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Hungary – beautiful countryside, delicious food and wine, one of the world’s greatest cities, all at prices that won’t break the bank.
The capital Budapest is a delight – a beautiful, sophisticated and varied city which will amaze the first-time and repeat visitor. The main sites along the River Danube, which also offers delightful cruises, include (among many others) the majestic houses of Parliament and the imposing Chain Bridge, which has a stunning art nouveau building at one end, now a luxury hotel.
Hungary is blessed with hundreds of thermal springs and in Budapest they make full use of them in spas and bath houses, including the Ottoman-era Veli Bej and Rudas baths and the truly stunning Szechenyi Baths. The city also has many high quality and good-value bars and restaurants where you will find there’s so much more to Hungarian food than the iconic goulash.
Lake Baloton is a short train ride from the capital where you can cycle or hike through the forests that border on the Echo Trail, or Badacsony on the northern shore with its impressive basalt columns.
Head north to the city of Tokaj which is surrounded by a World Heritage Site due to its distinctive and historic wines and is a great base for visiting the many wineries in the area, where you can also drop off for some tasty ‘halaszle’ fish soup.
Find out more about the other places featured in our Destinations to Watch 2025.
