Hungary is a small landlocked country in the center of Europe. Its blend of Eastern and Western traditions, beautiful landscapes, gipsy music, enchanting folk art and rich, excellent food makes it a favorite of travellers.The beauiful capital, Budapest, is composed of two wonderfully romantic cities that face each other acoss the magnificent Danube. They were united only a century ago. Buda with its Castle District and hills, narrow streets, charming squares and Gothic style churches is medieval in character, while Pest, located on a plain , is a lively metropolis with luxury hotels wide tree-shaded boulevards and flower decked restauants. The Royal Palace dating back to the Middle Ages, the Rococo town houses that line crooked little streets, Fisherman's Bastion with its belvederes and arcades, and the magnificent Art Nouveau baths are but part of the appeal of this wonderful spa city, where visitors from around the world come to "take the waters".

COUNTRY INFORMATION Area: 93,030 square kilometres Population: 10,200,000 inhabitants Capital City: Budapest Currency: Hungarian Forint (HUF) Languages: Hungarian & Magyar Time Zones: Winter: GMT + 1, Summer: GMT + 2 Country Phone Code: 36 Electricity : 220 volts, European 2 round thin pins. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS A valid passport is required for any traveller. Most of African, Asian and South American passport holders do need a visa. French, German & Spanish passport holders only need an identity card. Weather   J F M A M J J A S O N D C° -0.5 2 6.4 11.8 16.6 19.7 21.5 20.9 16.9 11.5 5.7 1.5 F° 31 36 44 53 62 67 71 69 62 53 42 35 Meeting Venues in Hungary

USEFUL INFORMATION National Public Holidays: New Year's Day (Jan 1st); 1848 Commemoration Day (Mar 15th); Easter Monday (Apr 24th); Labor Day (May 1st); Constitution Day (Aug 20th); Republic Day (Oct 23rd); Christmas (Dec 25 & 26 th). Tipping:Tipping is not encouraged. A tip of 5-15% according to quality of service is optional. Banks Opening Hours:Monday-Friday from 9 am to 2 pm. Saturday from 9 am till noon. Health: No shot is necessary. Drink bottle water outside of major cities. Domestic Airlines: Malev Tourism & Leisure Your heart will rock between Buda and Pest. Buda, on the hill, the ancient, with its history and royal charms. Pest, the modern city with its baroque style, its bourgeoisie and imperial feelings. Rest yourself by taking a sauna bath In summer, go for a swim at the lake Balaton.