Page 25 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Hungary

A POR TR AIT OF HUNGAR Y  23

A grape-picker with grapes ready for making into Tokaji wine
food. With jobs becoming rare and hopes towns and villages owe everything to
fading away, there is a growing and Budapest. The imperial majesty of the
unprecedented new tendency for capital is captivating but the rest of
Hungarians to leave the country. Hungary also has a wealth of history,
But Hungary does have a long history of character and architecture to offer. Several
innovation and discovery, and boasts an ongoing projects and develop ment
enviable list of world-class scientists, programmes – many co-founded by the
engineers and inventors. Vitamin C, the EU – address this issue, and the Hungary
biro, the safety match – not to mention outside of Budapest is developing fast.
the world-renowned Rubik’s Cube – all Yet central Hungary, with Budapest at
originated here. Hungarians continue to its heart, is still home to one third of the
tread new paths, and since 1989 Hungary population and produces nearly half of
has developed as a centre of scientific the country’s GDP.
research; indeed, governments of all
political persuasions have promoted their
country as a knowledge-based economy.
Modern Life
If modern Hungary has one drawback,
though, it is the dependence on the
capital for everything. To borrow an old
French expression about Paris, many
people here believe that “when Budapest
sneezes, Hungary catches cold”. Although
the country’s geography and history may
dictate in some ways that all roads lead
to Budapest, it is often frustrating when
the best way of travelling from one place
to another is via the capital. Provincial
Hungarians find it particularly galling and
a constant reminder that their own cities, Outdoor dining at one of Szentendre’s restaurants

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