Hungary

Of course, we have exaggerated somewhat but then that happens with all clichés. Often it is enough just to lift the lid to discover the spark of truth beneath. Take the puszta, for example. Painted in richly romantic colours by tourist operators, the real face of this region, known not without reason as the "barren land", lies behind the glossy pictures. The importance of the puszta as an area of historic cultural landscape with its unique flora and fauna which must he preserved at all costs can easily be overlooked. It is the same with the feeling of timelessness and breadth (in a comparatively small country!), as Sándor Petöfi means when he writes that here "earth and heaven meet". Generally speaking the Hungarian countryside, with a few exceptions such as the Aggtelek Caves, is seldom spectacular, but on the other hand it offers endless variety and numerous opportunities to relax - in particular, by means of walking holidays, taking the waters at one of the many spas and, above all, by horseback riding. For many years Lake Balaton has been Hungary's major tourist region, but the hilly hinterland with its vine-covered slopes also has its charms. Pretty little historic towns with their lovingly restored Baroque and Art Nouveau style buildings contrast with the capital Budapest where old and new sit side by side - ranging from Roman burial sites to a sculpture park with the veteran heroes of its Communist past.