Hungary
 

We are going to Hungary for the first time in June and will be staying in Budapest. We are looking for ideas of "must see" in Budapest and also in Hungary.

If you haven't already done so, I'd recommend purchasing a good guide book on Hungary, as it will give you a more thorough overview than the responses you'll likely receive here.

Budapest is an amazing and beautiful city with historic sites from many different eras. My two most memorable experiences there:
1. Going to a spa/thermal bath - they are completely unlike American-style spas, with thermal pools and amazing atmosphere. If you aren't familiar with them, just Google "Budapest spas" and you'll find a lot of pictures and information to get an idea of what they are like.
2. Going to the opera - the opera house is beautiful and the tickets (at least when I was there in 2000) were ridiculously inexpensive, so much so that my friends and I, students at the time, splurged for box seats, and the tickets were still very very cheap. Even if you're not an opera fan, I'd definitely recommend attending an opera in Budapest.

These are just a few suggestions to get you started - there are many other things to see and do. I'm sure you'll enjoy your visit.

Eger

I second Eger, the beauty of the wine region and the history of the city are both compelling. We just returned from 3 weeks in Hungary and spent equal amounts of time in Budapest, Tiszafured (lovely, nature preserve, quaint town) and Visegrod on the Danube Bend which is incredible. Thermal baths carved into the hill side in Visegrad were heavenly.

The Spa is the thing. Not just the posh ones. I would recommned a car and try Eger (one spa is out in the country) sorry I mean a field.

Then try Tokai.

Rough Guide is pretty good

I found the "Terror Museum" absolutely thought-provoking as it explained the oppression of the Nazi occupation and the Communist secret police. It was sensitively handled and gave honest insight into some of the struggles of Hungarian history. Consider a train ride to Pecs if you want to try another Hungarian city. It is very different from Budapest and equally as fascinating. Another suggestion isn't what to see, but I found "In Flight Hungarian" CD really helpful in getting a little handle on basics of language. The pronunications were accurate and it helped alot since English is often not spoken. German is the usual second language for most of the Hungarians. Don't let that scare you though. Hungary is a fantastic place.

Hi
I second the recommendation to get a guide book. Pecs, Sopron, the Danube Bend, Szeged. I could go on. we've visited Hungary several times. It's been one of our favorite countries to visit. It's beautiful, very nice places to visit. We've used the Rough Guide and found it very good. I would strongly recommend renting a car to really see the country.

Get the Green Guide by Michelin for Hungary. You also might be interested in the Hungary portion of my report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34659808

Do not miss RUDAS turkish bath from middle ages on Buda side. Its a really big experience!
Also take a boat trip to Szentendre or Visegrad!