- Svetlana, it is no secret that for many of our tourists the calling card of Hungary is the famous Lake Balaton. But in September, you probably can't go swimming anymore…
- Of course, a holiday at Lake Balaton is, first and foremost, a summer pastime. But swimming, and, by the way, with health benefits, is possible in Hungary almost all year round. Yes, yes, we are talking about the famous thermal springs! Just imagine: 70% of all hot and mineral waters in Europe are located in Hungary. Hungarian SPA resorts and wellness hotels offer everything: from traditional pump rooms and bathhouses to Turkish baths and Ayurvedic restoration of mental strength. The most famous health complex is the radon lake Hévíz in the west of the country, where the water temperature does not fall below 26-28 degrees all year round.
Of course, the majority of Hungarian guests are Germans and Austrians. Firstly, they appreciate the Hungarian combination of a high level of service and low cost of these services. Secondly, for them it is a long-standing tradition to take a spa holiday. Ukrainian holiday traditions, in turn, almost always mean a seaside holiday. That is why for Ukrainian tourists Hungary is more attractive for its sightseeing program.
- I have heard that Hungary has special tours - wine ones.
- Yes, this tourist highlight has been attracting "wine pilgrims" to Hungary for years now. Wine tours through the country's winemaking regions take place all year round. They usually start in spring, at Trinity, with a big march through wine cellars. In 22 wine regions, 100-120 cellars are offered to tourists. And registered participants of the march can taste three types of wine for free in some of these cellars.
All summer long, various wine events take place throughout the country. But it is precisely in the golden autumn, during the traditional grape harvest days, that a true wine festival awaits you. At the end of September, you will be greeted by the European festival "Ode to Wine", whose participants will travel along the famous wine route Villány - Siklós. The celebration will end in the city of Pécs, where wine tasting will be accompanied by the table songs of choirs arriving from different European countries. Equally well-known and popular are the International Wine and Champagne Festival in September (Budapest) and the October Tokaj Wine Festival (Tokaj). During these celebrations, a colorful procession devoted to the grape harvest moves through the city, an auction of museum wines is held, and musicians perform on open-air stages.
Hungarian wines are widely known in the world. The wines of Badacsony, Tihany, and Csopak are not inferior to the famous Tokaji and Eger's "Bull's Blood". Wine connoisseurs claim: at least to get acquainted with them, it is worth going to Hungary! Especially when these wines are served with the famous Balaton pike-perch...
- By the way, they say that besides wine tours, Hungary also has gastronomic tours.
- Well, among the gastronomic holidays, perhaps we should single out the Goulash Festival in Szolnok (September), the International Fish Festival on the Tisza (September), and the Sausage Festival in Csaba (October). Hungarian goulash has nothing in common with our idea of goulash: a few pieces of meat in a brown gravy. Goulash is a soup, and the festival hosts an All-Hungarian goulash cooking competition. Hundreds of goulash masters cook it in huge cauldrons right in the open air. Hungarian fish soup is also something special: bright red from hot paprika, scorching to taste, and surprisingly appetizing. During the fish festival "Under the Szeged Bridge", the fish soup is cooked in such quantities that it is enough for all the guests of the festival! And during the celebration of the Birthday of Csaba sausages, anyone who wishes can take part in the intimate process of making them. And finally, on the first weekend of August, cooks from various countries gather in the town of Nagyszakácsi for the festival "In the Footsteps of Royal Cooks" to show off their skills. The choice of location is not accidental: the residents of this very village were taken as cooks to the royal palace, so guests are guaranteed truly royal dishes!
Hungary is a very warm, genuinely cozy country with an amazing aroma of hospitality and cordiality. During national holidays, you have a chance to get to know it better.
- Speaking of Hungary, one cannot help but ask what new things beautiful Budapest offers tourists?
- The first novelty: from July 5 to August 17 - "Summer on Lánchíd". That is the name of the new Budapest weekend program. The famous Chain Bridge will be closed to traffic on Saturday and Sunday and placed at the disposal of tourists, artists, musicians, and performers. Lánchíd will turn into an open-air theater venue for brass bands and jazz groups, costume performances, exhibition galleries, and musical cafes. Quite recently, a piano concert was even held there. By the way, such wonderful pedestrian places exist not only on the Chain Bridge. Very close by is Váci Street, a favorite among tourists. And not long ago, a small, cozy alley, Radói, opened. It was reconstructed and carefully restored with the direct participation of the residents themselves.
Budapest offers a rich concert program of classical music. The most important event in August will undoubtedly be the Budafest Summer Opera and Ballet Festival. Famous Hungarian and foreign opera and ballet artists come to Budapest for this festival. Chamber concerts are held in the hall of the National Opera, in large museums, and hotels. For example, this year another concert venue has been added - the parade square in front of St. Stephen's Basilica. By the way, it is very pleasant that two evenings will be dedicated to the stars of the Kyiv Ballet: our artists will bring "Carmen Suite" and "The Firebird" to the festival.
- Svetlana, you have shared so many secrets with us! I suppose our tourists often turn to you for advice?
- Yes, we try to help everyone who is interested in Hungary. We are happy to send out selections of Hungarian tourism news to Ukrainian media and travel agencies that are interested in developing new destinations. We traditionally take part in the largest travel fairs that take place in Ukraine in spring and autumn. In addition, this year we participated in the Odessa Boat Show, where we introduced our information to visitors at the stand of the airline Malev. We also gave a presentation on Hungary's thermal springs at the travel exhibition "Summer-2003" in Dnipropetrovsk. And together with the airline Malev we held a meeting with Ukrainian tour operators. The meeting was attended both by our good acquaintances - travel agencies that have long and fruitfully worked on Hungarian routes, and by companies that are engaged in air transportation, or those who have just begun to take an interest in this direction. Of course, the main purpose of our meeting was to present Hungary's thermal springs, because 2003 has been declared the year of health tourism in that country. By the way, the next one will be the year of conference tourism. I believe this is a very promising and encouraging direction.
And simply travel lovers turn to us. Of course, we are not a travel agency, but since we have been working in this field for a very long time, we can recommend travel companies, advise a single tourist where best to stay, what to see, and provide maps and guidebooks. Come to Hungary - the velvet season will give you strength and excellent mood for a whole year!
• Before any trip, it is useful to familiarize yourself in advance with the chosen route and listen to advice for tourists from a professional. This will be especially useful for those who are going on a trip abroad for the first time. After all, even an experienced tourist cannot always properly obtain a visa or choose a good hotel, let alone beginners. So it is better to prepare thoroughly for the trip.