Hungary is one of central Europe’s gems sitting at crossroads of the continent. From the beautiful castles you need to explore to the traditional foods you have to try, there’s plenty to keep travelers occupied. Hungary is a – what was once known as Mitteleuropa – and it fuses old Europe and new in its mix of Hapsburg grandeur and Communist-era grittiness. There is a Central European solidity to its food, buildings and culture, but the more exotic, and undeniably romantic, founding myth of the nomadic, warrior Magyars from the Central Asian steppe is also key to Hungarians’ fiery national pride.