Hungary is just the place to kick off a European adventure. Lying virtually in the centre of the continent, this land of Franz Liszt and Béla Bartók, paprika-lashed dishes, superb wines and the romantic Danube River continues to enchant visitors. The allure of Budapest, once an imperial city, is immediate at first sight, and it also boasts the hottest nightlife in the region. Other cities, too, like Pécs, the warm heart of the south, and Eger, the wine capital of the north, have much to offer travellers, as does the sprawling countryside, particularly the Great Plain, where cowboys ride and cattle roam. And where else can you laze about in an open-air thermal spa while snow patches glisten around you? That’s at Hévíz at the western edge of Lake Balaton, continental Europe’s largest lake and Hungary’s 'inland sea’, which offers innumerable opportunities for rest and recreation. In Hungary you'll find all the excitement and fun of Western Europe – at half the cost.
Area 93,030 sq km
Capital Budapest
Country Code 36
Currency Forint (Ft)
Emergency ambulance 104, emergency assistance 112, fire 105, police 107
Language Hungarian
Money ATMs abound
Population 9.96 million
Visas None for EU, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
When to Go
AMay Spring is in full swing, meaning reliable weather, cool temperatures and flowers.
AJul–Aug Sunny but often very hot; decamp to the hills or Lake Balaton (book ahead).
ASep–Oct Blue skies, mild temperatures and grape-harvest festivals – perhaps the best time to visit.
ESSENTIAL FOOD & DRINK
Hungary enjoys perhaps the most varied and interesting cuisine in Eastern Europe. Inexpensive by Western European standards and served in huge portions, traditional Hungarian food is heavy and rich. Meat, sour cream and fat abound and the omnipresent seasoning is with paprika, which appears on restaurant tables as a condiment beside the salt and pepper. Things are lightening up though, with vegetarian, `New Hungarian' and ethnic cuisines increasingly available.
Galuska Small dumplings not unlike gnocchi that make a good accompaniment to pörkölt.
Gulyás (goulash) Hungary's signature dish, though here it's more like a soup than a stew and made with beef, onions and tomatoes.
Halászlé Highly recommended fish soup made from poached freshwater fish, tomatoes, green peppers and paprika.
Lángos Street food; fried dough topped with cheese and/or tejföl (sour cream).
Palacsinta Thin crêpes that come either sós (savoury) and eaten as a main course or édes (sweet) filled with jam, sweet cheese or chocolate sauce for dessert.
Pálinka A strong brandy distilled from all kinds of fruit but especially plums and apricots.
Paprika The omnipresent seasoning in Hungarian cooking, which comes in two varieties strong (erős) and sweet (édes).
Pörkölt Paprika-infused stew; closer to what we would call goulash.
Savanyúság Literally 'sourness'; anything from mildly sour-sweet cucumbers to almost acidic sauerkraut, eaten with a main course.
Wine Two Hungarian wines are known internationally: the sweet dessert wine Tokaji Aszú and Egri Bikavér (Eger Bull’s Blood), a full-bodied red.
0 comments:
Post a Comment