Hungary is located in the central parts of Europe.
It occupies an area of 93,036 sq.km.
The location of Hungary is at the crossroad in all respects.
The country appears to be the boundary between Eastern and Western Europe, and one of the states on the road from Northern Europe to Mediterranean.
If you look at the map of Europe you will quickly notice that Hungary borders with countries which have very different welfare in comparison with it.
When to Visit Hungary and What Clothes to Wear?
The best time for tourism in Hungary is from early May to late September when the days are sunniest and temperatures – highest.
This period offer you a great weather for outdoor activities and for enjoying the beauty of the capital Budapest, Lake Balaton and all the other wonderful places in the Hungarian countryside.
For this period is most appropriate to wear thin summer clothing, as daily temperatures are constantly above 20 degrees.
Still you can take an anorak and long pants for any case, especially if you travel in May or September when the weather is a bit more variable and may be slightly cool.
However, as a whole during these five months the weather is really wonderful.
Weather
Hungary has a temperate continental climate.
Summers are hot and winters are often cold enough to freeze a large part of the Lake Balaton.
Precipitation is abundant and relatively evenly distributed throughout the year with the exception of two pronounced peaks – one in late spring and early summer and another in autumn.
The rainiest months are May, June and July.
Winter lasts from December to February.
Daily temperatures rarely exceed 4°C in December and February and 0°C in January.
The nights are frosty and generally always have negative temperatures.
Spring lasts from March to May.
Temperatures range from 10 to 22°C.
During this season the nights are still cold, but temperatures are no longer negative.
Summer in Hungary lasts from June to late August.
During this period are the highest temperatures of the year.
In June, temperatures are around 25°C, and in July and August are even higher at about 26-27°C, but sometimes in summer temperatures can reach 35 and even 40 degrees.
In September begins the fall, but the weather is still very enjoyable.
There are still days with summer temperatures.
Around 22 – 23°C are the average daily temperatures in September.
In October and November the weather is mild (about 15°C in October and 8°C in November).
Carpathian mountain range protects from the invasion of very cold air masses from the northeast.
The closeness of the Mediterranean Sea is one of the reasons for the high summer temperatures.
Overall, it can be concluded that Hungary has a mild and sunny climate and warm months of the year are much more than the cold.
Things to Do in Hungary
Hungary is a great country for the practicing of cultural tourism.
Pearl of the country is the capital Budapest, which is among the most beautiful cities in Europe.
The Danube River passes right through the heart of Hungarian capital, contributing to the romantic atmosphere of the city.
It divides it into two parts – Buda and Pest. Many bridges cross the river.
During the Second World War almost all were destroyed, but soon after the war bridges are recovered again.
Budapest is a classic European city with ancient architecture, squares and parks.
Like any European city, Budapest offers unlimited opportunities for fun and relaxation.
This is a great place for shopping lovers and for those who like to visit great variety of cafes and restaurants.
Budapest is a place rich with culture and offers many opportunities for attending concerts, museums, exhibitions or simply an examination of old buildings.
The most beautiful are those, which are built in the Gothic style.
Speaking of Gothic architecture we can not miss the parliament building in Hungary.
You must visit it, because it is a real masterpiece.
Parliament was completed in 1902. It was built of limestone.
Today it is considered that the Hungarian Parliament is the most beautiful parliament building in the world!
The building is as high as a skyscraper! At its highest point it reaches 96 m.!
Margaret Island is also a major tourist attraction.
It is situated in the Danube River and is a favorite place of leisure for residents and tourists.
Dense foliage offers coolness in the sweltering summer days.
But Hungary has many other things to offer and if you confine within the Budapest you will miss so much!
For example, one of the biggest attractions of the country is located in the countryside, away from the capital Budapest.
This is the Lake Balaton. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful in Europe and is a major tourist attraction.
It is called the Hungarian Sea.
During the summer months it is used for swimming and attracts many tourists from Hungary and from abroad.
Its waters are warming rapidly since its depth is not very large – it is average about 3 meters.
The deepest spot of the lake reaches only 11 meters.
The gradual increase of depth makes it very attractive for water fun.
Around the lake there are small but very beautiful tourist towns.
The greatest town is Keszthely located on the west coast of the lake.
It has a population of about 25,000 inhabitants.
Small resort towns around Lake Balaton, together form the richest region of Hungary.
Relief
Hungary is a country with flat and hilly terrain with a small altitude.
Most of the territory is occupied by the notorious Pannonian Plain.
The only part of Hungary, which has a mountainous relief, is located northeast of the capital Budapest.
These are the Northern Medium Mountains, which are known as the Northern Hills.
There rises the highest peak of the country – Kekes, which has an altitude of 1012 meters.
The place is located near the border with Slovakia.
The smallest altitudes of the country you can find in the south and southeast.
Population
The population of Hungary is about 9.9 million people.
Of these, one third or about 3.3 million people live in the urban agglomeration of Budapest.
This is a phenomenon that often occurs in Europe – much of the population of a country to live in its capital.
Still the biggest part of the population is composed by Hungarians, but since its joining the European Union there are tends to increasingly diversifying of the population.
Besides the Hungarians and the increasing number of foreigners, residing permanently in the country there are also about half a million Gypsies.
This makes Hungary one of the countries in the world with the largest number of Gypsies after Spain, Bulgaria and Romania.
The main language is Hungarian, which is one of the most rare and difficult languages in Europe.
It is in a language group with the Finnish language (official language of Finland).
The main part of population of Hungary is Christian.
Economy
Hungary is a member of the European Union.
It has developed economy, but the country still faces some difficulties in its development and is often considered to be one of the poorest countries in the EU.
The economy relies heavily on highly developed agriculture.
Industry is less developed and presented mostly by pharmaceutics and food production.
On the one hand is Austria, which has a higher quality of life even in comparison with the USA, on the other hand is Serbia, which still suffers from poverty and a variety of social problems.
In addition to Austria and Serbia, Hungary borders with Slovenia, Croatia, Romania, Ukraine and Slovakia.
Besides central European country, Hungary is also Transdanubian country.
One of the largest European rivers (Danube) crosses from north to south its territory.
Hungary is an inland country that has no outlet to the sea.
Yet the Adriatic Sea, which is part of the Mediterranean, lies just over 200 km from the Hungarian border.
During the years of Soviet influence, here have made numerous attempts for artificially developing of industry with imported raw materials, but after the collapse of USSR these industries gradually declined and the country once again returned to its traditional sectors such as agriculture, which is today very well developed.
The mild climate of Hungary promotes the cultivation of various light loving crops such as sunflower, vines and so on.
Hungary produces large quantities of quality fruits and vegetables.
Besides the climate and traditions of the people, there is still something that stimulates the development of crops and this is the flat terrain.
This makes agricultural land easy to process.