Do not worry if you cannot answer all the questions; it means you will have to spend your next holiday in Hungary to discover its "Pearl of Danube". Do not be too happy if you can answer all the questions, it also means you will have to spend more time in Hungary to broaden your outlook even more and to try other types of wine besides Tokaji wine (King of Wine). Anyway, Hungarians (or Magyars, as they call themselves) welcome you with open arms.
A travel to Hungary starts with its capital, Budapest. The city is often referred to as the Paris of the east or the Queen of the Danube. Those, who have been to Prague, say it resembles it; however, it is larger and friendlier. In fact, Budapest is composed of two cities: the small Buda on the west side of the river looking over the much larger Pest on the opposite side. The two parts developed separately: the bourgeois Buda with its palaces and spas and the more commercial Pest. At first, the hills of Buda were the safe core of the twin cities, but as Buda and Pest were united with Obuda (Ancient Buda), the plains of Pest became the centre of the growing metropolis. Budapest has Europe's largest Parliament, the largest functioning synagogue and the continent's first underground railway. Over the years Budapest has become a very lively city, which caters for all tastes. Your only problem will be a choice, as there are two hundred and thirty seven monuments, two hundred and twenty three museums and galleries, thirty five theatres, over ninety cinemas, two opera houses, twelve concert halls and nearly two hundred places of amusement in Budapest.
The travel to Hungary can turn into a travel through time without any time machine. All you need to do is to drive north of Budapest to be at the 17th century-like town of Szentendre with its red-tiled roofs, narrow, narrow alleyways, brightly painted houses and Orthodox churches built by the Serbians.
You will feel the atmosphere of the 13th century if you travel to Visegrad, which has one of the Central Europe's largest and best preserved Romanesque castle keeps. It was the home of Hungary's kings in the 14th and 15th century.
The country's first capital Esztergom still retains the air of the 11th century when it was built. Esztergom was - and still is - the nation's ecclesiastical center. Dominating Castle Hill is Basilica, the Hungary's largest church with one of the world's largest altar paintings.
The travel to Hungary is nothing without visiting Lake Balaton, or the "Hungarian Sea", as it is often referred to. It is the largest lake in Central Europe. The southern shores are ideal for small children because of the shallow water. The summer water temperature of around 80 °F is warmer than the air in the morning and in the evening. You can stay at one of the innumerable lakeside resorts around Lake Balaton either on the northern or southern shore. Balatonalmadi has the longest beach on the northern shore. On the 4-mile path, called "Red Sandstone", signposts indicate the interesting sights of the Balaton Highlands National Park. The symbol of Vorosbereny is its 13th-century medieval fortress church. Balatonfured was important for the social life in the 18th century and is still the center of festivities. The annual Anna Ball, with the coronation of the Queen of the Ball, has been organized in the town theatre for one hundred and seventy years, on last Saturday of July. The water in Balatonfured is good for diabetes and digestive malfunctions. In Badacsony you can visit the strange basalt formations and taste the excellent wine of the Pauline monks, called 'Grey Monk'.
The southern shore runs from Balatonaliga through Balatonszentgyorgy for about 43 miles in a form of an uninterrupted beach line. The resorts on this shore are particularly good for families with small children. The largest town of the southern shore is Siofok, where Imre Kalman, a composer of the internationally renowned operettas, was born. Those, who want to get the best view of Lake Balaton, should settle down in Fonyod, where the longest pier on Lake Balaton is.
The travel to Hungary should not be limited to visiting Lake Balaton and Budapest only. Lake Tisza is smaller than Lake Balaton but not less beautiful. Lake Tisza is the only lake in Europe, where you can speed around by powerboat and jet-ski. The shallow waters of the lake are situated on what was a flood-plain and on the flooded territory of the River Tisza. In between water dams there are sixteen islands and ten water channels. The shallow water areas, which warm up easily, are suitable for bathing. The deeper parts are for water sports, such as sailing, water skiing and surfing.
To the south of Lake Balaton there is the ancient Roman province of Pecs, the UNESCO has declared the early Christian cemetery to be a World Heritage site. The pleasant climate and clean fresh air encourage people to go hiking, horse-riding and enjoy the region's rich natural beauty and historic memorials.
Tokaj is a small town in the north-eastern Hungary, world famous for its white wines. It is worth knowing that Tokaj is one of the hundred and thirty seven settlements in the world considered to be an international city of the Grape and Wine. Eger is one of the most beautiful baroque towns in Hungary. Eger is the town of glorious history (here, in 1552, The Hungarian army resisted the Turkish army). Eger is the town of thermal baths and students, and it is also know as the town of wine.
Hungary has much to offer, it is all there for you to discover.