Top 5 places to visit in Hungary

Hungary is a Central European country with a population of almost 10 million people, as estimated in 2021. It borders Ukraine, Slovakia, Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Austria, and Slovenia. The country’s capital city of Budapest is one of the major urban areas alongside Miskolc, Szeged, Debrecen, and Győr. Hungary is one of the oldest European countries with a rich history that spans over a thousand years. According to many different sources, the very first groups of native Hungarian people came to present-day Hungary back in 896. The state of Hungary was founded in 1000 by King Stephen.

The country is famous for thermal and medicinal water reserves and mineral spas. Hungary is visited by millions of tourists every year who come to see the Buda Castle, Caves of Aggtelek Karst, Budapest Avenue, Banks of the Danube, Necropolis of Pécs, Hortobágy National Park, Old Village of Hollókő, Tokaj Wine Region, and numerous other places. If you are planning to visit Hungary any time, there are several places you must see, including:

• Buda Castle
• Historic Spa Towns
• Esztergom Basilica
• Tihany Lake Balaton
• Hortobágy National Park

Buda Castle

No one should ever go to Hungary and miss visiting the magnificent Buda Castle located in the capital city of Budapest. Buda Castle is one of many UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This historical palace and castle complex was completed in 1265. Today, the spectacular baroque castle houses The Budapest History Museum and the Hungarian National Gallery. It is located in Castle Hill and this popular tourist area in Budapest is famous for numerous neoclassical, baroque, and medieval public buildings, churches, and houses.

During the 1686 Siege, the castle was damaged and parts of it were rebuilt back for the Habsburg Monarchy back in the eighteenth century. Today, the site consists of over two hundred rooms with the central dome overlooking the Danube. It should be noted that parts of the building have been fully reconstructed, including the South Tower built in the fifteenth century and the Buzogány Tower.

Historic Spa Towns

Those who are looking for an awesome vacation spot that includes being able to enjoy a unique cultural experience should most certainly pay a visit to Hungarian spa facilities and spa towns, and numerous such establishments are scattered all over the country. Hungary is famous for its thermal and medicinal water reserves and spas. The country has over one thousand springs, with Lake Hévíz being the most popular as its average water temperature is around twenty-five Celsius degrees.

Speaking of Lake Hévíz, this is the biggest thermal lake on the continent. The most popular historic spa towns in Hungary besides Lake Hévíz are Zalakaros that every year accommodates over 327,000 guests, and Bükfürdő that accommodates over 273,000 guests. In Budapest, tourists can visit a couple of spa towns including Rudas Baths, Király Baths, Rác Thermal Baths, and Gellért Baths. As they chill and enjoy their leisure time, they can pay a visit to numerous Hungarian online casinos and the best of those are listed at slots.info/best-casinos/hungary/.

Esztergom Basilica

When discussing must-see places in Hungary, we have to mention the spectacular Esztergom Basilica located in one of the most picturesque Hungarian towns, Esztergom that is around forty-six kilometers from the capital city, and the stunning building is most certainly worth this drive. The Catholic church was built back in 1507. Its massive dome is one hundred meters high so, the Esztergom Basilica is the tallest and the biggest religious building in the country.

The structure has a fourteen-meter-long Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary artwork alongside several Renaissance-period paintings. Visitors to the church can also see the largest organ in the country built a long time ago in 1856 with massive eleven-meter pipes. Hungarian and English language tours of the spectacular religious structure are available throughout the entire year.

Tihany, Lake Balaton

When in Hungary, visiting Lake Balaton is a must as well. Located in the Transdanubian region, Lake Balaton is not only one of the major tourist attractions in Hungary but also the biggest Central European Lake. Surrounding the lake are small historic towns, villages, and resorts that, needless to say, attract tourists from all over the world. Even though there are many different holiday resorts near the lake, Tihany remains the most popular one.

Photo: www.facebook.com/BalatonHungaryBlog/

Tihany is actually a small village located on Lake Balaton’s northern shore on the same-names peninsula and the entire region is recognized as a protected historic district. Tihany is an awesome place for everyone looking forward to hiking as there are numerous marked hiking trails. Visitors to Tihany should also pay a visit to the Benedictine Abbey built in the seventeenth century that overlooks the lake.

Hortobágy National Park

One of the must-see places in Hungary is most certainly the Hortobágy National Park. Situated in eastern Hungary, the Hortobágy National Park is part of the Hungarian Great Plain and it covers an area of 74,820 ha. This is the country’s largest World Heritage Site as well as the largest grassland on the continent. Nature lovers who come here have loads of different fun stuff do to.

Source: Pixabay

Visitors can meet with locals and soak up their unique rich culture and tradition, explore amazing wildlife, enjoy cycling and hiking, or hop on the greatest horse-riding journey. The area is home to the Herdsman Museum that, alongside Country House, is most certainly worth visiting. These are just five awesome places to visit, but the country has so much more to offer.