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You’ll probably arrive in Hungary without any expectations about the native food, which means you’re in for a pleasant surprise! This country’s cuisine is hearty, tasty, and easy to embrace. Start with the Hungarian classic, goulash, a beef soup typically made with potatoes and vegetables. Whether you eat it at a restaurant or get it homemade, goulash is comfort food you can count on. Other popular Hungarian dishes like lángos (fry bread), fözelék (a unique vegetable stew), cabbage stuffed with meat and rice, paprikash (chicken in a paprika cream sauce), and rakott krumpli (layered potatoes) will have you developing a sincere appreciation for Hungarian food. Satisfy your sweet tooth with Hungarian desserts like krémes, a pastry filled with vanilla custard; dobostorta, a chocolate buttercream sponge cake; and kürtȍskalács, spiral-shaped pull-apart bread rolled in sweet spices. By the time you’re ready to return home, you won’t want to leave Hungary’s food behind.The arts in Hungarian culture are a mix of the standard and the different: folk music and dance, the embroidery of traditional costumes worn in dances and parades, porcelain production, classical and contemporary classical music, art museums and galleries, and a complex literary history. Take lessons in Hungarian dance at one of Budapest’s dance houses, where local amateurs and professionals alike gather to keep the tradition alive. Hear the music of famous Hungarian classical composers Franz Liszt, Bartók, and Kodály performed in their homeland. Visit one of the largest porcelain factories in Europe, Herend, which opened in 1826. Spend an afternoon at the annual Festival of Folk Arts, tour the Hungarian National Gallery to see fine art, or take a look at some of the country’s newest paintings in the industrial Budapest Art Factory. Visit one of the city’s many independent bookstores that carry plenty of titles in English and find out more about Hungary’s past of literary censorship and political resistance. However you want to get in touch with Hungary’s creative side, you have plenty to explore.
If spending time in the great outdoors is more your speed, the Hungarian landscape offers an abundance of beautiful spots to discover and enjoy. Sunbathe on the banks of Lake Balaton, Central Europe’s largest lake, or venture onto the water to sail, wind surf, or cave dive. Stroll across charming vineyard grounds in the Tokaj wine-growing region or go spelunking in the caves of Aggtelek National Park. Hike through Hortobágy National Park where you can see hundreds of bird species, Hungarian Grey cattle, water buffalo, sheep, and horses. Hortobágy is the largest semi-natural grassland in Europe. Take a long dip in Lake Héviz, the world’s largest thermal lake, if you want an alternative to Budapest’s many thermal baths. For a fun afternoon close to Budapest, visit Margaret Island Park on the Danube River, where you can sit by the musical fountain, go for a run, swim in the Olympic-sized pool, and catch a picture-worthy view of the city from Margaret Bridge. Hungary will remind you why life is better outside. When you study abroad in Hungary, you’ll get the chance to step into a new culture and locale very different from your home country. Pick up some Hungarian language skills as you engage with new friends, classmates, and professors, while enjoying the ease of courses taught in English. Learn more about Hungary’s 20th century history of political upheaval through exposure to the lasting remnants of Soviet and Nazi occupation found throughout Budapest and beyond. Distinguish yourself from students who study abroad in Western Europe and return home with stories you can’t live anywhere else.
