Hungary is opening up as a holiday destination. Home to Central Europe’s largest lake, Lake Balaton, providing a natural paradise for young families and full of Hungarian folk art, beautiful churches, 2000 year old Roman ruins and 400 year old Turkish monuments, Hungary is attracting more and more holidaymakers.

A visit to Hungary would not be he same without a visit to Budapest. Towering a couple hundred feet above the Danube River, the Castle District in Budapest is a special place.

Also no holiday to Budapest wouldn’t be complete without a walk along the infamous River Danube which splits the city in half. One bank is joined to the other by the Chain Bridge. Amust is a trip along the embankments of the river, as well as stopping at the Opera House, Saint Stephen’s Basilica and the Dohány utca Synagogue which includes a metallic weeping willow tree in memory of those who died in the Holocaust.

Margaret Island should also be on the list – there are family bikes for rent, an outdoor swimming complex and theatre, and of course a thermal spa of which there are an abundance in Budapest. The Ecseri Flea Market and the antiques shops of the Falk Miksa utca offer good shopping opportunities. The areas of interest to visitors are relatively small and compact, and are well served by metro, trams, trolley buses and buses. The metro has three lines, colour coded and numbered: M1 = yellow, M2 = red, M3 = blue. All meet at the central junction on Deák Ferenc tér. The blue line runs across Pest, the red one crosses the Danube to south Buda, and the yellow follows the radial Andrássy út through the centre of Pest.

Budapest is home to some 90 museums including the Budapest History Museum (many museums close in mid-December).The Kiraly Bath boasts a spectacular 16th-century skylit dome and the 700-year-old Royal Palace is a mix of architectural styles. Climb to the top of Gellert Hill for stunning views and admire the Fishermen’s Bastion overlooking the city.

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