Hungary's cultural programme is anchored in one of Europe's most vibrant capital cities and extends deep into the countryside. Guided tours of Budapest's Great Synagogue, the Royal Palace, and the ruin bars of the seventh district can be combined with Hungarian folk dance workshops, traditional embroidery classes, and Tokaj wine country day trips. Opera evenings at the Hungarian State Opera House — one of the most beautiful opera interiors in Europe — and private visits to the Herend porcelain factory in the west of the country add serious cultural weight. The thermal bath culture, the Puszta horsemanship shows, and the carved grave marker traditions of the Protestant east each offer different angles. That's where it gets interesting.