The Rough Guide to Hungary (4th Edition) (Paperback)

by Charles Hebbert (Author), Dan Richardson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
INTRODUCTION

Visitors who refer to Hungary as a Balkan country risk getting a lecture on how this small, landlocked nation of eleven million people differs from "all those Slavs". Hungary was likened by the poet Ady to a "river ferry, continually travelling between East and West, with always the sensation of not going anywhere but of being on the way back from the other bank"; and its people identify strongly with the West while at the same time displaying a fierce pride in themselves as Magyars - a race that transplanted itself from Central Asia into the heart of Europe. Any contradiction between nationalism and cosmopolitanism is resolved by what the Scottish expatriate Charlie Coutts called the Hungarian "genius for not taking things to their logical conclusion". Having embarked on reforming state socialism long before Gorbachev, Hungary made the transition to multi-party democracy without a shot being fired, while the removal of the iron curtain along its border set in motion the events leading to the fall of the Berlin Wall. The end of communism has hastened the spread of glossy western capitalism, and on arrival in Budapest your first impressions will be of a fast-developing and prosperous nation. However, there is another side to post-communist Hungary, and beyond the capital and Lake Balaton living standards have fallen sharply amongst many people, for whom the transition to democracy has brought very mixed blessings indeed.

Hungary's capital, Budapest, inspires a feeling of déjà vu. It's not just the vast Gothic parliament and other monuments of a bygone imperial era that seem familiar, but the latest fashions on the streets, or a poster advertising something that was all the rage back home a year before. In coffee houses, Turkish baths, and the fad for Habsburg bric-a-brac, there's a strong whiff of Mitteleuropa - that ambient culture that welcomed Beethoven in Budapest and Hungarian-born Liszt in Vienna. Meanwhile a wave of new clubs and restaurants and a burgeoning sex industry reflects the advent of nouveau riche entrepreneurs, and a massive influx of tourists and foreign investment.

After Budapest, Lake Balaton and the Danube Bend vie for popularity. The Balaton, with its string of brash resorts, styles itself as the "Nation's Playground," and enjoys a fortuitous proximity to the Badacsony wine-producing region. The Danube Bend has more to offer in terms of scenery and historic architecture, as do the Northern Uplands and Transdanubia. The beautiful old parts of Sopron, Gyor and Pecs are, rightfully, the main attractions in Transdanubia, though for castle enthusiasts the Zempleni range and the lowlands of southern Transdanubia also have several treats in store; while in the Uplands the famous wine centres of Tokaj and Eger are the chief draw. On the Great Plain Szeged hosts a major festival, and its rival city, Debrecen, serves as the jumping-off point for the archaic Erd,hat region and the mirage-haunted Hortobagy puszta. See the chapter introductions for more details about each region.

About the Author
Norm Longley has also written for the Romania and Europe Rough Guides. After working in Serbia for a few years, he moved to London, where he now lives, buts returns to the Balkans whenever time allows.

Norm Longley has also written for the Romania and Europe Rough Guides. After working in Serbia for a few years, he moved to London, where he now lives, buts returns to the Balkans whenever time allows. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Rough Guides; 4 edition (July 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1858283159
• ISBN-13: 978-1858283159
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,034,988 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical Combination of Advice, Knowledge and Girth, September 3, 2000

By	Jl Sennef-vrieling "J. Sennef" (Niederlande) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Rough Guide Hungary is a complete paper guide: both practical as well as good in in-depth knowledge. Arriving in Hungary by plane as I did in the Summer of 2000, you feel you have arrived in a country where a completely strange, vigourous and stimulating language is spoken and little else except goodwill. This book has the capacity to guide you into this really foreign country, offering you several possibilities in the above situation, varying from the safe: 'take a cab but fix the price beforehand', to the more adventurous: 'take bus # 93 (red) to the metro terminal and continue your journey to Budapest by taking the blue metro line to the centre of town'. Whatever your choice, I found this is all excellent advice with no mistakes. The guide continues in this reliable way both in the capital and in the country side, but does more as it also describes Hungary's history and culture in its own words, not copying textbooks. Boxes with extra, spicy information are included.

Because this guide is so good on history, contemporary politics and culture, it doesn't cover every village in Hungary, as other guides in the same category and written for the same public do. This one maintains an enjoyable balance between tourist information, background knowledge and girth. Although its electronic variant as seen on Internet is weaker than its direct competitor, the paper variant is second to none, even superior.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource - Especially on Budapest, February 2, 2009

By	Erika Borsos "pepper flower" (Gulf Coast of FL, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Rough Guide to Hungary 6 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)

This guide is most enthusiastically recommended as a great source of information on what most travellers would need to know to plan and enjoy their vacation in Hungary no matter what region they wish to visit. I bought this guide at the last minute and read it on the airplane. The first sixty pages include a wealth of information about "basics" related to traveling in Hungary, specifically by train. bus or auto (rental car). It also provides valuable information about hotels, money exchange, and important events happening within Budapest. There are many excellent website references for travel from different countries, for tours wihin Hungary, and other useful information.

In Oct. 2007, I used the information from this guide to navigate through Budapest. The most useful features for me were the descriptions of how the metro (underground rail system) functioned and also how the bus lines run in the city. It is not very hard to navigate the metro once a person understands which lines, the yellow, the red and the blue run in what direction. It is also useful for those who do not speak Hungarian to know the words for "entrance" and "exit" which are included in the book. Since all three lines for the metro intersect at Deák Tér, it is a good focal point from which to plan one's visit to "must see" destinations. Page 72 is outstanding in how it lines up the names of the stops for the metro and page 73 describes useful bus, trolley and tram main stops for popular destinations. The eating, drinking and dining sections are also highly informative. There are many useful websites and most importantly descriptions of festivals and activities: highlights include, the Castle district, tours of the Hungarian Parliament, Turkish baths, various museums, including: Museum of Fine Arts (some original oil paintings by Corot, Chagall, Cezanne, Manet and Toulouse-Latrec; also the Spanish collection includes seven El Greco's and five Goyas) , Kodaly Museum, Ferenc Liszt Museum, Museum of Ethnography (the permanent exhibit on Hungarian folk culture is worth viewing) visits to well known coffee and pastry shops, shopping districts, and Universities. The maps provide easy nagivation ... what you need *most* is time and money ;-) I have only touched on the areas which interest me, there is much much more ...

Primarily I visited the Dunantuli region of Hungary (area West of the Danube). I can attest this guide provides what the tourist needs to know to visit historical regions and castles. I had the good fortune to visit at one time or another: the Lake Balaton regions of Keszthely, Badacsony, Siófok, and Tihany; Pannonnalma Abbey, Köszeg (castle), Sárvár (castle), Szombathely, Sümeg (castle), Csesznek (castle), Zirc (famous church), Székesfehérvár (castle and many wonderful churches) and the famous porcelain making town of Herend. All these locations were described in this guide. However, keep in mind, the guide *did* heavily emphasize Budapest and its magnificent history, culture, and places of interest along with modern activites. It left some of the regional history and culture short changed, despite the fact there are numerous areas loaded with things to do and see. The end of the book has a very excellent summary of Hungarian history and politics, culture and famous foods. Erika Borsos [pepper flower"

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Typical Rough Guide quality, but what a country!, May 29, 2008

By	J. L. Albee "Faulkner Wannabe" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Rough Guide to Hungary 6 (Rough Guide Travel Guides) (Paperback)

This book is typical of all Rough Guides: It a nice chunk of a book with the best balance between pragmatic information and cultural/historical contexts of all travel guides. Dedicated Rough Guides fans already know that you don't buy these books for their glossy photography. You buy them for density of information.

Three things that stand out about this one are:

1) In additional to a 100-page treatment of the capital, the catalog offers unusually dense coverage of the lovely attractions beyond Budapest. If you leave the country without excursions to Sopron, Tihany and Eger, you've missed the essence of Hungary.

2) The bibliography (you know, the "literature" section) is perhaps a bit thin, and some of the entries there really belong to Romania rather than Hungary.

3) This book is now in its 6th edition, with a 7th on the way. The authors are familiar with the country. The information is up-to-date and sound.

To committed Rough Guide readers: You know what to expect. You won't be disappointed.

To new Rough Guide readers: Come on over if you like words more than images. We prefer to leave the photography to others.