Hungary Travel Guide

City Park is a vast, pleasant urban oasis in Budapest gathering many sights—a large park with Heroes' Square, a castle and thermal baths, blending green space with rich attractions; a great leisure spot. City Park (Varosliget, "city woods") on the Pest side is a large, historic public park, green and pleasant, and among Budapest's most attraction-dense areas. Its gateway is the grand Heroes' Square—at its center the towering Millennium Monument (marking 1,000 years of Hungary), with colonnades bearing statues of the Magyar tribal chiefs and Hungarian heroes—solemn and grand. Through the square is the green City Park. Inside: green space, lakes (skating in winter, boating in summer), tree-lined paths, plus many sights—the grand Szechenyi Thermal Bath; and most uniquely, the fairytale Vajdahunyad Castle (built for a fair, blending styles of Hungarian periods, reflected romantically in the lake); also a zoo and museums. Strolling this open park, seeing Heroes' Square, the fairytale castle and green space—pleasant and rich.

Fisherman's Bastion is a fairytale-like viewing terrace in Budapest overlooking the whole city—a white-towered, arcaded terrace like a fairytale castle, a great spot for the Danube and Pest panorama and one of Budapest's most photogenic landmarks. It stands atop Castle Hill on the Buda side by Matthias Church. Built in the early 20th century in white stone, Neo-Romanesque style, uniquely dreamy: a white arcade and seven peaked towers (said to symbolize the seven Magyar tribes), like a white fairytale castle. Its best appeal is the location and view—high on the hill facing the Danube and Pest; from the terrace you see Budapest's grandest panorama: the Danube below, Chain Bridge, and the majestic Parliament and Pest. Especially at dusk and night.

The University of Debrecen is a historic, famous university with a grand, gorgeous main building—known for its majestic main building, one of Hungary's oldest universities, its beautiful architecture and environment admirable. The University of Debrecen is a historic, renowned institution—roots tracing back centuries (tied to Debrecen's Protestant education tradition), one of Hungary's oldest and largest universities and an important educational center in eastern Hungary. Its most admired feature is the grand, gorgeous main building—in the Great Forest Park area, built in the early 20th century, a majestic, gorgeous building: solemn symmetric facade (grand columns, fine decoration) and grand scale, palace-like; in front, beautiful gardens, fountains and green space; inside, grand gorgeous auditorium and halls (fine murals, marble). A famous architectural landmark. Visitors can admire the main building and stroll the campus.

Pecs Cathedral is a grand, ancient bishop's cathedral known for its four spires—with nearly a millennium of history, this majestic church with its striking four towers is the faith core and landmark of Pecs and a witness to the ancient city's deep history. Pecs Cathedral (the Cathedral of St. Peter and St Paul) stands in the Bishops' district of the old city (beside it are the Bishop's Palace and other buildings); it is the most important and majestic church of Pecs and the cathedral of the Pecs diocese. The church's historical roots are extremely deep—its original founding traces back about a thousand years (Pecs is among the earliest cities in Hungary to establish a diocese), after which it went through long years, several times damaged (including the Ottoman period), repaired and rebuilt; today's grand main structure was rebuilt in the late 19th century in the Romanesque style. The most striking, iconic feature of this grand cathedral is its four towering spires—at the four corners of the church stand four tall, straight square spires (bell towers), surrounding and symmetrically guarding the grand main body, forming an extremely striking, recognizable landmark on Pecs' skyline, solemn and majestic. The interior is likewise grand and magnificent—spacious, lofty halls, exquisite Romanesque architecture, murals, sculptures and altars, solemn and gorgeous; beneath the church are ancient crypts (tracing to earlier eras). This grand ancient cathedral, together with the adjacent Bishops' district buildings, is the core of Pecs' faith and a witness to its deep history. Admiring this grand four-spired cathedral, appreciating the solemn architecture and magnificent interior, feeling Pecs' grandeur and depth.

Buda Castle is a grand royal palace high on Castle Hill overlooking the Danube—a vast castle complex once the palace of Hungarian kings, witness to Budapest's deep history and a great vantage over the Danube and the whole city. Buda Castle (Castle Palace) towers atop Castle Hill on the Buda side, one of Budapest's most majestic, important historic buildings. Once the palace of Hungarian kings, founded in the Middle Ages and through long, eventful history (war damage, rebuilds), it witnessed centuries of dynastic rise and fall—a core stage of Hungarian history. The grand complex is majestic and gorgeous: grand palace buildings, long facade, striking dome. Today it houses cultural institutions—the Hungarian National Gallery and Budapest History Museum. The whole Castle Hill area, with old streets, Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion, is a well-preserved historic district (World Heritage). From the castle heights you can overlook the magnificent Danube and Pest.

Eger Castle is a heroic, history-making ancient fortress in Hungary—an old castle high above Eger's old city, famous for a renowned 16th-century defense that won against odds, a symbol of Hungarian heroic spirit. Eger Castle stands on a height of Eger's old city, the town's most important and fascinating historical landmark. Its most glorious, famous history is the 16th-century Siege of Eger—when the powerful Ottoman army came in force to besiege Eger Castle, the defenders and townspeople, though vastly outnumbered, under their commander's leadership and with the solid castle and brave resistance, miraculously repelled the enemy many times their number and defended the castle (this famous underdog victory is a moving chapter of Hungarian history, written into the famous historical novel "Eclipse of the Crescent Moon", known to all, becoming a symbol of Hungarian indomitable spirit; legend says defenders drank local red wine to boost morale, hence the legend of Bull's Blood wine). Through the years, this heroic castle is now a cluster of ancient ruins and a museum—visitors can explore ancient walls, bastions, and the history museum inside (exhibiting the castle's history, especially that famous defense), recalling that heroic history; from the castle's heights you can overlook Eger's beautiful Baroque small town of red-tiled roofs and the whole city. Visiting Eger, ascending the heroic Eger Castle, recalling that moving defense—unquestionably Eger's number-one attraction.