Page 694 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Europe

692  CENTR AL AND EASTERN EUROPE

control; the eastern region, including taken by the Russians. The subsequent
Transylvania (now in Romania), became Communist rule was ruthlessly upheld,
a semi-autonomous land, feudally tied most visibly in 1956 when an attempted
to the Turks. revolution was crushed by Soviet tanks.
Christian armies led by the Habsburgs Nevertheless, free elections finally took
fought to recapture Buda, and finally place in 1989, resulting in victory for the
defeated the Turks in 1686. Economic democratic opposition. Since then, the
prosperity came with Austrian rule, but country has invested heavily in tourism,
nationalism was cruelly which is now a major source
suppressed, culminating in of income.
a major uprising in 1848.
After crushing the rebellion, Language and Culture
Emperor Franz Joseph I Modern Hungarian, like
sought to unite the two Finnish, derives from a
nations, and so created language originally spoken
the Dual Monarchy of by the Finno-Ugric tribes of
Austro-Hungary in 1867. the Urals. It differs greatly
Following World War I, from most other European
the Habsburg Empire was languages, although Slavic,
dismantled, and Hungary German, Caucasian, Latin,
lost two-thirds of its territory Mátyás Corvinus, King of Hungary and Turkic words have been
to the “successor states” of (1458–90) incorporated.
Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Traditional peasant culture
and Romania. It was to regain these was all but destroyed in the 20th century,
territories that Hungary backed Germany but folk songs and dances still survive;
in World War II, but in 1945, Budapest was Christmas and Easter are the best times
Krakow
Kiev
Exploring Hungary Zilina
Budapest has a pivotal location at the heart of SL OV AKIA 37 Bodrog UKRAINE
central Europe, and it is also the perfect base Vienna 26 4
for exploring Hungary itself. Szentendre, with Bratislava Miskolc
its Serbian religious art, and Esztergom, where Salgótarján 25 Tokaj 36 Szamos
Hungary’s first Christian king was crowned, are Eger Nyíregyháza
both only a short drive north, while Lake Balaton M1 Esztergom 21 3 M3
10 M3
lies only a little further west. Pécs, a treasure Gyr 11 Szentendre M35
trove of European history, lies to the south, 85 M1 Tatabánya M3 Tiszafüred Debrecen
while Eger and Tokaj stand in the wine- AUSTRIA 84 86 BUDAPEST Tisza 33
producing area to the east; the former, 81 31 32 34
M7
with its castle and Turkish minaret, is one Szombathely 83 Székesfehérvár M5 4
of Hungary’s most popular towns. Rába 8 50 Szolnok 4 Berettyóújfalu Bucharest
Graz 8 42
Veszprém HUNGAR Y 47
Zalaegerszeg 76 84 71 Körö s
Lake Siófok 61 52 Kecskemét ROMANIA
86 Balaton 51 44 44
Sights at a Glance M7 45 Békéscsaba
1 Budapest pp694–9 SLOVENIA 75 74 M6 44
2 Szentendre Ljubljana M7 61 65 Danube 53 5
3 Esztergom Nagykanizsa 61 Kaposvár Kiskunhalas M5
4 Lake Balaton Szekszárd 47
5 Pécs 68 66 55 Szeged 43
6 Eger 0 kilometers 50 Zagreb Pécs 55
7 Tokaj 0 miles 50 6 6 M6
CROATIA 51
SERBIA Timisoara
58
For hotels and restaurants see p704 and p705 Zagreb Belgrade
D ra va
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