Un oraș într-un cadru natural uimitor, cu un patrimoniu arhitectural și istoric bogat, care oferă o combinație de neegalat între cultură, gastronomie înfloritoare și avantajele apelor termale și ale obiectivelor din patrimoniul mondial. Se numește Budapesta. Read more recommendations »

Lillafüred Palace Hotel is about 10 kilometres from Miskolc, between the Bükk Mountains and Lake Hámori. The building, now known as Hotel Palota, was constructed between 1927 and 1930 to plans by architect Kálmán Lux, who drew inspiration from Renaissance palaces of the age of King Matthias Corvinus. The development of Lillafüred as a resort was supported during the 1920s by Prime Minister István Bethlen, and the hotel opened on 7 June 1930. The project also included terraced gardens and the roughly 20-metre waterfall on the Szinva stream. In 1933, poet Attila József attended a writers' meeting here, and his stay at Lillafüred is connected with his poem “Óda”. During the Second World War, the hotel was converted into a military hospital. Read more details »

The Tokaj Wine Region lies in northeastern Hungary, at the foot of the Zemplén Mountains, around the town of Tokaj and several villages with a long wine-growing tradition. Wine has been produced here for centuries, and the region is closely linked with Tokaji Aszú, a sweet wine made from grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea, known as noble rot. Misty autumn mornings, sunny days and volcanic soils create suitable conditions for this style of wine. Villages such as Mád, Tarcal, Tállya and Tokaj have vineyards, wineries and cellars cut into rock, some of them used for centuries. Much of the wine is aged in barrels stored inside these underground passages, where temperatures remain stable. The cultural landscape of Tokaj joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2002. Read more details »

The House of Terror Museum is at 60 Andrássy Avenue in Budapest, inside a building used during the twentieth century by two repressive organisations. During the Second World War, it served as a headquarters of the Arrow Cross Party, while after 1945 the building was taken over by the communist political police. The museum opened in 2002 and covers the fascist period, Soviet occupation, the establishment of communist rule, deportations, political trials and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. The route passes rooms containing documents, photographs, films and original objects before descending into the basement, where detention and interrogation cells have been reconstructed. A Soviet tank stands in the inner courtyard, while photographs on the surrounding walls remember people who died during the years of political repression. Read more details »

The Hungarian Open Air Museum, known as Skanzen, is near Szentendre, about 20 kilometres from Budapest, and shows how people lived in Hungarian villages and small towns between the eighteenth and twentieth centuries. The museum was founded in 1967 and became an independent institution in 1972. Across almost 80 hectares, houses, churches, mills, barns, workshops and other buildings from different parts of the country were moved and rebuilt in their original form. Today, around 350 buildings are grouped into areas designed to resemble traditional villages and market towns. Inside the houses are furniture, tools, stoves, textiles and objects once used in daily life. Some farmyards have gardens and animals, while bakeries and workshops are used during demonstrations for visitors. Read more details »

Hajdúszoboszló Thermal Baths are in eastern Hungary, about 20 kilometres from Debrecen, and developed around a thermal source discovered by accident in 1925. Engineer Ferenc Pávai-Vajna was searching for natural gas when drilling at a depth of more than 1,000 metres brought hot water to the surface at a temperature above 70°C. The first baths opened in 1927, and the complex grew during the following decades. The water contains iodine, bromine, salt and other minerals and is used in bathing and spa treatments. Today, the Hungarospa complex includes medicinal baths, outdoor swimming pools, an Aquapark and Aqua-Palace, an indoor section open throughout the year. Hajdúszoboszló has pools for treatments, swimming and relaxation, while the large outdoor beach area opens during the warmer months. Read more details »

Miskolctapolca Cave Bath is on the edge of Miskolc, in an area where thermal springs have been used for several centuries. Its main feature is a bathing area built directly inside a natural limestone cave system, where the water is around 30°C. Written references to bathing here date from the eighteenth century, while the modern complex began to take shape during the 1930s and 1940s. The first cave section used for bathing opened in 1959, with further passages added later. Today, swimmers move through natural chambers, narrow passages and pools, including the Star Hall and Roman Hall. The complex also includes outdoor pools, saunas and relaxation areas, while the ruins of an old Benedictine monastery can be seen near the entrance. Read more details »

The Hegyestű basalt formations are near the village of Monoszló, north of Lake Balaton, in the Káli Basin. Hegyestű is the remains of a volcano that was active around eight million years ago, while later quarrying cut into the hill and exposed its interior. The basalt wall consists of almost vertical columns formed as hot lava cooled and contracted. Many have regular five- or six-sided shapes and can be followed along much of the exposed rock face. Hegyestű reaches an altitude of 337 metres, and the trail to the top passes the former quarry and a small geological exhibition. From the upper part of the hill, visitors can see the Káli Basin, surrounding volcanic hills and Lake Balaton in the distance. Read more details »

The Ipolytarnóc Fossils Nature Conservation Area lies in northern Hungary, close to the Slovak border and about 150 kilometres from Budapest. The site is known for fossils dating from roughly 17 to 23 million years ago, when the region had a subtropical environment. Finds include shark teeth from an ancient sea, petrified tree trunks, leaf impressions and numerous animal footprints. A volcanic eruption about 17 million years ago covered the ground with volcanic material and helped protect many of these traces. Researchers have identified tracks linked with rhinoceroses, birds, carnivores and other mammals. Scientific study began in 1836 after a giant petrified tree trunk drew the attention of Ferenc Kubinyi. Today, part of the fossil material is displayed directly where it was found, along a geological trail through the protected area. Read more details »

Fertő-Hanság National Park lies in northwestern Hungary, close to the Austrian border, and covers about 23,700 hectares. Its protected areas include the shores and reed beds of Lake Fertő together with marshes, meadows and wetlands in the Hanság region. The national park was created around Lake Fertő in 1991, with Hanság added in 1994. The lake is shallow, surrounded by extensive reeds and continues across the border into Austria, where it becomes part of Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park. Great egrets, herons, geese, ducks, spoonbills and many migratory birds use the wetlands. Fertőújlak is known for its saline lakes and birdwatching points, while routes from Sarród lead towards other parts of the park. Part of the wider Fertő/Neusiedler See region joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001. Read more details »

Kiskunság National Park lies between the Danube and Tisza rivers in central Hungary and covers 50,523 hectares. It was established on 1 January 1975 as the country's second national park. The protected land does not form a single block but is divided into nine separate areas, each with a different landscape. Near Fülöpháza are sand dunes shaped by the wind, while the northern sections contain saline steppes, meadows and shallow lakes. Wetlands, reed beds and forests near the Tisza also belong to the park. Great bustards, red-footed falcons, water birds and many other species live across these open plains. Walking routes begin near places such as Kecskemét, Bugac and Fülöpháza, while some areas have observation towers and trails through dunes, grassland and wetlands. Read more details »

Bükk National Park lies in northern Hungary between the cities of Eger and Miskolc and covers much of the Bükk Mountains. It was established in 1977 and became Hungary's first national park created in a mountain region. Beech forests cover most of the mountains, with limestone plateaus, valleys, springs and hundreds of caves between them. Many hiking trails cross the Bükk Plateau, while nearby villages and resorts include Lillafüred and Szilvásvárad. Szalajka Valley is known for the Fátyol Waterfall, karst springs and its forest railway. Archaeologists found prehistoric tools and other traces of human activity in Istállós-kő Cave. The national park also supports a wide range of wildlife, including red deer, wild boar, wildcats and several species of bats. Read more details »

Lake Velence lies in central Hungary, between Budapest and Lake Balaton, close to the towns of Velence, Gárdony and Agárd. It covers about 26 square kilometres and is one of the country's largest natural lakes. The average depth is only around 1.5 metres, so the water warms easily during summer and sometimes rises above 26°C. The shores look quite different from one area to another: beaches and water-sport facilities are common in the east, while the western side has extensive reed beds and areas used by water birds. Swimming, kayaking, windsurfing and fishing are common activities, and a cycling route of around 30 kilometres runs around the lake. The nearby Velence Hills, bird habitats and small lakeside towns add several options for walking, cycling and spending time outdoors. Read more details »

Lake Tisza lies in eastern Hungary and is an artificial lake created on the Tisza River after the construction of the Kisköre Dam. It covers about 127 square kilometres and is the country's second-largest lake by surface area after Lake Balaton. The reservoir began filling during the 1970s, and over time islands, channels, bays and large areas of shallow water developed. Reeds and aquatic vegetation created good conditions for birds, fish and other wildlife. Towns around the lake include Tiszafüred, Poroszló and Abádszalók, where beaches, small harbours and departure points for boat trips have been developed. The lake is used for fishing, kayaking, boating and cycling, with a cycling route running around it. Poroszló is also home to the Lake Tisza Ecocentre, which focuses on the wildlife and natural environment of the region. Read more details »

Szemlő-hegyi Cave lies beneath the Buda Hills in Budapest's second district, only a few kilometres from the city centre. It was discovered in 1930 during quarrying work, and its known passages extend for about 2.2 kilometres. The cave developed through the action of thermal water rising through cracks in the limestone, leaving mineral deposits with rounded shapes that often resemble flowers or cauliflower. This unusual decoration gave Szemlő-hegyi the nickname “Budapest's underground flower garden”. Around 300 metres of passages have been prepared for visitors, with the cave opening to the public in 1986. The temperature remains close to 12°C throughout the year, while the air has high humidity and little dust. The visitor route uses paved paths and stairs, with sections adapted for wheelchair access. Read more details »

Tapolca Lake Cave lies directly beneath the town of Tapolca, about 15 kilometres from Lake Balaton, and part of the visitor route is travelled by boat. The cave was discovered in 1903 while a well was being dug and opened to visitors ten years later. Its passages developed in limestone around 13.7 million years old, where cold karst water from the surrounding mountains mixes with warmer water rising from greater depths. The public route is 250 metres long: the first 70 metres are covered on foot and the remaining 180 metres by small boat. The temperature inside stays close to 20°C throughout the year. Some passages are low and narrow, with the boat passing close to the limestone walls, making the underground journey the best-known part of a visit to the cave. Read more details »

The Roman site of Gorsium lies near the village of Tác, about 10 kilometres from Székesfehérvár. The Romans built a military fort here around the middle of the first century, at a place where several roads met and where the Sárvíz River could be crossed. At the beginning of the second century, the fort was replaced by a town, and Gorsium became the place where the provincial assembly of Lower Pannonia met and ceremonies connected with the imperial cult were held. The town was destroyed around AD 260 and rebuilt towards the end of the third century under the name Herculia. The archaeological park includes Roman streets, gates, temples, a forum, houses, shops and two early Christian basilicas. Excavations began in 1958, and the archaeological park opened a few years later. Read more details »

Aquincum lies in Óbuda, in northern Budapest, and contains the ruins of a Roman city built near the Danube. The settlement developed around a military base, and in AD 106 Aquincum became the administrative centre of the province of Lower Pannonia. The civilian town stood about two kilometres from the military area and received municipal status under Emperor Hadrian, followed by colonial status in AD 194. At its peak, around 10,000–12,000 people lived there. The Archaeological Park shows streets, house foundations, public baths, the market, temples, water pipes and drainage channels. The museum displays objects found during excavations, including metal parts from a Roman organ dating from the third century. The instrument was discovered in 1931 and is among the unusual finds connected with everyday life in Roman Aquincum. Read more details »

The Early Christian Necropolis of Pécs lies beneath and around the present city centre, in the area once occupied by the Roman town of Sopianae. During the fourth century, the local Christian community built underground burial chambers, with small memorial chapels above some of them. Several tombs contain wall paintings showing biblical scenes, Christian figures and decorative motifs. Well-known parts include the Peter and Paul Burial Chamber, the Wine Pitcher Burial Chamber and Cella Septichora, a building with an unusual seven-apse plan. The UNESCO site includes 16 major funerary structures, while more than 500 simpler graves have been identified in the wider cemetery. Several chambers can be visited through an underground visitor centre. The necropolis joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. Read more details »

Pécs Synagogue stands on Kossuth Square, close to the historic centre, and was built between 1868 and 1869 for the local Jewish community. The design was prepared by Frigyes Feszl, Károly Gerster and Lipót Kauser, who combined Romantic architecture with Moorish and Romanesque details. The façade has three sections, tall windows and a clock, with a Hebrew verse from Isaiah written above it: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” The synagogue was inaugurated on 22 July 1869. Inside are two levels of galleries, painted decoration and an organ built by József Angster, the first major instrument made by the workshop he had opened in Pécs. The building is still used by the Jewish community and also contains an exhibition about Jewish life in Pécs and the surrounding Baranya region. Read more details »

Szeged Synagogue, also known as the New Synagogue, was built between 1900 and 1903 to plans by architect Lipót Baumhorn. It is the second-largest synagogue in Hungary and combines Art Nouveau with historic forms and details inspired by Gothic and Oriental architecture. Chief Rabbi Immánuel Löw helped choose many of the symbols and interior decorations, including painted plants connected with species mentioned in the Bible. The dome, stained-glass windows made in Manó Roth's workshop and the use of blue, gold and ivory give the interior its distinctive appearance. Above the main area is the biblical message “Love your neighbour as yourself”, written in both Hebrew and Hungarian. The synagogue is still used for prayers and Jewish holidays, while concerts, exhibitions and other cultural events also take place inside. Read more details »

The Mosque of Pasha Qasim stands on Széchenyi Square in the centre of Pécs. It was built during the second half of the sixteenth century, when the city was under Ottoman rule, on the site of a medieval church dedicated to St. Bartholomew. After the Ottomans left Pécs, the mosque became a Roman Catholic church and is now used as the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The dome, the main shape of the building, several windows and Arabic inscriptions survive from the mosque. Its minaret was demolished during the eighteenth century. Today, a Christian altar and cross share the interior with details from the Islamic period, making both parts of the building's history easy to recognise. The former mosque is one of the best-known Ottoman buildings in Pécs. Read more details »

The Great Reformed Church of Debrecen stands on Kossuth Square in the city centre and is closely linked with the history of the Reformed Church in Hungary. The present building was constructed between 1805 and 1824 after a fire in 1802 destroyed the earlier church. Architect Mihály Péchy designed the new structure in a Neoclassical style with two towers rising to about 61 metres. The interior is simple, with white walls, galleries and a large organ. On 14 April 1849, the Hungarian Declaration of Independence was read here, and Lajos Kossuth announced the break with the House of Habsburg. The chair used by Kossuth during the event is displayed inside the church. Visitors can also climb the towers for views over central Debrecen, while one of them contains the historic Rákóczi Bell. Read more details »

Szeged Cathedral, also known as the Votive Church, stands in Dóm Square in the centre of the city. Its story began after the great flood of 1879, when water destroyed almost all of Szeged and local residents promised to build a church after the city was rebuilt. Construction started in 1913, but the First World War stopped the work. Building resumed during the 1920s and the church was completed in 1930. Its two towers rise to about 90 metres, while the architecture is mainly Neo-Romanesque with Gothic and Byzantine details. Inside are mosaics, stained-glass windows, wall paintings and an organ with more than 9,000 pipes. Beside the cathedral stands St. Demetrius Tower, the surviving part of an older church and the oldest architectural monument in Szeged. Read more details »

Pécs Cathedral, dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, stands close to the historic centre and is easily recognised by its four 60-metre towers. The Diocese of Pécs was founded in 1009, while the present cathedral has its roots in a church built during the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The building passed through fires, wars and repeated rebuilding, and during the Ottoman period part of it was used as a mosque. Much of its present appearance comes from the reconstruction carried out between 1882 and 1891 according to plans by architect Friedrich von Schmidt. Inside are wall paintings, sculptures, chapels and an old crypt, together with an organ built by József Angster. In 1991, Pope John Paul II granted the cathedral the rank of minor basilica and visited the church later that year. Read more details »

The historic centre of Sopron keeps medieval streets, Baroque houses, churches and remains of the Roman town of Scarbantia. Fő tér is the main square of the old town, surrounded by the Firewatch Tower, the Goat Church, Storno House and Fabricius House. A large part of Sopron burned in 1676, and the rebuilding that followed gave many buildings the Baroque appearance they keep today. Roman walls, roads and other remains have been discovered beneath streets and houses. The Firewatch Tower was built above the foundations of a Roman gate and later became the symbol of the city. Sopron is also known for the 1921 referendum, when residents of the city and nearby villages voted for the area to remain part of Hungary. The old centre is compact and easy to explore on foot, with its main historic buildings grouped around the central square and nearby streets. Read more details »

The historic centre of Pécs keeps traces from very different periods, from the Roman town of Sopianae to around 150 years of Ottoman rule and the development of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Széchenyi Square forms the centre of the old town and contains the former Mosque of Pasha Qasim, City Hall, historic buildings and the Zsolnay Fountain. A few streets away are the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, the Bishop's Palace and an early Christian cemetery dating from the fourth century. Underground burial chambers decorated with wall paintings were discovered beneath the modern city and were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. Király and Ferencesek streets contain old houses, cafés and buildings from different periods. Ottoman history survives in former mosques and baths, while colourful Zsolnay ceramics appear on several roofs and façades around the centre. Read more details »

The Old Village of Hollókő is in northern Hungary, in Nógrád County, and preserves the traditional houses of the Palóc community. Its historic centre contains more than 50 homes built along a street that divides into two branches around the church. The houses have white walls, steep roofs and wooden porches, while much of their present form comes from reconstruction after a major fire in 1909. Local families rebuilt their homes following older designs and using traditional materials and methods. A small Roman Catholic church with a wooden tower stands in the centre of the village and dates from the nineteenth century. Some houses now contain small museums and craft workshops, while others are still used as homes. The ruins of medieval Hollókő Castle rise on a hill above the settlement. The old village and its surrounding landscape joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. Read more details »

Diósgyőr Castle stands in Miskolc at the foot of the Bükk Mountains, on a rocky hill above the valley of the Szinva stream. The first stone castle was built here after the Mongol invasion of 1241–1242. During the fourteenth century, King Louis the Great rebuilt it as a Gothic royal residence with four large corner towers and a palace between them. The castle later became a country residence for several queens of Hungary, which gave it the name “Castle of the Queens”. In 1381, the Treaty of Turin, ending Louis the Great's wars with Venice, was ratified here. After the sixteenth century, the fortress slowly declined, and by the nineteenth century much of it stood in ruins. Archaeological excavations began in 1962, followed by restoration work and the reconstruction of several parts of the medieval castle. Read more details »

Vajdahunyad Castle is in Budapest's City Park, close to Heroes' Square. Although it looks like a medieval fortress, it was built at the end of the nineteenth century. Architect Ignác Alpár designed it for the 1896 Millennium Exhibition, using details inspired by historic buildings from different parts of the former Kingdom of Hungary. The Gothic section draws heavily from Corvin Castle in Hunedoara, which also gave Vajdahunyad its name. Other parts use Romanesque, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. The first version of the complex was built mainly from wood and temporary materials, but its success led to a permanent reconstruction in stone and brick between 1904 and 1908. Today, the castle houses the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture, while its courtyards and several parts of the building are open to visitors. Read more details »

Boldogkő Castle is in northeastern Hungary, near the village of Boldogkőváralja, on a rocky ridge in the Zemplén Mountains. The fortress was built in the thirteenth century after the Mongol invasion to protect the road towards Košice and the Hernád River valley. Its first written record dates from 1282. The castle later passed through the hands of several kings and noble families and was also occupied by the troops of Imre Thököly during the seventeenth century. In 1701, part of the fortifications and several buildings were blown up on the orders of Emperor Leopold I. Some surviving rooms were later used for grain storage, while the Péchy family carried out restoration work in the nineteenth century. Today, visitors can explore courtyards, towers, the palace, the prison, military exhibitions and a wooden walkway leading to a viewpoint on the narrow rocky ridge. Read more details »