Information - History
The legendary Magyar tribes settled in this land at the end of the 9th century. The soil was fertile and rivers and lakes abounded. It was also a central location, that, throughout the next 1100 years resulted in one of the stormiest histories Europe ever produced. Hungarians, (whose name is a linguistic mistake, since its origin, the Ogurs, were Turks, not Magyars...) managed to be on the losing side of most wars; the land, after an expansion in the early medieval centuries, kept shrinking until it reached today's size; people got used to being constantly occupied by Mongols, Turks, Hapsburgs, Germans and Russians - no wonder their national anthem is the saddest such hymn in the world. What is a wonder, though, is that they kept their unique language and culture against all odds, and all 10 millions of them learnt a very special survival skill.
Hungarians love to eat - nobody counts calories here. Love of food is paired with love of good wines - and the land produces plenty of excellent varieties.
A sad history, but good humour and a nonchalant hedonism: this, probably best sums up what Hungarians are all about.
