Culture

Hungarian Culture is a mixture of old European traditions and Hungarian temperament.

Hungarian Festivals

Your Hungarian trip will not be complete without witnessing and experiencing some of the exciting festivals that dot the country’s calendar of events. Dubbed as the “Festival City” Hungary boasts of a number of regular festivals that attract hordes of visitors from all over the world. Check out which of these interest you – and which would coincide with your travel dates:

Budapest Spring Festival – Held during the last two weeks of March yearly, this festival is a great way to welcome the season of spring; it is also Hungary’s biggest cultural festival. The event is divided into several activities, including local and international performances, conferences, exhibitions, concerts, film openings, contemporary dance shows and jazz music performances.

Sziget Festival – Held in Budapest every year during the month of August, this festival is one of the biggest cultural and musical festivals in Europe.

The week-long festival brings together hordes of music lovers from all over the world in the Obudai-sziget (Obudai Island) to witness the most brilliant musical performances from both local and international artists.

Danube Water Carnival – Held yearly during the second week of June on the River Danube’s Chain Bridge, this event features a crafts fair, exhibitions, children’s events, folk arts presentations and a variety of music and food items.

Hungarian Cuisine

There’s a lot more to Hungarian cuisine (Magyar konyha) than Hungarian sausages; unleash your adventurous side and sample the flavorful local delicacies!
Paprika, the national spice, is present in most of the dishes – you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how interesting the food tastes with it. The national dish, goulash, is a rich and thick stew made more intense by, you guessed it – paprika.
Goose is also a common menu staple in Hungarian eating establishments, so you can expect to feast on delightfully-cooked goose liver (libamaj) and roast goose leg (sult libacomb). Of course, you can never go wrong with the kolbasz – the Hungarian version of the Polish kielbasa sausage.

Hungary also produces some of the best wines in Europe, often without the accompanying high price tags of its Italian and French counterparts. Visit the wine-making regions of Tokaj, Badacsony, Eger, Villany and Szekszard to sample some of the best wines the country has to offer.

There are endless possibilities for fun and excitement in Hungary – you just have to keep your eyes, heart and mind to try out some of the most novel things you encounter to enjoy all of them. The adventure starts with your openness to explore and try out new things, while the fun memories will be the end to your glorious Hungarian vacation.

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