Hungary

After soccer, skiing is apparently the most popular outdoor sport in Hungary. It's a shame then, for the 500,000-or-so snow fans who yearn for the slopes each winter, that it's mainly to foreign slopes they head and not their own.

It not's impossible to go skiing or snowboarding in Hungary. In fact, there are around 30 ski slopes here. But most of these are hills with a single rope tow running up the side.

Still, if you're desperate for some action above the snow line in Hungary, why not tack it on to a weekend break to the fabulous city of Budapest.

Technically, you can go skiing or snowboarding on Szabadság Hill (the Normafa) in Budapest. But you probably wouldn't want to test out your brand new board here. Not unless the place had been besieged by blizzards for a week.

An hour away, there's Dobogóko. Again, it's a hill, but if the weather's right, there's a little bit of steep here.

The only real ski resort in Hungary is Kékestetõ - up in the north eastern corner of the country. There's still just one lift and three runs totaling 5 kms - a blue, red and black - but the area is popular with locals and worth a visit if you're in the area. As with other ski areas in Hungary, good skiing or snowboarding at Kékestetõ is dependent on getting the right weather.

Cross country skiing in Hungary, like the alpine variety, is limited. But you'll find a handful of cross country trails here, mainly on forest paths.

Cost

A one-day weekend adult lift pass at Dobogóko ski resort will cost you around HUF3000 (less than US$20). There's a good range of accommodation, especially in Budapest where you'll easily find something to suit your needs whatever your budget.

Getting here

There are regular flights to Budapest from many major European cities.