Visit Hungary: Budapest, thermal baths and itineraries

Split in two by the Danube, Budapest sets the tone for a country where people bathe in hot springs in midwinter, where Lake Balaton acts as an inland sea in summer and where the cellars of Eger and Tokaj have kept renowned wines for centuries.

Why visit Hungary?

Hungary brings together a UNESCO-listed capital on the banks of the Danube, a bathing culture unique in Europe, with baths used since Ottoman times, and Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe. The country is easy to explore by train from Budapest, about 2 h 15 by plane from Paris.

What to discover in Hungary?

Budapest, between Buda and Pest

The capital combines two very different cities: Buda, on the right bank, with Castle Hill, its lanes and viewpoints, and Pest, flat and lively, home to Parliament, Andrássy Avenue and the Jewish quarter of the 7th district, known for its bars set up in run-down buildings. Three to four days let you see everything without rushing, baths included. Spring and September are the best times: July and August often exceed 30 °C. Vienna, in Austria, is about 2 h 40 away by direct train.

The bathing culture

Hungary's subsoil is full of hot water, and Budapest alone has dozens of springs. The Széchenyi Baths, in City Park, offer large outdoor pools open all year, enjoyable even in the snow; the Rudas Baths keep a 16th-century Ottoman dome. Allow half a day, flip-flops and a swimming cap, mandatory in lap pools. Outside the capital, the thermal lake of Hévíz, about 2 h 30 by road, lets you swim outdoors in every season in naturally warm water.

Lake Balaton

About 77 kilometres long and shallow, Balaton warms up quickly and draws families from late June to late August. The south shore, around Siófok, lines up gently sloping sandy beaches and nightlife; the hillier north shore holds the Tihany peninsula and the volcanic hills of Badacsony covered in vines. The lake is about 1 h 30 by road from Budapest on the M7 motorway. Allow three to four days and book early for July, when Hungarians themselves spend their holidays there.

The Danube Bend

North of Budapest, the Danube draws a spectacular bend between wooded hills. Szentendre, an artists' town with Serbian Orthodox churches, is about 40 minutes away on the HÉV suburban train. Visegrád keeps the ruins of a royal palace and a citadel with the finest view over the river. Esztergom, seat of the Primate of Hungary, faces Slovakia, reached on foot over the Mária Valéria Bridge. One day by car covers all three; from May to September, boats link Budapest with Szentendre and Visegrád.

The vineyards of Eger and Tokaj

About 2 hours from Budapest, Eger celebrates its fortress, defended against the Ottomans in 1552, and the Valley of the Beautiful Women, where dozens of cellars dug into the tuff serve Bikavér, the local red blend. A night on site is recommended so you can taste without driving. Further east, about 3 hours from the capital, the Tokaj wine region, a UNESCO cultural landscape, produces aszú, a sweet wine made from botrytised grapes. September and October, the harvest season, are the liveliest months.

Pécs and the south

A university town with a mild climate, Pécs holds a UNESCO-listed early Christian necropolis and a former Ottoman mosque turned church at the heart of Széchenyi Square. The Zsolnay cultural quarter, set in the old ceramics factory, takes half a day. Allow about 2 h 30 to 3 hours by road from Budapest and two days on site. The town is only about an hour from the Croatian border. Further east, Szeged, capital of paprika and Art Nouveau, lies close to the Serbian and Romanian borders.

Cities to visit in Hungary

Featured destinations appear first.
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Hungary's must-sees

Danube landmarks, historic baths and Great Plain landscapes: the sites that shape a first trip.

Hungarian Parliament

A huge neo-Gothic building on the Danube that houses the Holy Crown of Hungary; guided tours by reservation, and evening light for the reflections.

Fisherman's Bastion

Neo-Romanesque terraces on Buda's Castle Hill, beside Matthias Church, offering the most famous view of Parliament and the river.

Széchenyi Baths

A neo-Baroque thermal palace in City Park, with steaming outdoor pools open all year where locals play chess in the hot water.

Dohány Street Synagogue

The largest synagogue in Europe, in Moorish style, with a Jewish museum and a memorial garden in Budapest's 7th district.

Great Market Hall

A 19th-century covered market with a Zsolnay ceramic roof, ideal for buying paprika and salami and tasting lángos upstairs.

Lake Hévíz

Europe's largest biologically active thermal lake, covered in water lilies in summer, where you can swim outdoors even in winter.

Tihany Abbey

A Baroque church perched on a Balaton peninsula, with views over both shores and a village of thatched-roof houses.

Esztergom Basilica

Hungary's largest church, whose dome towers over the Danube and the Slovak border; climb to the dome for an exceptional panorama.

Hortobágy National Park

UNESCO-listed puszta steppe with grey cattle, Great Plain horses and its famous Nine-Arch Bridge.

Frequently asked questions about Hungary

Széchenyi or Rudas: which Budapest baths should I choose?
Széchenyi suits a first visit, with its large outdoor pools and palace setting, but it is very busy in the afternoon. Rudas, more intimate, wins people over with its Ottoman bath and rooftop panoramic pool. To avoid crowds, come at opening time or in the evening.
How many days in Budapest before heading to Balaton?
Three full days in Budapest let you see both banks, a thermal bath and an evening in the Jewish quarter. Then add three days at Balaton in summer. The trip takes under two hours on the motorway or by direct train to Siófok.
Which shore of Lake Balaton is best for families?
The south shore is best for young children: the water stays shallow for dozens of metres and the beaches are well equipped. The rockier north shore appeals more to hikers and wine lovers, with Tihany and Badacsony.
Can I combine Vienna and Budapest in one trip?
Yes, it is one of the most convenient pairings in Central Europe: direct trains link the two capitals in about 2 h 40. A week lets you spend three days in each city, with an optional stop in Győr or a day on the Danube Bend.
Is service included in Budapest restaurant bills?
Often, yes: many restaurants in the capital add a service charge, shown on the menu and on the bill. In that case no extra tip is expected. Without that line, leave around 10%, preferably by telling the waiter rather than leaving it on the table.
What should I eat in Hungary besides goulash?
Lángos, fried dough topped with sour cream and cheese, pörkölt, a paprika stew, Szeged fish soup, kürtőskalács, a chimney cake baked on a spit, and to finish a glass of Tokaji aszú or pálinka, a fruit brandy.
How do I get to Szentendre from Budapest?
The HÉV suburban train leaves from Batthyány Square and reaches Szentendre in about 40 minutes, with a supplement to the city ticket beyond the city limits. From May to September you can also sail up the Danube by boat, slower but more scenic.
What are Budapest's ruin bars?
They are bars set up in abandoned buildings of the 7th district, decorated with salvaged objects. Szimpla Kert, the best known, can also be visited by day and hosts a farmers' market on Sunday mornings. The area is very lively at night, especially at weekends.

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