Hungary

 

The land of the Magyars is considered to be one of the oldest cultural regions in Europe and whose history dates back to primeval times. Hungary is a gateway between East and West, with a remarkable past and is a diverse country of nature and culture.

In 1991 the Fertö Hansag National Park was founded on the Hungarian side of Lake Neusiedl, a protected natural area in which grey Hungarian cattle populate the soda veldts of small salt ponds and where water buffalo enjoy to wallow, while a variety of water fowl stop on their annual migration.

Köszeg is one of Europe’s most beautiful castle cities, with typical courtyards and the little main square has a Marian column and Captain's Gate Tower. The square is dominated by the tall facade of the Saint Emmerich Church that was built above an ossuary by the Hungarian Calvinists in around 1615. A beautiful Baroque building contains yet another treasure, the Jesuit Apoteka, in which remedies were prepared according to ancient formulae.

Budapest is the capital of Hungary, pearl of the Danube and ever-changing cosmopolitan city. In the south of Pest, historic buildings are located within the Gozsdu Courtyard and close by, in the Jewish quarter, the Great Synagogue, the second largest Jewish sacred building in the world. One of the main landmarks of Hungary’s capital city is the Parlament, an imposing Neo-Gothic building located alongside the Danube on the banks of Pest.

At the confluence of the Tisza and Bodrog, within the northern tongue of Puszta, is the world famous wine growing region of Tokaj where the tradition of wine growing goes back several centuries and brought the area much prosperity.

The southern Hungarian town of Kalocsa is located near the Danube and is a centre of paprika growing and folk culture that is well worth a visit.

Hungary is a land of many faces, a glorious gem set in the heart of Europe.