Where are you planning on travelling to this summer? I bet it is either somewhere famous, predictable, hot, and has a beach. What if I would tell you to think outside the box this year and choose a destination, which most people would not think about? A country where you have never been to, and maybe you are not even familiar with and is located in Central Europe? Hungary.

Budapest is a wonderful city, split into Pest and Buda (east and west side) by the River Danube. Spring and summer are the best times to visit since the weather is very sunny and hot. It\’s worth staying for a week if you can, so you give yourself a chance to get a feel for the city instead of just doing the usual sightseeing quickly.

However before you travel, prepare! Buy a small dictionary, have the most used and important sentences translated for yourself in Hungarian so whatever the situation is you are covered. This is very important because although there are lots of people speaking foreign languages in Budapest, there might be times when these phrases will come useful. On the other hand most things are translated to English already since the city is well prepared for tourism.

Now let\’s talk about what to do with your time in Budapest. Make sure you go up to the Buda Castle with the funicular and visit the National Gallery within the castle building. After that go into Matthias Church, enjoy the view from the Fishermen\’s Bastille, walk around in the castle district and have a cake at Ruszwurm confectionary.

If you love museums and interested in history, visit the Hungarian National Museum and the House of Terror. If you like art check out the Museum of Fine Arts at Hero\’s Square or the Ludwig Museum, which is the museum of contemporary art. In the evening choose an open-air bar or club, I would suggest Szimpla kert or Corvin Teto, which will take you back a few decades in time.

Katalin Pankotay spent years studying and working in English speaking countries. By doing that she familiarized herself with the culture, slang and special jargons. Hungarian to English translation is not at all an effort for her anymore.