It was the trip of a lifetime for us -- My Hunky Story of our Hungarian Vacation Travel.
Ah, the start of the adventure -- the start of a Hungarian story, my Hungarian story -- my trip of a lifetime! We originally flew into Venice, Italy, where we spent several days before embarking on the night train into Vienna, Austria. The train ride itself was an adventure worthy of its own lens; well, perhaps when I have some time! From Vienna, we caught a regional train into Hungary--the commencement of this memorable pictorial!
To get a real taste for Hungary and Eastern European travel, I highly recommend that you take a regional train and go for that night train! Trust me, you won't soon forget it.
I've written several related lenses, showcased below, which complement this particular lens as a pictorial of our vacation in Eastern Europe in May 2004. P.S. You'll get to see much of my personal photography from this trip in the various text modules and as a slideshow!
Cast your vote -- would you contemplate a "hunky" story?
First Leg of the Journey :: The Night Train to Vienna
Getting out of Venice, Italy
On Saturday, May 22, 2004, we took the night train with a sleeper cabin from Venice to Vienna. The train ride was approximately 7-1/2 hours.
Treno nr. ICN 771. In 1A classe prenotazione obbligatoria; Carrozze-letti; Carrozze-cuccette.
- Venezia S. Lucia
- Venezia Mestre
- Udine
- Pontebba
- Tarvisio Boscoverde
- Tarvisio Centrale
- Villach Hbf
- Klagenfurt Hbf
- Leoben Hbf
- Bruck a. d. Mur
- Wiener Neustadt Hbf
Next Leg of the Journey :: The Day Train to Keszthely
Leaving Vienna, Austria for Hungary
Arriving in Vienna, Austria, on Sunday, May 23, 2004, we literally had to jump off the train as it was a quick stop. We grabbed a little breakfast and made arrangements to catch another train over the border to Sopron. There we were escorted to a train that surely must have run during the first or second World War. Another 4 hours and we ultimately arrived in Keszthely, Hungary.
Treno nr. ER 7761. Solo 2a classe.
- Wiener Neustadt Hbf
- Mattersburg
- Sopron
- Buk
- Szombathely
- Sarvar
- Celldomolk
- Sumeg
- Tapolca
- Keszthely
Hungary

The regions of Hungary include:
Budapest
Central Danubia
Central Transanubia
Lake Balaton
Southern Transdanubia
Western Transdanubia
Northern Hungary
Northern Great Plain
Southern Great Plain
Lake Tisza.
Club Dobogómajor: Hungarian Timeshare
RCI Exchange ~ Club Dobo

Club Dobogómajor
Hevizi Utca 1, Cserszegtomaj, Hungary
Phone: (36) 83.531.991
Abbazia Group
Cserszegtomaj is a village between the town of Keszthely and the famous spa town Hévíz. The resort is situated 800m from the largest thermal lake in central Europe, where you can swim year round due to the water temperature.
Lake Balaton, with all its water sport facilities, is only 6 km. away. The area north of Lake Balaton is famous for its landscapes and vineyards. The town of Keszthely offers shopping facilities and a picturesque castle.
Please be sure to visit my lens on Club Dobogómajor as I've added more pictures there of the club and grounds.
Club Dobogómajor: Cabins

What a wonderful place to stay in western Hungary. We were very fortunate to find this through a timeshare exchange.
It's not often I give a place a 4-star recommendation, but I'm highly endorsing this place.
Our cottage actually looked just like the one in the picture.
Cserszegtomaj at a glance
Cserszegtomaj is a village in Zala county, Hungary.
Festetics Castle - Keszthely
Keszthely is a Hungarian town of 23,000 inhabitants located on the western shore of Lake Balaton.
Though settled since at least Roman times, the first historical evidence of the town Keszthely dates from a 1247 document. Since 1421, Keszthely has been a market town.
Of interest to sightseers are Festetics Castle, built 1745, and the Balaton Museum, displaying geological and archaeological exhibitions.
My hubby took this particular picture.
Keszthely at a glance
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Keszthely is a Hungarian town of 23,000 inhabitants located on the western shore of Lake Balaton.
Though settled since at least Roman times (the Keszthely culture of Romance pannonian language), the first historical evidence of the town Keszthely dates from a 1247 document. Since 1421, Keszthely has been a market town.
Of interest to sightseers are Festetics Palace, built 1745, and the Balaton Museum, displaying geological and archaeological exhibitions.
The Faculty for Agriculture of University of Pannonia is located in Keszthely.
Hévíz at a glance

Heviz is a town in Zala county, Hungary.
Tofurdo in Heviz
Tofurdo is the well known spa located in the town of Hévíz which is near Lake Balaton.
Tofurdo Flowers
The grounds surrounding and leading up to the Tofurdo spa, were beautifully-kept.
It was amazing to see the amount of organization that went into planting all these flowers.
White Egret - Lake Balaton

According to an old legend, deep in the middle of Lake Balaton, there is a church with a girl inside, who is feeding the silky waters of the lake with her tears.
Lake Balaton at a glance
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Lake Balaton, in the Transdanubian region of Hungary, is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of its foremost tourist destinations. As Hungary is landlocked, it is often affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea". The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water to the lake, and the canalized Sio is the only outflow.
Budapest at a glance
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Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it serves as the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation center and is considered an important hub in Central Europe. In 2009, Budapest had 1,712,210 inhabitants, down from a mid-1980s peak of 2.1 million. The Budapest Commuter Area (or Greater Budapest) is home to 3,271,110 people. The city covers an area of 525 square kilometres (202.7 sq mi) within the city limits. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with a unification on 17 November 1873 of right-bank Buda and Obuda with left-bank Pest. Budapest is the city with the biggest Jewish population in Europe.
Budapest View

During our stay at The Marriott in Budapest, on the River Danube, the view was incredible.
This is a bit over-exposed view of Capitol Hill at night from our room!
Budapest Train Station

This is the outside view of the train station in Budapest. We crossed under the street on our way to check out one of the major cemetaries.
Budapest Cemetary

We were blown away by the magnificence of this particular monument.
It was probably the most ornate, and expensive, of all the monuments in this particular Budapest cemetary.
Hungarian Church

The churches in the Hungarian countryside were usually pretty old and relatively gothic in structure. We came upon this particular church chapel quite by accident.
Hungarian Violinist
Budapest Marriott Hotel

We stayed in Budapest at The Marriott on the River. Throughout our stay there, we'd sit at the open air cafe out back.
This particular violinist was there every evening playing his violin. I feel this picture truly captures the Hungarian feeling.
Girl with Babushka

This is another picture that I feel captures the Hungarian "mood" in that this little girl is wearing a babushka!
The Sunday we were in Budapest, there was a festival at The Parliament building. A big area had been filled with sand where many children brought their buckets and shovels.
Hungarian Pictorial :: Satu Mare slideshow
I took these photos when I visited Satu Mare
Hotel Dacia - Satu Mare, Romania

Situated in the old center of the city, the Dacia Hotel. It was built in 1902 upon the old City Hall location and the Royal Court. The Dacia Hotel complex is an architectonic jewel realized in Secession style, awarded in 1903 at a architectural exposition in Vienna.
I took this picture which won second place in a photo contest for a Fuji Film company!
E-mail: office@hoteldacia.ro
Phone: 0040.261.715.773
Villa Bódi - Satu Mare, Romania

Situated in the historical center of the city, the building recently renewed shelters recently this villa endowed with air-conditioning, sauna, mini bar, souvenir shop. Classic and elegant, the villa is entirely furnished with XIX century style antic furniture.
We stayed at this hotel and give it a HIGH recommend!
E-mail: villa_bodi@datec.ro
Phone: 0040.261.710.862
Tiled Building - Satu Mare, Romania

We found this artistically-interesting, tiled building a block or two from the center of the city of Satu Mare. It was near a marketplace and hub of activity. I'm currently researching more information about this building.
I took this picture which won third place in a photo contest for a Fuji Film company!
Drop me a line -- I hope you enjoyed my "hunky" story!
I've shared a few of my many pictures of Hungary and its beautiful countryside. I hope you've enjoyed this lens, and maybe some day you will also have the pleasure of traveling to Hungary.>
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Reply
- AndyPo AndyPo Dec 9, 2009 @ 8:33 am
- Great travel lens and a very interesting part of the world
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Reply
- dc64 dc64 May 27, 2009 @ 8:29 pm
- What an adventure! Budapest looks ancient and historical, I would love to visit it. The legend of Lake Balaton is sad. The Dacia Hotel looks like a Grand Palace. There are so many beautiful places in the world and so little time (and money)...sigh.
- Load More
Info: Hungary
- Go to Hungary
- The official website of the Hungarian National Tourist Office, New York.
- Lake Balaton
- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
- Lake Balaton Tourism
- Balaton Regional Touristic Project Office.
- Keszthely
- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
- Pictures of Hungary
- You'll feel like you are actually there visiting Hungary, some of these pictures are that good.
Info: Satu Mare, Romania
- Satu Mare City Hall
- You'll be amazed at what you can learn from this website about the city of Satu Mare!
- History of Satu Mare City
- At the end of World War I and as a consequence of the conditions created by the achievement of the 1918 Union, Satu Mare enjoys a significant development in all domains of the economic, social and cultural life.
Hungarian / Romanian Hotels
- Marriott Budapest
- Apaczai Csere Janos Ut. 4, Budapest 1052, Hungary
It is ranked #11 of 217 hotels in Budapest. Average price: $231. - Hotel Dacia, Satu Mare
- Piata Libertatii nr. 8, Satu Mare, Romania
Satu Mare was formerly Szatmar, Hungary, until after WWI, when it became part of Romania. - Villa Bodi, Satu-Mare
- Liberty Square nr. 5, Satu Mare, Romania 440014
Hungary books
Budapest, Hungary in the news
- Magyar Telekom Denies Unfounded Rumors About CEO's Resignation
- BUDAPEST (Dow Jones)--Hungary's largest telecommunications company Magyar Telekom Nyrt. (MTA) re...
- Archaeologists find grave in Hungary from last period of Roman rule
- ... unearthed a burial place from the 4th century, which was the last period of Roman rule, in the f...
- Stolen remains of Austrian billionaire returned
- BUDAPEST, Hungary ? The stolen coffin containing the remains of Austrian billionaire Friedrich Kar...
- Nationalist guard has no legal recourse in Hungary
- BUDAPEST (JTA) -- Hungary's Supreme Court upheld an order disbanding of the Hungarian Guard, the...
My Other Hungarian Lenses
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Made in Hungary -- Not JUST Goulash!
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As you may have guessed from the title, this lens is about anything that is "made in Hungary." I personally wasn't "made in Hungary" or born there, but my grandfather was. In May 2004, I had the once-in-a-lifetime...
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Club Dobogomajor -- A Hungarian Vacation Resort
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This lens is about a marvelous resort we found in Western Hungary and had the opportunity to visit for one week. I hope you will enjoy this lens and perhaps think about visiting. I'm actually hoping to get back to Club Dobo as it's l...
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Satu Mare, Romania -- Szatmar-Nemeti, Hungary
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Satu Mare is a city located in Satu Mare County in Northwest Romania on the Somes river. It's some 13 km from the border with Hungary and 27 km from the border with Ukraine. What's particularly interesting about Satu Mare is that it was originally a...
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Hungarian Goulash
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Do you remember having stew as a child? I hope you liked it! It sure seems like I used to have lots of stew when I was younger. Think of this as a stew, a stew Hungarian style. That's Hungarian Goulash. Goulash is kno...
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Hungarian Gypsies aka Roma
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For the purpose of my lens, "Hungarian Gypsies," is about the "Roma" people of Hungary/Romania. According to Wikipedia, the Roma are "an ethnic group in Southern and Eastern Europe, Western Asia and the Middle East...
Creative Commons License
Do Squidoo, But Don't Plagiarize ...

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Plagiarism is the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one's own original work ... it is just NOT cool so don't do it!
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