When planning a trip to Hungary, your mind might instantly wander to the capital city of Budapest, which is well known for its unique attractions and low costs.
But it seems there are a number of other spots in the country you’ve been missing out on, including one that is said to be home to one of the ‘most romantic’ places in Hungary.
The lesser-frequented city of Miskolc is located in the north-east of the country and is the fourth largest city in Hungary.
The location reportedly gets a ‘bad rap’ with Hungarians for being rather industrial, but there’s a lot on offer for tourists — including some very cheap pints.
According to traveltables.com, domestic beer on average costs 500.00 Ft in Miskolc, which works out around £1.14 for a pint. An absolute steal!
If you’re intrigued by this ‘destination dupe’, these are the travel essentials to know about planning a trip…
Travelling to Miskolc
If you’re considering going then you’ll be pleased to know that it won’t cost you an arm and a leg to get there, and it’s not a long journey.
The city doesn’t have it’s own airport, so you’ll need to fly in to nearby Košice international airport, and non-stop flights take around two hours and 25 minutes from London.
You can then drive from Košice to Miskolc, which takes just over an hour.
A quick search at the time of publishing shows that Ryanair has non-stop flights available right now with prices starting from £25.
For those who don’t want to fly from London, there are also flights available from Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh, however these all involve stops and are significantly pricier.
Alternatively, you could travel to Budapest, and then get a train from there to Miskolc.
Things to do in Miskolc
As well as enjoying cheap drinks, there are also some fantastic things to see and do in the surrounding area.
The city is well known for having some iconic architecture, including a number of fabulous churches, galleries and a castle, but one of the most popular attractions is the Cave Bath of Miskolctapolca.
It’s a unique swimming experience in a natural underground thermal spring, which is, you guessed it, located in a cave.
Many people believe that bathing in the underground spa does wonders for reducing joint pain and inflammation. The thermal waters have a low salt content and are kept at around 30°C. Something about the climate is claimed to be ‘curative’, whether or not that’s true will be for you to find out…
The cave bath is in one of the suburbs of Miskolc, located about a 15-minute drive from the centre of the city, so very easy to get to.
Over on Tripadvisor, the cave bath has hundreds of excellent reviews, with many users branding it a ‘unique’ and ‘amazing’ experience.
Kaja C said: ‘Among many thermal baths in Central Europe Miskolctapolca has something very original and distinctive — the caves! The caves make this place magical, with beautiful lights and pleasant ambiance.
Top travel tip
When visiting Miskolc, it could be worth purchasing a Miskolc Pass Tourist Card. The card allows you to enjoy discount at various restaurants, bakeries, hotels and pharmacies around the city.
You can also gain free entry to 10 of the main attractions in Miskolc with the card and the best part is that it permits you to use local transport in the city for free.
There are a few different options available depending on how long you’re travelling for, including a 24hr pass, a 48hr pass, a 72hr one or 120hr pass.
For more information visit miskolcpass.com/en/miskolc-pass-tourist-cards
‘Water temperature varies between the pools, there’s many options to chose from. We did a weekend family trip with the kids age 4 & 5 and we all had a blast. (Take some floating equipment for the little ones).’
While ch0cbr0wnie writes: ‘What a unique place! We had a really good time there, very beautiful caves, especially one with the great echo. People get silly there and we were no exception. Highly recommend if you are in the area.’
Also located a short distance from the city is another must-visit spot, which has been hailed one of the ‘most romantic’ places in Hungary.
A 23-minute drive, or 40-minute bus journey, will take you to Lillafüred, a town that is considered to be part of Miskolc, despite being almost 12 kilmetres away.
If you’re a fan of Lake Bled in Slovenia, then you’re going to love this place.
Nestled in the Bükk Mountains, Lillafüred looks like something straight out of a fairytale, with the stunning neo-Renaissance style Hotel Palota looming over Lake Hamori.
The small town was built as a tourist resort in the 1890s and has proved a real gem for those visiting Hungary. In the warmer months visitors can hire a row boat and head out on the lake to enjoy the scenic views.
Travel blogger The Common Wanderer describes it as ‘romantic’ and says it’s ‘definitely worth making the trip to northeast Hungary for’.
She adds that the ‘gorgeous’ old-timey state forest railways is also a must for tourists.
And she’s not the only one that’s a big fan, handluggageonly.co.uk added both Miskolc and Lillafüred to their list of the top 13 most beautiful places to visit in Hungary.
They wrote: ‘Miskolc is one of the top five cities in Hungary when it comes to size, making it a great stopover between Budapest and north-east Hungary. Better yet, Miskolc also acts as a gateway to Bukki Nemzeti Park, making it a great spot to visit before (or after) a trip into the countryside.
‘Once here, you’ll find the Otto Herman Museum, the wooden chruch, visit the Castle of Diosgyor and explore the breathtaking Szentharomsag Church. Best of all, you can easily partner a trip to Miskolc with a stop off at Lillafüred.’
The blogger adds: ‘Officially, Lillafured is one part of Miskolc. That being said, it has it’s own totally unique charm and history that shouldn’t be missed when in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county.’
Best time to visit Miskolc
Mid-May to mid-September is widely considered to be the best time to visit, since it’s the warmest and sunniest period of the year – with little rain.
Your Daily Horoscope
During the peak summer months temperature highs reach 27°C, whereas the winters in Miskolc are very cold and snowy, with chilling lows of -5°C in January.
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