Sitting in the centre of Europe, with Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Ukraine surrounding it, Hungary is known for its rich heritage, its historic struggle for independence, its friendly people and its dedication to the arts and music. The country, referred to as Magyarország by its inhabitants, offers a pleasant mix of modern European and traditional Hungarian-Magyarian culture.
 Budapest is the country’s capital city and is a busy urban centre offering all of the 21st century’s modern conveniences as well as sufficient traditional characteristics to remind you that you are in an eastern European country. The city is not only Hungary’s centre for business and politics but also an arts hub, with some of the greatest cultural venues on the continent to be found here. Budapest sits in the middle of the country and can be reached easily from any of Hungary’s other major cities.
 Debrecen in the Northern Great Plain is the second largest city in Hungary but in terms of interest, is perhaps surpassed by cities such as Szeged in the southeast, Pécs in the southwest, Gyor in the northwest and Miskolc in the north. Each of these cities offers its own identity, has its own attractions and provides its own unique ambience.
 Hungary is big on music and has had a long and internationally successful relationship with the classical scene. Composers such as Franz Liszt, Brahms, Strauss, Erkel, Bartok and Kodaly brought the country great repute and continue to do so through the numerous recitals and performances that take place across the country throughout the year. Many of Hungary’s greatest annual festivals are based heavily around music and are certainly the ideal way to enjoy some of its greatest works.
The country is easily reached by land or air, with many international visitors flying into Budapest Ferihegy Airport. Once in the country, there are various options for getting around including train and bus services and car rental. Hungary’s offers a good selection of accommodation options with Budapest having branches of Novotel, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Marriott and Best Western.
History
 Magyar tribes from the east, led by Árpád, were the first to make significant settlements in today’s Hungary, arriving in the Carpathian basin in 896 AD. From 997 to 1038 AD, Stephen of the Árpád dynasty was the country’s king and leader and the man responsible for establishing the Hungarian state and introducing Christianity, both in the year 1000 AD.
Between 1241 and 1242, the Hungarians were forced to fight Mongolian invaders but the superior might and numbers of the latter meant that only the most strongly fortified of the country’s cities escaped serious destruction and extensive casualties.
 The country eventually recovered from its losses and went on to enjoy a period of unchallenged prosperity from 1300 to 1500. Hungarian borders were extended to meet the Black, Baltic and Adriatic seas in the 14th century. From 1458 to 1490, King Matthias Corvinus celebrated popular aspects of Renaissance culture in his courtroom, inviting artists and academics to engage in demonstrations and discussions. The same king is remembered for his success in implementing internal reforms and establishing the army known as the 'Fekete Sereg' (Black Army), which was successful in a series of military conflicts, including one which led to the capture of Vienna in 1485.
In 1526, the Black Army suffered an overwhelming defeat in the Battle of Mohács at the hands of the Turks. The country subsequently split into three regions, the Turks controlling the central portion, the Habsburgs controlling the west and the east becoming the principality of Transylvania. The Ottoman Turks ruled the larger part of the country from 1541 to 1686, making Buda the western outpost of their empire. In 1686, Buda was recaptured by Hungarian troops under the command of Prince Eugene of Savoy.
 A war against the Habsburgs led by Ferenc Rákóczi II, Prince of Transylvania, began in 1703 and lasted until 1711. Some success was enjoyed during the course of the war and with the French offering assistance, victory looked possible. Such assistance never materialised however, and ultimately the rebels were crushed.
It was more than 100 years later before the Hungarians were able to shake Habsburg control to any significant degree with a revolution in Pest between 1848 and 1849 in which the Habsburg emperor was dethroned. The Habsburgs eventually regained control with the assistance of the Russian army in the summer of 1849. Eighteen years later the Habsburgs and Hungarians reached a compromise with dual monarchies established in Vienna and Budapest, respectively.
Hungary chose to support Germany in the WWI and consequently faced the same defeat. The Hungarian monarchy disintegrated at the end of the conflict. From 1919 to 1944, the country was without a king and was governed by the regency of Miklós Horthy, a conservative elite with a dictatorial approach. In 1944, during WWII, the Nazis occupied Hungary and remained there until their defeat at the hands of the Soviets, who subsequently occupied the country.
Following the war, the country entered a lengthy period of communism. Attempts at rebellion against the communist regime between 1956 and 1957 were brutally crushed and Soviet control quickly re-established. From 1957 to 1988, the country remained a communist state under the Kádár regime, governed under a one-party system.
 However, in 1990, free parliamentary elections were held and a multi-party system introduced. In the following year, the Red Army withdrew its presence from the country heralding the beginning of a new era without military and communist oppression. The country joined the European Union on 1st May 2004, an event that has became an important milestone in the country’s modern history.
Weather
 Hungary’s climate is fairly continental in nature with four distinct seasons across which rainfall is frequent. The average annual rainfall is around 600mm with the highest volume falling in summer and November. Aside from the rain the summers are pleasant affairs with July and August seeing temperature highs in the mid-20s (°C). June and September can also be pleasant but temperatures are a few degrees cooler and the former is the wettest month of the year, seeing up to 65mm of rainfall.
The winter season can bring biting temperatures with December lows of -2°C and January lows of -4°C. On the positive side, rainfall from January to March is the lowest of the year. The seasons in between are typically transitional bringing some mild to warm temperatures during the day and some chilly ones in the evening and early morning. From a visitor perspective, July and August are definitely the best months in which to schedule a holiday in Hungary.
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