - the city boasts a welter of fine museums and churches,
coffee houses, Turkish baths and Roman ruins, as well as some splendid
architecture and a diversity of entertainment unmatched in any of the
cities of the former Eastern bloc.
The most obvious attraction after Budapest is the magnificent Danube
Bend , one of the most spectacular stretches of this immense river.
Sweeping its way north out of the capital, the river passes through the
delightful town of Szentendre on the west bank - a popular day trip from
the capital - before moving serenely on through historic Visegrád and up
to Esztergom, the centre of Hungarian Catholicism. Southwest of
Budapest, Lake Balaton , with its string of brash resorts, styles itself
as the "Nation's Playground," but also contains Europe's largest thermal
bath at Héviz, and some splendid wine regions, notably around the
Badacsony Hills and Balatonboglár on the southern shore.
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.
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