Fabulous places to bring the Christmas spirit!

Nagykarácsony is a settlement in Fejér county, not far from Dunaújváros. True to its name, the village welcomes everyone with large-scale Christmas programmes during the Advent period. The house of the Hungarian Santa Claus is located here, where every year a varied programme is prepared for children and adult. Next to Santa's house there is the Christmas post office, where we are helped in a very ingenious way to give our loved ones a real surprise: whoever requests it, Magyar Posta forwards their letter to the addressee through Nagykarácsony. The locals put a festive themed decorative stamp on the envelope. Incidentally, Nagykarácsony's zip code is also true to the name of the settlement: 2425. In addition to the imaginative postal gift, it is also worth visiting the village in person and immersing yourself in the "Nagykarácsony" atmosphere.

Sisi fans probably know that in the 1870s, Queen Elizabeth and her family loved to spend the Christmas holidays in Gödöllő. The December period in those years was a time of splendour within the walls of the Royal Castle - and now the atmosphere is alive again: as part of the Advent Castle Days, visitors are waited with many programmes in the Royal Castle of Gödöllő between 14-15 December! In the castle park, visitors can see a unique light installation: the symbols of the life of the royal court and Sisi “come to life" using nearly 250,000 energy-saving LED bulbs and 14 kilometres of string lights. A real world of Christmas fairy tales moves to the Palm House for the Advent weekend, and you can also take part in numerous educational and fairy-tale performances, guided museum-pedagogic exhibitions, craft activities and concerts!

The creation of gingerbread models of villages and towns is in its heyday. Csömör also joined in 2019, the residents joined forces and spent more than two months creating a small, sweet replica of the village. The exhibition has been beautified and expanded over the years. In addition to the many exciting programmes of the Advent fair, after mumbling a chimney cake, you can see the snow-covered rooftops of "our sweet little village" at the House of Slovak Traditions in Csömör, which makes the gingerbread creations even more special with its unique lighting.

The town of Gyula comes alive again in December, as the Gyula Honey and Gingerbread Festival is coming! This festive event awaits both honey lovers and those who like the Christmas atmosphere, and it promises really sweet experiences. In addition to the products of traditional honey makers, beekeepers and gingerbread masters, spectacular programmes, craft activities and mouth-watering tastings make this honey weekend special. Let's get ready for the wonderful scents and Christmas miracles!

There are few things more beautiful than when the first snow falls in anticipation of Advent, dressing the landscape in white. If you would like to spend the holidays with active rest - for example, by hiking - or if you would like to stay in the safe warmth of an accommodation at the edge of the forest, it is worth directing your attention to Bakony, because you can do all this at the Tejfeles Guest House at the foot of Kőris Mountain. The guest house is located on the line of the National Blue Trail, right on the edge of the forest, so a picture fit for a fairy tale unfolds before our eyes while sipping morning coffee or evening mulled wine.

Put on your boots and head through the Cuha Valley to the top of Kőris Hill, the highest point of Bakony. With a bit of luck, you can even see deer on the way! You can take an easy hike to the local Lake Gyilkos, the view is worth every step. As a way of relaxation, you also have the opportunity to take a relaxing bath in the Várkert spa in Pápa, and if you still have some energy left at the end of the day, Veszprém awaits with great restaurants and attractions.