From
the incredible capital of Budapest, to the
‘Hungarian Sea’
of Lake
Balaton and the wine region around the Baroque town of Eger,
Hungary
has plenty to offer the adventurous tourist.
Lying
in the east of Central Europe, Hungary is landlocked by Austria, Slovakia,
Ukraine,
Romania,
Serbia,
Croatia and
Slovenia,
Hungary is largely made up of plains and low hills, though there are some
points above 2000 feet in the north and west.
Because
Hungary is landlocked it
lacks the moderating influence of the Atlantic or the Mediterranean
and so the climate is continental. From summer to winter there is a large
temperature range. Winters can get blistering cold and summers scorching hot,
though conditions do vary quite dramatically from year to year. As the terrain
is not particularly varied, similar climatic conditions prevail in most areas.
The small variations observed between regions are created by differences in
altitude and proximity to lakes and rivers.
Hungary lies at
the meeting point of three different climatic zones: continental, Mediterranean
and oceanic. The west side of the country sees more rainfall than the east. As
you approach the mountain ranges a more continental climate prevails with a
great annual temperature range and more distinct seasons. The annual
temperature range across Hungary
is -14°C to 36°C.
LAKE BALATON
Lake
Balaton is known as the ‘Hungarian
Sea’; as the country
lacks any access to ocean or sea, the large lake is the closest alternative. And
it is large: it is the largest lake in Central Europe.
There is a variety of resort towns located on its shores. Due to the size of
the lake, it has an affect on the local weather, with the region seeing 5 to 7
cm more precipitation than the rest of Hungary. The lake also has a
moderating affect on the climate, keeping extreme temperatures at bay and
producing more cloudy days.
Siofok is
known as ‘the party capital of Hungary’
as during the summer months lakeside discos pump into the early mornings.
Siofok is a favourite of young groups and students. In the height of summer the
water temperature of the lake is a pleasant 25°C: perfect for swimming and other
water sports. The lake’s pebbly beach has in places been replaced with sand.
BUDAPEST
Summers
in Budapest can
get very hot. The average high for July and August is 27°C. In August, 4 days
on average will see the mercury rise above 32.3°C (90F), though humidity hovers
around 60% which helps to keep the heat bearable. While rainfall is fairly
consistent all year round, the months from July to September are driest, with
August only averaging 9 days of rainfall,
and September only 7 with an average of 33mm of rain.
Early
summer is the least foggy time of the year. The skies are clear and the average
hours of sunshine per day reach 9 to 10. From April through until the end of
July, there are 15 to 17 days per month that witness noticeable fog, before
picking up to 23 days in September and peaking at 25 days in January.
The
temperature
stays warm through into September, before dropping quite dramatically come
October, when the average high is 16°C and the minimum falls to 8°C.
In
November winter weather sets in with 5 days of the month seeing snowfall.
November, on average, will have 13 days below freezing. December and February see
10 days with snowfall each, with December seeing 22 days for the month when the
mercury drops below freezing. January generally has the most days of snow,
averaging at 13 days. Daily hours of sunshine
fall to 1 or 2 hours per day as the sky becomes overcast more frequently and
the days shorten.
The
coldest month is January, which has an average minimum of -3°C. December and
February each see average daily minimums of -1°C, which is still tolerable and
can be conquered by a good thick jacket, scarf and a pair of gloves. While in
the winter Budapest
can get very cold, the city looks amazing in its blanket of snow.
By
March the winter is well into its retreat. The average daily maximum picks up
to 11°C, sunshine rises to 5 hours per day and days with fog reduce to 22. Humidity
also drops to 67%, before falling into the low 60’s as spring settles in.
Springtime is an excellent time to visit Budapest
as it is outside of peak tourist season and by May the average daily maximum
has risen to a pleasant 22°C. However, May is generally the wettest month of
the year; March and April are considerably drier.
Hungary’s capital city is divided by the river Danube. It was originally two cities, Buda and Pest, which united in 1873. Buda lies on the west side of
the Danube and Pest on the east. Many visitors
to Budapest will express their preferences
toward Buda or Pest, as the two halves see
great contrasts. Buda’s green hills rise dramatically up from behind the river
side. You can ride a cable car up to the top of the hill and take in the
spectacular view of the river and the vast cityscape. Pest
is the ‘younger’ and ‘hipper’ part of town where you will find backpackers,
vibrant night life and eclectic markets.
Budapest is considered one of the most beautiful cities in
Europe. While it attracts more than 20 million
visitors a year, it has managed to avoid a tacky tourist feel. This is an
authentic Hungarian city.
DEBRECEN
Lying
220km East of Budapest is Hungary’s
second largest city, Debrecen, which
sits in close proximity to the Hortobagy national park. Debrecen
gets slightly cooler than Budapest,
with winter lows falling to -6°C in the coldest month of January. Rainfall in
Debrecen is
pretty similar to Budpaest though marginally higher. The wettest months see
about 13 days of rain for the month, and the driest months about 8 or 9 days of
rain. While the wettest month in Budapest (May)
records 72mm of rain, the wettest month in Debrecen is July which sees just over 80mm
precipitation. In terms of sunshine, conditions here are pretty similar to those
described in Budapest,
with the summer days seeing 10 hours of sunshine
and the height of winter only seeing 2 hours.
(see
here for Debrecen
weather averages across the year)
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