Boutique hotels in Hungary

Hungary pairs grand Habsburg-era architecture with thermal water, paprika kitchens and some of Europe's best value for a small, well-made hotel. In Budapest, boutique stays occupy 17th-century townhouses, Freemason palaces and riverside buildings with castle views; in the wine regions, manors and design hotels sit among the vineyards of Eger, Tokaj and Villány; and around Lake Balaton, wine-and-spa retreats look over the water.

Budapest and the Danube Bend

Budapest is the obvious start, with hotels on both banks of the Danube. Szentendre, Visegrád and Esztergom, all within an hour, add artists' lanes, a hilltop fortress and Hungary's largest basilica.

Wine regions

Eger, Tokaj, Villány and Badacsony have boutique hotels attached to cellars, with tastings of Bull's Blood, Tokaji Aszú and Villányi reds.

Lake Balaton and the west

Tihany, Balatonfüred, the Káli Basin, Hévíz and Badacsony form a lakeside circuit of spa hotels, with Sopron, Kőszeg and Győr as baroque towns near the Austrian border.

The south and east

Pécs, Szeged, Debrecen and Gyula are lively regional cities with historic buildings, and Hollókő is a UNESCO village in the hills.

When to go

Spring and early autumn are ideal. Harvest in September brings festivals in the wine towns, and Budapest's Christmas markets run in December.