Things to do in Hungary

Hungary's map outside Budapest is a lake, a river bend, and two wine regions. The capital's own pull works against all three. Balaton is close enough for a day trip; Tokaj is not.

Balaton, and the water Hungarians call their sea

Lake Balaton is central Europe's largest lake, some two hours south-west of Budapest by road. Winters drop it to single digits. Summer brings it up near 24C, warm enough to swim, and Tihany's peninsula narrows the crossing to a short ferry ride.

• Balatonfüred — the north shore's old spa town, and the calmer side of the water.
• Herend — the porcelain works between the lake and the capital, founded in 1826 and still working; Queen Victoria once ordered a dinner service from it.
• Tihany — the peninsula, and the ferry that shortens the drive around it.

Two wine regions, and Pécs beyond them

Eger sits about two hours north-east of Budapest by road, under a hilltop castle. A slim Ottoman minaret stands beside it. It is the northernmost the Turks left standing, and the local red, Egri Bikavér, ships worldwide as Bull's Blood.

Tokaj lies another hour and a half past Eger. It is smaller and sweeter. Its Aszú has been known since the seventeenth century as the wine of kings.

Pécs, in the south, keeps a different history. It is Hungary's fifth-largest city, with an early Christian necropolis under its cathedral. That necropolis earned UNESCO status in 2000, and a mosque the Ottomans left still stands on the main square.

Practical

• Weather. Summers run hot, past 30C by August; winters sit near freezing, around 0C, with grey, short days rather than heavy snow.
• Currency. The forint, not the euro; cards work in towns, cash still rules village shops.
• Getting around. Trains from Budapest reach Eger and the lake towns directly; Tokaj wants a car or an organised transfer.
• Wine tasting. Cellars expect advance notice, and a flight of several vintages costs only a few thousand forints.
• Best months. Balaton's swimming season runs June to September; the wine harvest fills October.