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Hungary

✨ The land of thermal springs and red ruby

Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. Its capital, Budapest, lies on the Danube, one of Europe's major rivers, which divides the city into Buda and Pest. Much of the country consists of low, relatively flat plains, especially the Great Hungarian Plain in the east and south.

The Transdanubian region west of the Danube is more varied, with hills, forests and Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe. Hungary has a temperate continental climate, with warm summers and generally cold winters. The country covers about 93,000 square kilometres and has a population of around 9.5 million people.

Hungary's landscape has been strongly shaped by the Danube and the Tisza, its second-largest river. The Great Hungarian Plain is part of the wider Pannonian Basin, a large lowland surrounded by mountains. Although Hungary has no coastline and no very high mountain ranges, its highest point, Kékes in the Mátra Mountains, reaches 1,014 metres.

The country is also known for its many thermal springs, linked to its particular geological setting. Budapest and several other towns have developed around these waters. Agriculture remains important, with wheat, maize, sunflower and grapes among the main crops. Hungary is also an important transport crossroads between Central and Southeastern Europe.

💡 Did you know?

Did you know that in Hungary, people love the Rubik's Cube? This small colorful cube that puzzles everyone was invented in 1974 by a Hungarian professor named Ernő Rubik. Initially, he just wanted to help his students better understand three-dimensional geometry. In fact, it took him a whole month to solve his own cube for the first time! Today, hundreds of millions have been sold worldwide.

Hungary is like a huge natural hot water bottle! There are over 1,300 thermal hot springs there. The bathing tradition is so strong that in some parts of Budapest, people even play chess in the hot water all day. One of the strangest places is Lake Hévíz: it's the world's largest thermal lake where you can swim among water lilies, even when it's snowing all around you!

Do you know the secret ingredient in Hungarian cuisine? It's paprika! This bright red ground pepper is used in almost every dish. It's called 'red gold.' There are even museums dedicated to paprika! The most famous dish is called Goulash: it's a comforting soup or stew with meat and lots of this sweet pepper that gives it its beautiful red color.