LAKE FERTŐ LAKE NEUSIEDL
Lake Fertő is Europe's largest aerial port for birds. Thousands of migrating birds heading from Northern Europe to Africa or back find the huge reed jungles of the lake ideal for resting. They find safe and peaceful surroundings here, and what is at least as important, abundant food in the waters of the lake. Apart from the migrating birds, the birds in their hundreds of thousands that have adopted this area as their home make the world of birds around the lake truly wondrous to see. We humans are far less familiar with the lake. Since it lay on the border for many decades, we were weaned away from it, and habits are hard to break. Yet the lake, so rich in natural phenomena is surrounded by beautiful hillside vineyards, and its shores are lined with small towns that look like jewel boxes. Just like in a laboratory, here, too, we can find a rich condensation of much value that belongs to Europe and especially the Carpathian Basin. The area of Lake Fertő, Europe's hidden treasure, is waiting to be discovered again!

There are many other reasons to love Hungary: the wine, the goulash, the scenery, the zigeuner music. Get yourself to the Austrian-Hungarian border, to the old Iron Curtain, wander through the Neusiedlersee area dear readers. Cycle around the lake, visit the border villages of Rust, Mörbisch, Fertőrákos, and Ilmitz. Go bird spotting, look out for the storks, the herons and the great bustard. Criss-cross Lake Neusiedl with regular pedestrian and cycle ferries. Go swimming in the lake 26°C in the summer or ice-skating in winter. Or watch the Mörbisch operetta at the lakeside. Visit the royal palaces and parks at Eisenstadt and Eszterháza. Yes, I may be a Welshman, but I'm also something of a Hungarian at heart. Gwilym Williams-blogwriter