25 Fascinating Hungary Facts That You Won't Believe

Located in central Europe, Hungary is one of the rare landlocked European nations which has one of the oldest underground railway networks in the world.

The capital city Budapest has the highest number of thermal springs globally. The official language spoken in Hungary is Hungarian that is quite different from most other European languages with the exception of Estonian and Finnish.

Lake Balaton in Hungary is the largest freshwater lake in Central Europe. In the whole continent of Europe, the country of Hungary is one of the oldest as it was found long ago in 895 CE.

The Danube River is the longest river in the country. During World War II, Hungary was ruled by a communist government.

The nation has given birth to many famous inventors such as Erno Rubik who invented Rubik’s Cube and Imre Bródy, the person responsible for the invention of the krypton electric bulb. The Tokaji Aszu region in Hungary has the unique distinction of being the world’s foremost official wine region.

It is even known by the title of ‘King of wines.’.

Hungarians love the spice Paprika so much that they have even made it their National Spice. There are even museums dedicated to this delightful spice.

The match of the century in football was won by Hungary in 1953 after they defeated the English national team on the latter’s home turf. The Great Hungarian Plain is home to the cowboys of the country who are similar to the Wild West of America.

If you like this article on interesting facts about Hungary, you might also like to read about Austria facts and Finland facts.

Hungary History

One of the oldest countries in the European continent, Hungary became founded in 895 CE. It is remarkable that the country was found before England, Germany, and even France.

The nation was part of both the Celtic and the Roman empires. After Rome fell, the country was occupied by the Huns who settled in Pannonia. The name Hungary has come from the Huns.

The Kingdom of Hungary was even larger than France in 1000 CE. It was one of the biggest European countries. Sometime later it was also one of the parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Following the Second World War, Hungary came under a communist rule which ended in 1989 when the nation turned into a parliamentary republic. During the Cold War, after the fall of the Soviet Union, Hungary was a staunch opponent of the Soviet regime.

The joining of NATO took place in 1999 while it became a part of the European Union in 2004. In modern Hungary, the head of the armed forces is the Hungarian president while the prime minister looks after the government.

Among the interesting facts about Hungary, the Hungarian Parliament is the largest building in the country and it is also the third-largest parliament on the planet. It consists of 691 rooms and 12.4 mi (20 km) of stairs. Nearly 88 lb (40 kg) gold has been used for the interior decoration of the Hungarian Parliament.

The Hungarian capital Budapest originally consisted of three cities, Old Buda, Pest, and Buda. When the cities were united, the founders had thought of the name Pestbuda for the new city but ultimately settled for Budapest.

The Saint Stephen Basilica in Hungary has kept the mummified hand of the first Hungarian king, Saint Stephen, on display for everyone to see. After his body was exhumated, the people found the right hand was in good condition.

It got stolen by a cleric on whom the duty fell to guard it. The hand was recovered but it began to be transported around the continent of Europe. Queen Maria Theresa purchased the hand and restored it to its original nation.

The Hungarian flag consists of three colors white, green, and red. These are found in the coat of arms with each having its own importance.

The green color resembles the mountains, the white is a symbol of the rivers in the nation while the red is a reminder of the blood of the Hungarians who lost their lives in the battles fought for the country.

The national day in Hungary is August 20 which is known as St. Stephen’s Day. The nation came into being on this day and it is a holiday 

What is Hungary famous for?

The nation has the most number of thermal springs than anywhere else on the planet. The public bathing practice in Hungary goes back to the age of the Roman Empire.

Almost seventy million liters of water rise above the ground every day from the springs. Budapest has more than 123 of these while the total number in the nation exceeds 1,300.

The spas are frequently visited by people for their relaxing atmosphere as well as the intricate architecture bearing Turkish, Roman, and Greek styles. The healing properties of these springs have attracted people from ancient times.

Hungary has won Olympic gold medals in each year they have participated. The nation has over 465 medals to its name.

Hungary does not have any actual sea but the Lake Balaton is so huge that it is called the Hungarian Sea by many people. It offers visitors a chance to do everything from taking a dip to sailing. It is Central Europe's largest lake.

The caves in Budapest are not as well known as the thermal hot springs. But it forms a part of the largest thermal cave system in the world. You can go and explore Szemlö-hegy, a pink-hued cave that is among the few open to the public.

Both the founders of Fox Film Corporation and Paramount Pictures, respectively Vilmos Fried and Adolf Zukor, were born in Hungary. These are two of the largest film producers in Hollywood. Did you know that Michael Curtiz who is known all over the world as the director of Casablanca, was born in Budapest?

Hungary has produced a number of inventors. The popular Volkswagen Beetle was designed by Béla Barényi, a Hungarian engineer. The famous magician Harry Houdini is a Hungarian born in Budapest. Even the ballpoint pen is a Hungarian invention by Laszlo Biro. The nation has seen 13 Nobel Laureates from writers, scientists to economists.

Budapest Metro system in Hungary is the oldest underground railway system in Europe to use electricity. It is also the world’s third oldest railway system that was built underground.

Despite being a landlocked country, Hungary has plenty of water from the thermal springs as well as many lakes and rivers. The Danube River passes through the city of Budapest.

Hungary Culture

Have you heard about the Hungarian cowboys known as ‘csikos’? They entertain visitors in the Hungarian Great Plain with some spectacular horse shows.

The Magyar cowboys live in the large ranches that dominate the area near Kalocsa. The first Hungarians were called Magyars and the tradition of riding horses goes back to those times. The Great Plain of Hungary is similar to the Old Wild West of America.

The Dohány Street Synagogue is the second largest synagogue on Earth and the largest one in Europe. It can house up to 3,000 people.

The Hungarian language is a unique one. It is one of its kind in Europe with little resemblance to any other European language except Finnish and Estonian. It is very difficult to learn for outsiders. The language consists of 44 letters.

The color red has two terms in Hungary, ‘vörös’ and ‘piros’. Both mean the same shade of red but are used with different things. Wine is ‘vörös’ and not ‘piros’ while apple is the vice versa. On the contrary, a rose can be either ‘vörös’ or ‘piros’.

The religion of most Hungarians is Roman Catholic, occupying two-thirds of the population. A quarter of the people are Calvinist while the rest are members of Jewish, Lutheran, and Greek Orthodox communities.

Classical music and traditional folk music has a long history in Hungary with many famous composers having their origin in the nation such as Franz Liszt, Zoltán Kodály, and Béla Bartók.

The literacy rate of the Hungarian population is 99%. About 5% of the GDP is spent on education.

The children complete basic education in eight years with a division of four years apiece. Hungary’s oldest university is the University of Pécs that was established in 1367. There are over 77 institutions in the country for providing higher education to students.

The Sziget Festival in Hungary is a huge cultural festival and one of the biggest in Europe. This takes place on an island in the Hungary capital Budapest every August.

Among other cultural events, the Budapest Spring Festival is one of the most popular in the world with performers coming from all over the planet to take part. It takes place in March.

The naming of a child requires approval from the Hungarian government. The name can be chosen from an extensive list already available. If you want a different name, an approval form has to be filled in with the Research Institute for Linguistics. The Hungarians use their last name when introducing their identity.

The most popular sport in Hungary is soccer. The people of the nation fondly remember their win over England in 1953 in a match which has been dubbed the match of the century.

Hungary Food Facts

The wine culture in Hungary goes back two thousand years ago to Tokaj making it the oldest official wine region. King Louis XIV of France once said that the Tokaji wine is the ‘Wine of Kings, the King of Wine.’ The Bordeaux region in France is the second official wine region in the globe after the Tokaj region.

If you visit Hungary kindly do not cheer with beer glasses as it is considered rude in the country. The custom goes back to 1848 when Hungary lost the revolution. Thirteen Hungarian generals were executed in public and the Austrian people celebrated this by clinking their glasses after every execution.

Gulyás is the national dish of the country that is available all over the globe. This is a world-famous Hungarian soup that is made up of beef, paprika, vegetables, and other spices. The origin of the dish goes back to cattlemen or gulyás from Magyar tribes who looked after their cattle in the Great Hungarian Plains.

The people of Hungary love paprika so much that it is now their national spice. One of the interesting facts about Hungary is that eight types of paprika are available in Hungary.

While some are sweet and mild, some are spicy hot. There are even two museums that have been dedicated to the spice that plays a major role in Hungarian cuisine.

Coffee lovers are found all over the world and Hungary is no exception. It is the national drink of the country. The Hungarians love their coffee black (fekete) or with sugar and lots of cream. However, the cost of living is slightly higher here compared to other countries in Eastern Europe.

Duck liver or foie gras is a controversial food that is produced by Hungary. Only four other countries in the world make it – France, Spain, Belgium, and Bulgaria. The method of its preparation has banned the food from a lot of countries.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Hungary facts then why not take a look at Belgium facts, or Jamaica facts.