What is there to do around Bad Bük?
We were in the area for a weekend Bad Bük thermal baths, on which Hungary celebrates its national holiday. As always, we were interested in what there was to do around Bad Bük. One evening there was live music and dance performances in the dining hall. On another, the tables were set in the Hungarian national colors and decorated with candles.
Visit to the Kemecés Csárda in Szakony near Bad Bük
We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at a Hungarian csárda. We took advantage of the hotel's offer of dinner at a traditional restaurant. Csárdas originated in Hungary in the 19th century.
They were simple inns that offered travelers food, drink, and lodging. Space for horses and carriages was a must. They were usually located a day's journey from towns. This is not the case with the csárda we are visiting, however. It is situated right in the center of the village of Szakony.
Who is a visit to a Csárda suitable for?
Those seeking an authentic cultural experience will feel at home in a csárda. Those looking for a modern lifestyle, however, will be out of place here.
Traditional csárdas were located so far outside of towns because they were intended to evade government oversight. Tax inspectors weren't keen on needing a whole day to travel to inspect one of these establishments. To attract enough customers, most csárdas were situated on roads leading to markets.
Highwaymen appreciated this too. They liked to stay overnight in these inns, as they didn't have to fear pursuit by the gendarmes there. Such inns could also be found around Bad Bük.
These stories sing many Hungarian folk songs. In general, music plays a big role in Csárdas. Our visit is also accompanied by an entertainer, who warms up the guests during the evening more and more. To watch the dancers, with which contortions they move in time to the music, is fun. Good mood is inevitable.
Typical Hungarian food in a csárda near Bad Bük
We're looking forward to the Hungarian specialties at Kemecés Csárda. Finally, the meal is served. And what a meal it is! So much food that the table groans under the weight. Not on plates, but in bowls from which everyone helps themselves.
Noodle soup. A selection of meats including goose legs, pork roulades, and smoked ham hocks. Not suitable for vegans. Served with peppers, potatoes, rice, tomatoes, coleslaw, and other vegetables. The best part, however, is the quark and poppy seed strudel for dessert.
Hungarians love to celebrate, not just around Bad Bük.
The fact that almost all the guests are Hungarian makes our visit even more exciting. We're sitting at a table with a Hungarian family. Although none of us speak each other's language, we're having a wonderful time. With gestures and the help of Petar's notepad, we manage to understand that it's a grandmother with her two daughters and her son-in-law.
He manages a post office in a small town. When they learn our names, they have songs sung in our honor. Grandma proudly shows me photos of her three grandchildren. "One from this daughter, the other two from that one." In Hungarian, of course. But her gestures are unmistakable. It's an evening like we haven't experienced in a long time. Full of hospitality. With lovely people. Funny and full of laughter.
Make your own strudel
The innkeeper of the csárda also contributes to the atmosphere by inviting a few guests to try their hand at making strudel before dessert. Encouraged by the guests, the volunteers attempt to stretch the strudel dough so thin that one could read a newspaper through it. The man succeeds better than his companion.
She doesn't take the laughter amiss, however. Instead, she tries to mend the holes she's torn in the thin dough. The strudels we subsequently receive on our dessert plates are perfect, though. And they taste absolutely delicious!
Our trip around Bad Bük will remain in our memories.
Travel Arrangements:
Therme Bük Directions
Compare and book flights here*. The nearest airport is Vienna Schwechat. Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Swiss fly to Vienna.
Onward travel with rental car or shuttle from Bad Bük:
For excursions around Bad Bük you can use a Rent a car cheaply and conveniently online * Hunguest Hotel Repce Gold also offers a shuttle service upon request.
Book additional accommodations in Bad Buk here:
Camper Rentals:
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Source: Our own on-site research around Bad Bük. We were invited by... Hunguest Hotel Repce Gold in Bad Bük. We would also like to thank 50Plus hotels for organizing the trip. However, our opinion remains unaffected.
Text Bad Bük: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Video: © Copyright Petar Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline