Hungary has a Continental climate,with hot summers with low overall humidity levels but frequent rainshowers and frigid to cold snowy winters. Average annual temperature is 9.7 °C (49.5 °F). Temperature extremes are about 42 °C (110 °F) in the summer and −29 °C (−20 °F) in the winter. Average temperature in the summer is 27 to 35 °C (81 to 95 °F), and in the winter it is 0 to −15 °C (32 to 5 °F). The average yearly rainfall is approximately 600 millimeters (24 in). A small, southern region of the country near Pécs enjoys a reputation for a Mediterranean climate, but in reality it is only slightly warmer than the rest of the country and still receives snow during the winter.

The People’s Republic of Hungary or Hungarian People’s Republic (Magyar Népköztársaság) was the official state name of Hungary from 1949 to 1989 during its Communist period under the guidance of the Soviet Union. It was in this communist regime that the first major opposition movement to the Eastern Bloc communism was formed during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 in which Hungarians demanded freedom, democracy, and an end to political oppression, but they were forced into submission when the Soviet Red Army invaded Hungary and forcibly crushed the revolution and killed the revolution’s leadership. The state remained in existence until 1989 when opposition forces consolidated in forcing the regime to abandon communism. The communist state considered itself the heir of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, which was formed in 1919 and was the second communist state formed after Soviet Russia.

Ugrós (Jumping dances): Old style dances dating back to the Middle Ages. Solo or couple dances accompanied by old style music, shepherd and other solo man’s dances from Transylvania, and marching dances along with remnants of medieval weapon dances belong in this group. Karikázó: a circle dance performed by women only accompanied by singing of folksongs. Csárdás: New style dances developed in the 18-19th centuries is the Hungarian name for the national dances, with Hungarian embroidered costumes and energetic music. From the men’s intricate bootslapping dances to the ancient women’s circle dances, Csárdás demonstrates the infectious exuberance of the Hungarian folk dancing still celebrated in the villages. Verbunkos: a solo man’s dance evolved from the recruiting performances of the Austro-Hungarian army

Hungary today is divided administratively into 19 counties and the capital Budapest.

Tourist classification:

* Great Plain (Great Plains)
* Dunántúl (Transdanubia)
* Balaton (Lake)
* Northern Hungary (wine region of Eger, Tokaj, mountains)
* Central Hungary (Budapest and environs)

Bács-Kiskun is a county located in southern Hungary. It was created as a result of World War II, merging the pre war Bács-Bodrog and Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun counties. With an area of 8,445 km², Bács-Kiskun is the largest county in the country. The terrain is mostly flat with slight emergences around Baja. The county seat and largest city of Bács-Kiskun is Kecskemét.

The county is also part of the Danube-Kris-Mures-Tisa euroregion.

At the foot of the Lővér Hills and just kilometres from Lake Fertő, Fertő-Hanság National Park and Austria, Sopron (German: Ödenburg) is one of the most charming medieval cities in Hungary. With its preponderance of Gothic and early baroque architecture, Sopron is the closest city Hungary has to Prague (though admittedly on a much smaller scale), and exploring the backstreets and courtyards of the Inner Town is like stepping back in time.

Though it can be pretty wet in May and June, spring is just glorious in Hungary. The Hungarian summer is warm, sunny and unusually long, but the resorts are very crowded in late July and August. Like Paris and Rome, Budapest comes to a halt in August (called ‘the cucumber-growing season’ here because that’s about the only thing happening).

Autumn is beautiful, particularly in the hills around Budapest and in the Northern Uplands. November is one of the rainiest months of the year, however. Winter is cold, often bleak and museums and other tourist sights are often closed. Animal lovers might also want to skip this season: many of the women are draped in furry dead things throughout the winter.

Budapest (pronounced /ˈbu:dʌˌpɛʃt/ (AE), also /ˈbju:-/ (BE) or /ˈbʊ-/; Hungarian IPA: ['budɒpɛʃt]) is the capital. As the largest city of Hungary it serves as the country’s principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial and transportation centre.^[1] In 2007 Budapest had 1,696,128 inhabitants^[2] with an official agglomeration of 2,451,418 ^[2], down from a mid-1980s peak of 2.1 million. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube (Hungarians call it the Duna river) with the amalgamation on 17 November 1873 of right-bank (west) Buda and Óbuda (Old Buda) together with Pest on the left (east) bank.

Aquincum, originally a Celtic settlement, was the direct ancestor of Budapest, becoming the Roman capital of Lower Pannonia. Magyars arrived in the territory around 900. Their first settlement was pillaged by the Mongols in 1241-42^[3]. The re-established town became one of the global centres of Renaissance humanist culture in the 15th century. Following nearly 150 years of Ottoman rule, development of the region entered a new age of prosperity in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Budapest became a global city after the 1873 unification^[4] of its three constituents. It also became the second capital of Austria-Hungary, a great power that dissolved in 1918. Budapest was the focal point of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, the Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919, Operation Panzerfaust in 1944, the Battle of Budapest of 1945, and the Revolution of 1956.

Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world^[5][6], Budapest is considered an important Central European hub^[7] for business, culture and tourism. Its World Heritage Sites include the banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter, Andrássy Avenue and the Millennium Underground railway, the first on the European continent^[5][8]. Budapest attracts over 20 million visitors a year^[9], making it one of the top destinations in Europe. The city ranks 74th on Mercer Consulting’s ‘World’s Top 100 Most Livable Cities’ list^[10].