South Central Hungary

Introducing South Central Hungary

If you’ve had enough of the strait-laced Habsburg influence and want something a bit more Mediterranean, head to Southern Hungary. Historically, the area bordering Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro has often been ‘shared’ between Hungary and these countries, and it’s here that the remnants of the 150-year Turkish occupation can be most strongly felt. In the Danube village of Mohács, the Hungarian army under King Lajos II was routed by a vastly superior Ottoman force in 1526.

The region is bounded by the Danube River to the east, the Dráva River to the south and west, and Lake Balaton to the north. Generally flat, the Mecsek and Villány Hills rise up in isolation from the plain. The weather always seems to be a few degrees warmer here than in other parts of the country; the sunny clime is great for grape growing, and oak-aged Villány reds are well regarded, if highly tannic.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009