Those growing up during the Cold War may have a hard time releasing mental pictures of former communist Hungary — dark dreary streets where people address one another as “Comrade” and long lines for the bare necessities.
But in modern Hungary, government reforms and massive foreign investments have helped. Hungary established a strong post-communist economy with low unemployment and inflation.
Economic growth continues at an impressive pace of 5 percent annually, out-performing most of Hungary’s neighboring countries.
Frommer’s Guides says Hungary is “one of Europe’s hottest destinations.” National Geographic agrees saying Budapest has more first-class hotels than any other east European capital.
According to the U.S. Department of State, Hungary is a welcoming place for American tourists, with a low crime rate and good accommodations. And tourists can drink the water, travel professionals say.
The landlocked nation is bordered by several other Eastern European nations, including Romania, Slovakia and Austria. The country is a two-hour drive from the romantic Vienna, Austria, and it is 50 miles from war-torn Bosnia.
The Hungarian language, also called Magyar, is strange-sounding, looking and is unrelated to the languages of any neighboring countries. Fortunately, many Hungarians speak some English.
By air, it takes about 15 hours to get from Alabama to the country, which sits on the far edge of Eastern Europe.
Just smaller than the state of Indiana, Hungary has the famous Danube and the Tisza rivers and one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe, Lake Balaton.
Although the country abounds with beautiful natural scenery and picturesque buildings, the two major tourist areas in Hungary are its capital, Budapest, and the Lake Balaton area.
In 1873 three cities —Buda, Obuda (Old Buda), and Pest came together to form Budapest. Buda, on the western side of the Danube, is hilly and wooded, while Pest, to the east, is flatter and marked by wide streets and business and shopping areas.
Today, one in five Hungarians live in the city of Budapest, which is the geographical and cultural center of the nation.
The Danube River cuts a path through the middle of the city, averaging more than 1,300 feet wide as it flows past picturesque bridges and islands.
On the western side are the steep hills of Buda, and on the east, the wide boulevards of Pest.
Dependable public transportation abounds all across Hungary, and walking tours are also recommended for the downtown areas.
The city is full of engaging sites on both sides of the Danube. Castles also can be found in Budapest and in other parts of Hungary.
Most of the castles that survived the world wars date back to the 13th century.
All around the city is history that goes as far back as the Roman days. Museums chronicling Hungary’s rich history and cultural heritage are sprinkled around the city.
Hungary is especially known for its famous composers, including Franz Liszt and Bela Bartok.
Anyone who watched the huge statue of Saddam Hussein tumble in Baghdad this summer won’t forget the scene. In fact, the same scene with some variations has been enacted over the years throughout Hungary and other nations whenever dictatorships and hated regimes such as communism are toppled.
Although Hungary quickly renamed streets and buildings after communism was ousted in 1989, the leaders spent some time planning what to do with the statues that had menaced the people of Hungary for so long.
Reminders of the past
More than 40 statues were finally moved to the open-air Statue Museum Park on the outskirts of the city, accessible by tourists but out of sight of residents who did not want daily reminders of their chilling recent past. Interestingly, only Stalin is missing. His statue was destroyed during the 1956 revolt of the Hungarian people.
Perhaps Hungary’s greatest attraction for tourists is the 1,000 thermal springs that simmer beneath the surface of the ground. Because most of Hungary is in the low Carpathian Basin, the earth’s crust is thin and warm waters are directly under the surface.
Budapest has been described as the spa capital of Europe because of the thermal baths that abound there. At the famous Gellert Spa, visitors can spend time in swimming pools, thermal and Turkish baths and even a wave pool. Spa facilities are available at reasonable prices.
Spas and thermal baths abound in the Lake Balaton region also.
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