Hungary — far more than Budapest
Hungary consistently ranks among the top 20 most visited countries by Scandinavian travellers, and Budapest is the reason most people come. But this is a large, beautiful, landlocked Central European country with six neighbours, no coastline, and a great deal more to offer than its capital alone. Slovakia to the north, Austria to the west — with a long shared history — Slovenia and Croatia to the southwest, Romania to the east, and Ukraine to the northeast. Continental climate: cold winters, very warm summers.
Hungarians are proud of their country, their history, and their language — one of the very few in Europe that belongs to a completely different family from the surrounding nations, distantly related only to Finnish and Estonian. The national identity runs deep, shaped by centuries of defending territory on horseback, by Ottoman occupation, by Habsburg rule, and by a 20th century that tested the country’s resilience repeatedly.
A historic moment for Hungary
On 12 April 2026, Hungarians voted Viktor Orbán out of office after 16 years — with a margin that surprised even the most optimistic. Péter Magyar and the Tisza party won a two-thirds supermajority in parliament. On the banks of the Danube, people danced through the night.
Anyone who has ever travelled to a country in the moment it rediscovers itself knows what that feels like. There is a particular energy in the streets, a lightness in people’s eyes, a quiet pride that doesn’t need to announce itself. This is a very good time to visit Hungary.
Landscape and nature
Hungary’s landscape is more varied than most visitors expect. The Hortobágy National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage site — is one of Europe’s great open landscapes: a vast, almost treeless plain of rare birds, traditional Hungarian horsemanship, and extraordinary skies. It is unlike anywhere else on the continent.
To the west lies Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe. In summer it becomes a lively resort area with warm, shallow water and a string of lakeside towns each with their own character. The northern shore, with its volcanic hills and vineyards, is particularly beautiful.
Hungary also has low mountain ranges to the north, the broad valley of the Danube, rivers and wetlands rich in birdlife, and a general fertility that supports wine production, fruit growing, and the beekeeping traditions that make Hungarian acacia honey world-famous.
Hungary as a wine destination
Hungary is one of Europe’s oldest and most underrated wine countries. The Tokaj region in the northeast is celebrated for its extraordinary sweet Aszú wines — a style that has graced the tables of European royalty for centuries and recently earned UNESCO World Heritage status for the entire wine landscape. Villány in the south produces powerful reds, and Eger is home to the famous Egri Bikavér — Bull’s Blood — a robust blend with a history as colourful as its name. For the wine-minded traveller, Hungary is a destination in its own right.
Thermal baths and wellness
Beneath Hungary lies a network of natural hot springs that has shaped the country’s culture for more than two thousand years. The Romans bathed here. The Ottomans built bath houses that still stand. Today, the thermal bath is a living part of Hungarian daily life — not a tourist attraction but a genuine institution. Budapest alone has over a hundred thermal springs and several world-class historic bath complexes, but thermal culture extends across the entire country: from the natural thermal lake at Hévíz to spa towns in the Hungarian hills.
World-class sights
Hungary holds multiple UNESCO World Heritage sites and protected natural areas. The country is home to the largest synagogue in Europe, the third-largest church in Europe (the Esztergom Basilica), and Lake Hévíz — the world’s second-largest thermal lake, where you can swim in naturally heated mineral water year-round. The Hungarian Parliament in Budapest is one of the most beautiful parliament buildings in the world.
Beyond the capital — towns and villages
Hungary rewards exploration beyond Budapest. The Danube Bend north of the capital passes through medieval towns including Szentendre — an artists’ colony with cobbled streets and Serbian Orthodox churches — and Visegrád, where a 13th-century citadel overlooks the river. Pécs in the south has a remarkable cultural heritage with Ottoman monuments and a lively arts scene. Győr to the west is a beautifully preserved Baroque city that most visitors drive past on their way to Budapest, which is their loss.
Hungary facts
Capital: Budapest
Currency: Hungarian Forint (HUF)
Population: approx. 9.7 million
Prime Minister: Péter Magyar (from May 2026)
Language: Hungarian
EU member: Yes, since 2004
15th most visited country in the world
Travel to Hungary
Direct flights to Budapest operate from major Scandinavian airports year-round. Hungary is well suited to independent travel — Budapest is compact and walkable, and the rest of the country is easily explored by train or hire car. The road network is good, petrol is affordable, and driving through the Hungarian countryside is one of the quiet pleasures this country offers.
