Hungary concentrates most of its draw in Budapest, a city built on two banks with different characters — hilly Buda with the castle district, flat Pest with the boulevards and the parliament. Beyond the capital, Lake Balaton is the summer destination and the thermal towns spread across the country.
The guides here cover Budapest and Hungary overall. Thermal baths operate year-round and are as much a local institution as a tourist activity; the older ones have separate rules and schedules worth checking. Budapest is comfortable from spring through autumn, hot in midsummer, and adds Christmas markets in December. Balaton fills up in July and August and quiets down almost entirely outside them.