Experience Hungary by car and you’ll find its landscape soothing – this isn’t a place of drama and jagged mountains.
No, the Hungarians save the drama for their cities, where you can barely turn your head without seeing another art nouveau masterpiece or something that seems from another era entirely.
A tale of two cities
Split into two – literally ‘Buda’ and ‘Pest – Budapest is a city whose history is not hard to discern. The old town, the Jewish quarter and the palaces all tell a story of Hungary’s past. And other places speak to Hungary’s present – not least their continued predilection for unwinding in thermal baths.
Join the locals at the Szechenyi, a Baroque building with indoor and outdoor pools, in addition to numerous steam rooms and saunas. Or you could try the Gellert, open since 1918 and with a lavishly ornate interior for soaking in style.
Tick off the big tourist attractions with a visit to St. Stephen’s Basilica and the Great Synagogue. The interior of the former is dark and brooding but stunning, while the latter contains some unique Jewish artefacts spanning the ages.
Finish your trip to Budapest with something completely different – the House of Terror. This building once housed the Secret Police and tells the story of repression during the Fascist and Communist eras.
Pecs and the city
Pecs may be only the fifth-largest city in Hungary, but it’s possibly the most visited after Budapest. It’s laidback, with great cafes and restaurants, and its wide-open spaces and Roman ruins can make it feel more like the Mediterranean than Eastern Europe.
The 12th century cathedral stands proud in its center – converted to a mosque by the Turks in the 16th century, it was later reclaimed by Christians.
There’s a similar tale at the Mosque of Pasha Qasim, although that was built by the Turks in the 16th century before Christians took it back in the 19th century. It retains many Islamic and Ottoman elements.
The whole of Hungary
There’s much to explore in this charming country. The vineyards of Eger are a superb place to drive, while the town boasts Ottoman minarets and a 13th century castle.
The shores of Lake Balaton are speckled with places to stay and relax, with shaded woods nearby. Head to Szeged to see the palaces and – unsurprisingly – even more thermal baths – or the second city of Debrecen.
The huge Great Church here is a gold (or yellow, depending on your viewpoint) hulk of a building, and there’s a wonderful view from the top. This city is the perfect place to try traditional Hungarian cuisine, such as goulash, halaszle and other dishes imbued with a reddish hue from the liberal use of paprika. Ikon is the city’s best restaurant, with traditional dishes brought up to date.
The Menu 30km – with hearty but refined dishes like pike perch cheek with courgette and dill, or goose breast with sour cherry jus – only contains food sourced within that radius.
Lakes, baths, churches, museums, parks and rib-sticking food – this is a relaxing and fascinating country to visit. Take advantage of car rental in Hungary and see all that it has to offer.