Product Description

Your holiday starts the moment you open the guide … "The best guide available. Packed to the brim with colour photos, maps and essential information." Amazon Reader review. Whether you wish for tranquillity in one of the country’s great nature reserves or to pamper yourself in one of the top-class thermal spa resorts, this latest volume in the award-winning Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Travel Guide series covers every aspect of this fascinating country. Using the unique cutaway maps and 3D models explore the first-class museums and palaces of Budapest, marvel at the beautifully preserved medieval old town of Sopron, and bathe in the warm summer waters of the giant Lake Balaton. Clue up on the basics from venerated sites of worship such as Pannonhalma Abbey and Esztergom Basilica to where to enjoy skilled horsemen in the vast expanse of the Great Plain. Full-colour maps, city plans, thematic tours and walks enable you to explore the capital and the regions in depth, and with special features explaining everything from Hungary’s cultural heritage to where to sample the delicious wines of Tokaj and Eger, you’ll have all you need for an unforgettable stay. Winner of the Guardian & Observer ‘Best Guide Books' Award and Wanderlust Magazine Silver Award for 'Top Guidebook'

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #198717 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-08
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

Amazon.co.uk
If the Eyewitness Travel Guide to Hungary does not inspire you to pack your bags and head off for a fascinating country, you either have no soul of adventure or you have not allowed the appeal of this very cherishable book to work its fascination on you. If the latter’s the case, it's hard to think what kind of travel guide would do the trick for you. In a portable (if slightly heavy) shoulder-bag size, this volume nosedives into one of the smallest (and most interesting) states in Europe, covering every possible point of interest, such as a two-page spread illustration of Budapest at a glance (a later section details the city’s entertainment), or the intriguing Northern Highlands (with its jumble of grand palaces and castles, atmospheric caves, grottoes and thermal springs). All of this section makes for a startling contrast with the more cosmopolitan delights of Hungary's most famous city.

Of course, it is the unmatchable formula of the DK Eyewitness Guides itself that excels once again, with its detailed maps and schematics (the latter illustrated with sharp, well-chosen photographs and relevant paintings, the latter spread across the central image in the manner of comic strip balloons), the carefully judged text and unerring sense of exactly what it is realistic to see in the country being discussed. And while this ironclad formula is common to all the guides, Hungary -- undoubtedly one of the most unusual destinations in Europe – is the kind of basic material which the editors (including, as a main contributor, Craig Turp) can render effortlessly fascinating. If you’ve resisted Hungary so far, it might not be a bad idea to pick up this guide and book those tickets now. --Barry Forshaw

Customer Reviews

Could have been twice as big...disappointing!
I'd been waiting years for DK to update their Hungary guidebook, so was disappointed to find that there's actually a lot missing from it. It is, incidentally, only about the same size as the Warsaw one: amazing given how much there is to see in Hungary compared to that one city. Some of the major attractions are covered only briefly and the pictures are smaller and less frequent than in other DK guides. Some omissions are fairly glaring (e.g. Bábolna), whereas others would have been really nice (e.g. the bear park at Veresegyház - probably Hungary's most wonderful attraction and one which could do with a few more visitors!) The list of restaurants / coffee houses is pretty limited and a fair amount of very useful factual information has also been left out (for example, a map of the Budapest Metro).

So, in summary, an opportunity missed by DK, which is disappointing given (1) the price and (2) the beauty, interest and spectacular range of attractions that this wonderful country has to offer...

Another superb dk eyewitness travel guide
Another consummate title in this eminently capable series. This was the perfect guide to a fortnight's sojourn in this beautiful country: an expert guide, and pocket-sized!