Daytripping in Hungary

Daytripping Beyond Budapest

BY: GABRIELLA RIBEIRO

You could easily fill several calendar months with the amazing things Hungary has to offer, but if you’re short on time and prefer to hover around Budapest and its surroundings, here’s a top recommendation on how best to explore!

DAY 1

Gödöllő is just 30 kilometers from Budapest and home to Hungary’s largest Baroque Palace and plenty of architectural delights all around. For a fun afternoon, try a shot of Palinka the local fruit brandy and get a slice of real village life in the Domony Vally where you can get insight into the local equestrian scene.

DAY 2

On to Székesfehérvár ! Easier to reach than to say and it’s one of the most important towns when it comes to a diverse mixture of art and architecture. Visits to the Hungarian Royal Hotel, the Vörösmarty Theatre and Saint Stephen's Basilica are highly recommended and for an ultra romantic day, take a jaunt to Bory Castle, a masterpiece of art, sculpture and dramatic design amazing for photographs!

DAY 3

Gaze in wonder at the snow-white Brunszvik Castle with its magnificent English garden where unique trees grow and streams of water flow, and end the day at the Etyek Wine District just 25 kilometers to the north and enjoy a glass of sparkling white wine on the terrace of a stunning winery.

DAY 4

Wonders abound from Pákozd which is the site of the first battle of the War of Independence, to the Castle Park which is an open air ethnographic museum filled with models of historical Hungarian castles as they once were. Find some time to mix a hike in to the equation at the Bird Song Educational Trail with opportunities to spy rare birds.

DAY 5

The closing act is wondrous. Walk the red rocks at the Bauxite Geological Park in Gánt and the Balás Jenő Bauxite Mining Exhibition will make you feel as thought you aren’t even walking on Earth. The park is rare and unique , with a museum built on the edge of the mine pit, where you can see classic mining tools and old photographs beyond the extraordinary scenery.