Page 38 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Hungary

36  INTRODUCING HUNGAR Y HUNGAR Y THROUGH THE Y EAR  37

Average Monthly Rainfall Average Monthly Temperature
Temperature Chart
MM Inches °C °F
160 7 Rainfall Chart July and August can
Hungary has only 30 90 boast up to 10 hours
120 6 moderate rainfall. It tends 25 80 of warm sunshine
100 5 to occur in spring and per day, with average
80 4 autumn, with November 20 70 summer temperatures
60 3 being the wettest month, 15 60 a comfortable 22 °C
(71.6 °F). Winters are
followed by January, May
40 2 and June. The country’s 10 50 cold, especially on the
20 1 Northern Mountains 5 40 Great Plain, where bitter
0 0 receive the highest 0 30 winds tend to blow in
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec amounts of precipitation. Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec from the east.
this one-day festival. There are Christmas Gift Markets (Dec),
Autumn goulash cooking competitions, Winter Sopron and Budapest.
Harvest fruits dominate the traditional handicraft fairs and Snows can arrive as early as Throughout December, Fő tér in
calendar in autumn, with wine recitals of poetry dedicated to November, and by Christmas Old Sopron and Vörösmarty tér
and food festivals taking centre the national dish. Most years the country is often covered in in Budapest are the enchanting
stage. Many of the towns along there is also an attempt to break a white blanket. The big freeze settings for Christ mas Gift
the Danube and Tisza hold fish the “world’s largest goulash” does not, however, stop the Markets, attracting shoppers
soup festivals, the largest in Baja. record, with the end product outdoor fun, and natural ice from afar as well as locals.
The capital, meanwhile, attracts shared freely among all. rinks, such as that in Városliget January
runners and sports enthusiasts Winesong Festival (end of Sep), park, Budapest (see p110-11),
for the Budapest Marathon. Pécs and Villány. Wine-makers in are very popular. Szilveszter (New Year’s Eve)
Pécs and on the Villány-Siklós New Year’s Eve in Hungary is
September December
wine road celebrate the harvest traditionally celebrated on the
Pécs Days (mid-Sep), Pécs. by bringing in the best choirs in Christmas Eve (24 Dec), streets. People eat early, grab a
Brass band concerts and wine Hungary for 10 days of wine countrywide. In Hungary this is bottle of sparkling wine and Revellers in menacing costumes at the
tastings are the highlights of and song. There are concerts all the main, most intimate day for head for the free concerts in Busójárás Carnival, Mohács
this week-long festival. along the wine road, with the Christmas celebration, when most city centres. The largest is
Wine Festivals (Sep–Oct) biggest and best held in the close family members have their in Vörösmarty tér, Budapest, Busójárás Carnival (end Feb),
Major wine harvest festivals are main square in Pécs. festive dinner and exchange while there is also a massive Mohács. During the occupation
held in all of Hungary’s wine- Budavári Borfesztivál The Budapest Marathon, one of the presents. Life in Hungary street festival in Szentendre. of Mohács by the Turks, the
producing regions (see pp32–3), (International Wine Festival, Sep), largest in Europe therefore normally comes to a February citizens would dress in menacing
the largest in the Badacsony, and Royal Palace, Buda pest. halt at noon on the 24th, but in masks and costumes in an
at Eger, Balatonfüred and Sopron. Hungary’s largest wine festival October many cases the whole day is Kapos Carnival Days (early Feb), attempt to frighten the occupiers
Vintage wines are cele-brated at features more than 100 Budapest Marathon (early Oct), taken as a holiday. Kaposvár. The whole of Kaposvár away. Today, people still dress
Szekszárd on 14 September. marquees, many offering a Budapest. Taking in the city’s Mikulás (6 Dec). As in many (see p189) appears to take part in up in spooky outfits for Carnival,
Goulash Festival (second Sun of chance to sample the best main sights, including Buda countries in central Europe, this festival of Kapos culture, the which is now a far wider event,
Sep), Szolnok. Hungary’s national Hungarian wines from all of the Castle, Margaret Island and Mikulás (aka St Nicholas or highlight of which is the parade featuring performers of trad-
dish (see pp272–3) is the star of wine-producing regions. Chain Bridge, on its 42-km Santa Claus) visits children on of costumed stilt-walkers. itional and modern music
(26-mile) route, the Budapest this day. Traditional presents Renaissance Carnival Gyula alongside the costume parade.
Marathon has been run every given on St Nicholas’ Day tend (2nd weekend of Feb), Gyula. The
year since 1985. The start is in to be of the edible and sugary grounds of Gyula Castle (see Public Holidays
Hősök tere, and the finish in variety, with larger toys now p245) play host to this medieval-
Városliget (see p110-11). reserved for Christmas. style pageant yearly. New Year’s Day (1 Jan).
Gödöllő Harp Festival (mid- Anniversary of the
Oct), Royal Palace, Gödöllő. Revolution of 1848 (15 Mar)
Every year Baroque musicians Easter Monday (Mar/Apr)
from all over the world Whit Monday (May/June)
converge on the perfect setting
of Gödöllő Royal Palace (see May Day (1 May)
pp138–9) for this renowned National Day (St István’s Day)
series of chamber concerts. (20 Aug)
Anniversary of the 1956
November Hungarian Uprising and the
Szombathely St Martin Week proclamation of Hungary’s
(1st week Nov), Szombathely. democratic constitution in
The town celebrates its patron 1989 (23 Oct)
saint, St Martin of Tours, with All Saints’ Day (1 Nov)
a variety of musical and Christmas (25–26 Dec)
Music and dance at the Tihany Wine Festival theatrical events. Christmas Gift Market, Budapest

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