Hungary has many beautiful attractions, both natural and cultural. Let’s look at the best of these!
Hungary is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and Slovenia to the southwest, and Austria to the west. The country is a popular tourist destination in Europe: it is home to one of the world’s largest thermal water reserves, one of the world’s largest thermal lakes, Central Europe’s largest lake, and Central Europe’s largest grassy plain.
Table of Contents
Best places in Hungary
Buda Castle District
Budapest has many attractions, but besides Heroes’ Square, the Castle is something you cannot miss!
It’s worth exploring not just Matthias Church and the Fisherman’s Bastion, but the entire quarter surrounded by castle walls. It’s true that one of the most beautiful views of Pest and the Parliament is from the Fisherman’s Bastion.
The Hungarian National Gallery, the Sándor Palace, the Budapest History Museum, and several other notable parts of the castle are also located here.
Aggtelek Cave
One of Hungary’s most famous natural formations is the Baradla Cave, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.
Its length, including the 5.3-kilometer Domica Cave in Slovakia that forms part of the same system, exceeds 25.5 kilometers. The rock tunnel, averaging 10 meters wide and 7-8 meters high, widens into a huge hall in some places.
The spectacular elements of the cave system are the stalactites with their diverse forms and colors. Rainwater seeps through the limestone cracks, and the dissolved limestone drips from the ceiling of the cave. This is how the stalactites begin to form.
Sopron
One of Hungary’s westernmost cities extends like a peninsula into the Austrian province of Burgenland.
It is also known as „The City of Loyalty” because of the 1921 referendum. The old town contains numerous monuments, making it the second richest settlement in Hungary in terms of historical monuments.
The most famous building in the old town is the Fire Tower, which once served as a gate tower and now functions as a lookout point. The Gate of Loyalty on one of the tower’s gates also symbolizes gratitude for the referendum.
Lake Balaton
Central Europe’s largest lake is one of the most visited places in the region.
The northern and southern shores of this elongated lake show great differences. The northern shore is dotted with volcanic cones, with vineyards on the slopes. The southern shore, in contrast, is flat, and with its calmer water, it’s a favorite area for families with small children.
Badacsony and the Surrounding Witness Hills
To be honest, this made the list because it’s my personal favorite. The sight and atmosphere of the basalt hills rising on the northern shore impressed me even as a child!
The most imposing hill is Badacsony, which at 434 meters is the highest witness hill in the Tapolca Basin. Nearby, almost within walking distance, we find the other witness hills: Szent György Hill, Csobánc, Gulács, and Tóti Hill.
Don’t forget to taste the excellent wines either! The area is famous for its white wines, which are available at numerous cellars, especially at the foot of Badacsony.
Esztergom Basilica
Formally named the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption and Saint Adalbert, it is Hungary’s largest ecclesiastical building and one of the largest basilicas in Europe. Its external height from the crypt to the top of the dome’s cross is 100 meters.
King Saint Stephen built the first cathedral, which was destroyed and rebuilt three times before taking its current form in the 19th century. Work began in 1822 based on József Hild’s plans and was completed in 1869 with the placement of the keystone.
Among its interior spaces, the Bakócz Chapel stands out as the most significant and beautiful of the few surviving Renaissance works in Hungary.
A lookout operates in the dome, an unmissable part of the excursion, offering a magnificent view of the Danube and the Pilis Mountains.
Szentendre
If you’re in Budapest and want to visit a charming small town nearby, Szentendre is the perfect location!
The city’s outstanding culture makes it popular in Hungary, thanks to the Szentendre artists’ colony founded in 1929. This is evidenced by numerous museums and galleries.
The open-air museum in the city, the Skanzen Open-Air Ethnographic Museum, showcases the folk architecture, farming, and lifestyle of the 18th-20th centuries through objects, buildings, and animals.
I think many people don’t know, but there’s also a transport museum here. The Urban Public Transport Museum displays one specimen of each type of vehicle previously withdrawn from service.
Hévíz Thermal Lake
Lake Hévíz is Europe’s largest medicinal thermal water lake, which is why the town has become world-famous.
Its water is calcium and magnesium-rich hydrogen carbonate medicinal water. Thanks to its rich mineral content, it is effective in treating numerous diseases.
If possible, visit in winter, because the so-called steam cap above the water is not only a wonderful sight but also acts as a natural inhaler. Even in winter, the lake bath is 24-26 degrees Celsius.
Pécs
The center of Southern Transdanubia is popular not only for its proximity to the Mecsek Mountains but also because it houses most of Hungary’s Turkish architectural works!
Obviously, everyone has heard of the djami, but besides this, there is a türbe (Turkish tomb) and another djami with a minaret. The architecture of Pécs is largely defined by traces of the Turkish conquest.
But there are many other attractions in the county seat of Baranya, where one cannot get bored during a few days’ trip!
Tihany
One of Hungary’s most beautifully situated settlements, a village rich in spectacular landscape and natural features on the Tihany Peninsula that extends into Lake Balaton.
Its most famous building is the Tihany Benedictine Abbey, founded by King Andrew I in 1055. The monastery’s founding charter is the oldest Hungarian language relic preserved in its original form (although it is kept in Pannonhalma).
There is one of the most beautiful views of Lake Balaton from next to the abbey church. And those who want to enjoy this with a coffee or pastry can do so at the Rege Confectionery.
Szigetköz
Szigetköz is a small region of the Győr Basin bordered by the Danube (Old Danube, Great Danube) and the Mosoni Danube, which is a perfect location for active recreation enthusiasts. Szigetköz is home to numerous especially rare plant and animal species that do not occur elsewhere in Hungary.
Water tours are popular on the many dead and side branches branching off from the Danube, and cyclists can find many routes in the area. The Eurovelo 6 cycle route runs between Mosonmagyaróvár and Győr.
Don’t miss Mosonmagyaróvár either! Many people don’t know, but the thermal bath here has one of the most effective medicinal waters in Europe.
Hollókő
This village in Nógrád County is Hungary’s only village on the UNESCO World Heritage List. I think everyone has seen pictures of the distinctive white Palóc farmhouses with porches.
The village, formed in the 17th-18th centuries, is an unparalleled example of folk architecture and pre-20th century rural life that has been preserved in its original state. Most of the 67 protected houses are still inhabited, so we can literally walk through a living monument area.
The Hollókő folk costume is still considered alive today, but girls and women only wear it for Sunday masses and special celebrations.
The Hollókő Castle stands on the edge of a protruding rock crevice on the western part of the village. Due to its natural conditions, the castle on the approximately 400-meter-high rock looks like a snail shell from the air, with its center being the pentagonal old tower. From the castle walls, there’s a beautiful view of the village and the Cserhát Mountains.
Visegrád
When visiting Esztergom, definitely hop over to nearby Visegrád! Just traveling in the Danube Bend is a great experience.
Its most famous building is the castle, which is of outstanding importance: it was one of the most important residences of Hungarian kings in the Middle Ages. It consists of two parts: the lower castle and the citadel.
Several exhibitions can be viewed in the citadel: an exhibition on the history of the castle, the fortress system reconstructed on a model, a replica of the Holy Crown and the history of its storage here, a wax museum, and a hunting-fishing-farming exhibition.
Őrség
This region on the western border, at the boundary of Zala and Vas counties, is one of the most „hidden” regions. Similar to Hollókő, its ethnographic history is outstanding.
The characteristic of this forested, hilly landscape is the „szer” settlement network. This means that houses built close to each other formed a small community. A village consists of several „szer”s; the center of Őrség, Őriszentpéter, has nine „szer”s.
The values of Őrség are presented in the Pityerszer open-air museum in Szalafő. Here we can see the Őrség lifestyle and cultural heritage in three locally preserved homesteads.
The quiet, forested, hilly landscape is perfect for active recreation. Together with the Slovenian side’s Vendvidék, we can do excellent cycling tours.
Zemplén Castles
The castles in the Zemplén Mountains are among Hungary’s most beautiful places!
The most beautiful among them is Boldogkő Castle. The medieval castle stands on an andesite tuff rock cliff rising near Boldogkőváralja along the Hernád River, on the western side of the Zemplén Mountains.
Due to the beauty of the landscape and the relatively good condition of the castle, it is a popular hiking destination and one of the stations of the National Blue Trail. Its iconic symbol is the observation bastion under the southern tower, which we reach via a wooden section, offering a fantastic view.
In the vastness of Zemplén, we find Füzér Castle, which after renovation has become one of Hungary’s best-preserved medieval castles.
Also notable are the Rákóczi Castle in Sárospatak and Regéc Castle. Ferenc Rákóczi II spent part of his childhood in the latter.
Gemenc Forest
This forested floodplain along the Danube contains perhaps Hungary’s richest wildlife.
It came under nature protection in 1977. About 180 square kilometers of its area is regularly flooded, making it unique not only in Hungary but throughout Europe.
It is the country’s largest, predominantly forested floodplain, 30 kilometers long and about 7 kilometers wide. Among the protected animal species occurring here, the white-tailed eagle, the saker falcon, the lesser spotted eagle, the black stork are definitely worth mentioning, but the red deer is the most significant.
Fortunately, we can take a closer look at this wonderful landscape on a forest narrow-gauge railway. It is Hungary’s only floodplain forestry narrow-gauge railway, winding 30 km from the outskirts of Szekszárd all the way to Pörböly.
Esterházy Palace in Fertőd
When in the Sopron area, the nearby Fertőd Palace is a must-see attraction. Due to the art patronage of the Esterházy princes who lived here, the palace was one of the main cultural centers of late 18th century Hungary.
The impressive palace is a worthy counterpart to Vienna’s Schönbrunn and Paris’s Versailles. It is also called the „Hungarian Versailles”. It is one of the country’s most beautiful palaces.
Not only its interior spaces but also the park is wonderful. The original French garden was transformed into an English park in the 18th century.
