Luxury Central and Eastern Europe

Hungary (Magyarország) is the perfect start for an eastern European discovery. Travellers will find all the wonders of Western Europe at a much lower cost than most countries. Its capital, Budapest, is a bustling city with a beautiful landscape and many historical treasures.

Member of the European Union since 1 May 2004, Hungary offers many diverse destinations: relatively low mountains in the north-west, the Great Plain in the east, lakes and rivers of all sorts, and many beautiful small villages and hidden gems of cities. Top this off with Hungary's great accessibility in the middle of Europe, a vibrant culture and economy, and you get a destination absolutely not worth missing if you're in the region.

WEB SITE: http://www.hungarytourism.hu

CAPITAL: Budapest

MAJOR CITIES: Budapest

POPULATION: 10.2 million

RELIGION: Catholic, Calvinist and Jewish minorities

LANGUAGES: Hungarian

CURRENCY: Forint (Ft)

ELECTRICITY: 220V, 50Hz

CLIMATE:

There are very warm summers and cold winters. Rainfall is distributed throughout the year with some snow likely in winter.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE:

January: -3 o to 1.5o C (26 o to 35oF)

July: 16 o to 28o C (61o to 82oF)

TIME ZONE: GMT plus 1 hour (2 hours in the summer)

WHAT TO WEAR: Bring lightweight clothing with warmer layers for the cool evenings during summer. Pack warm clothes and a heavy coat in winter.

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS & EVENTS: Revolution Day (March 15); Labor Day (May 1 ); Budapest Spring Festival (March/April); National Day (August 20); Eger's Wine Harvest Festival (September); Republic Day (October23); Boxing Day (December 26).

OTHER FACTS: Budapest is actually a city made of two parts - Buda and Pest. Lake Balaton is the largest freshwater lake outside Scandinavia. You can taste Eger's potent Bull's Blood wine at cellars in Szepasszonyvolgy (Valley of the Beautiful Women).

OTHER THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND: No major health risks are present.

ATM & BANK INFO: Only change money at official locations. Traveller's cheques in U.S. dollars work best. Banking hours are 9:00am-5:00pm Monday through Friday, Saturday 9:00am-11:00am.

LOCAL TIPPING: Hotel and restaurant bills are all-inclusive, but 10% extra in restaurants is customary. Porters get 30Ft per piece of luggage; taxi drivers get 10%; hairstylists get 15%.

HIGHLIGHTS: You will witness the awe-inspiring scenery along the legendary Danube River as you follow it to Budapest. You'll also be able to take in Hungary's many unique attractions, such as the Puszta Horse Farm, Matthias Coronation Church and the Citadel. For the racing enthusiasts, F1 Grand Prix is held in August at Mogyoród.


PLEASE NOTE: While all care has been taken to provide accurate information, we suggest you contact applicable tourist boards and destination offices for clarification and further information.