Hundreds of ways to make goulash, Tokaj wines, whose homeland the Tokaj region has declared as a World Heritage of Humanity, thermal springs and gypsy violin ensembles - all this is a bright, colorful and distinctive Hungary. Each person prefers to celebrate the New Year in such a way that the festive mood remains in the soul as long as possible, and the shores of Lake Balaton and the Danube are the best fit for this.
Let's take a look at the map
The country of Hungary is not very large, but in recent years it has been very popular with foreign tourists. It is located in a zone of pleasant temperate climate in Eastern Europe and is characterized by mild, warm winters and rather hot summers. Going to celebrate the New Year in Hungary, you can be sure that walking along the festive streets will seem comfortable and pleasant to you, because the air temperature in the height of winter here rarely drops even to 0 ° C.
Come up with your holiday
Not too large in terms of its territory, Hungary can offer its guests an extensive and varied program of winter vacations. You can choose any scenario:
- Walk around the Hungarian capital and buy a hundred necessary and not too much things at the fair on Vereshmarty Square in Budapest.
- Arrange a tasting of the famous Tokay wines and get acquainted with the history of their production. Find your favorite variety and take home a bottle warmed by the Hungarian summer sun. The Tokaj region, where the most famous wineries are located, is located in the valley between the Tisza and Bodrog rivers near the border with Slovenia.
- Plan a New Year's Eve party at one of the medieval castles. The most popular among them is located in the village of Siliget. The wineries of Count Esterhazy, who owned the castle, are never empty during the winter holidays. As a bonus, you will receive a czardas lesson, which every Hungarian can dance right from the cradle.
- Bask in the healing waters of Heviz. Thermal springs allow the lake to maintain a temperature of + 25 ° C even in the height of winter, and the surrounding trees covered with frost will create a fabulous New Year's atmosphere.
New Year's holidays can be devoted to visiting museums and finding the perfect recipe for goulash, enjoying the operetta and photo sessions against the backdrop of the famous Parliament of Budapest. Baths with thermal waters will help you to get away from the feast, where the body regains vigor, the mind - clarity, and the mood again becomes festive and joyful.
How New Year is celebrated in Hungary
Hungarians are very fond of the holidays and never miss a chance to sing, drink and dance. Moreover, the New Year, which in the homeland of czardash and goulash is loved by everyone without exception.
For every Hungarian hostess, the New Year's table is another reason to show yourself and feed dear people. On this night in the menu of any family celebrating a holiday at home, fried pig, various sausages, cabbage rolls and jellied meat, rabbit stew and lentils, symbolizing prosperity, will certainly appear. The name of the main festive drink is difficult to pronounce without preparation, but after the first glass, foreign guests, like real Hungarians, confidently pronounce the word "krambambuli".
Having a fair amount of food and wishing their friends, loved ones and relatives good luck and prosperity, the Hungarians go to street festivities. Carnival costumes and torches are a sure sign that the New Year is coming. Traditions of noisy carnival festivities are a tribute to the memory of Saint Sylvester, who once saved the world from an imminent threat and coped with great Evil.
Decorated with millions of festive illumination lights, the streets and squares of Hungarian cities brighten at midnight when the next year's fireworks show. Then the youth smoothly move to nightclubs, and the older generation - back to the festive tables.
Kill two birds with one stone in Miskolc
The small town of Miskolc is very popular with the Hungarians as a New Year's meeting place. The reason for this is the variety of entertainment options.
Fans of outdoor activities will love the climatic resort of Lillafüred in the vicinity of the town. A landscaped park with many paths, waterfalls and a palace on the shore of a mountain lake will be a pleasant place for walking even in the midst of winter.
The sportiest guests of Miskolc can go downhill skiing in the winter resort of Bankut. Eight slopes of different difficulty levels, sledging and cross-country skiing tracks, decent infrastructure for organizing recreation with children - all this attracts many active tourists to the Bancut Ski Park. The distance of 30 km is easily covered by taxi, bus or rented car, and therefore you can live in a hotel in Miskolc.
After skiing, it is especially pleasant to wander around the old part of the city, admire the samples of the Baroque architectural style, in which most of the buildings in the center of Miskolc are made. The guests of the city are greatly delighted by an excursion to the medieval castle of Gyosgyor, where many festivals, fairs and theatrical performances are held.
Useful information for tourists
- Direct flight Moscow - Budapest is operated by Aeroflot and Wizz Air. The second ticket is much cheaper. So a flight on New Year's holidays from the capital's Vnukovo airport to Budapest and back will cost about 290 euros. You will have to spend about 2.5 hours in the sky. With a docking in Frankfurt, the German Lufthansa will carry Russian tourists to Hungary for only 200 euros.
- Restaurants and cafes with a New Year's entertainment program are in high demand during the winter holidays. If, on the most anticipated night of the year, you plan to surrender yourself to the caring hands of Hungarian catering, book your tables as early as possible.
Do not forget that the growing popularity of Hungary as a tourist destination is causing the rapid disappearance of available rooms in inexpensive hotels and air tickets for the most convenient flights. This is especially true for the New Year and Christmas holidays, and therefore try to plan your trip and book hotels and flights in advance.
