Berehove

Berehove is the centre of Transcarpathia's Hungarian community and the town reads that way, from the street signs to the food. Thermal water at around thirty-three degrees is piped into open-air pools that stay open through the winter, which is the main draw, and the volcanic soils around the town have carried vineyards for centuries, with cellars along the Muzhiyevo hills. The old centre keeps a run of Secession-era buildings from the Austro-Hungarian period.

What you actually see

• The thermal pools - open-air baths at around thirty-three degrees, open year round.
• The wine cellars - hillside cellars in the villages around the town.
• The Secession buildings - the county hall and other Austro-Hungarian architecture.
• The bilingual town - Hungarian and Ukrainian side by side in daily use.

When to go

Thermal bathing works all year and is best in cold weather. May to October suits the wine villages and the walking. Weekends fill the pools.

Honest expectations

The pools are basic and get crowded; they are a local resort rather than a polished spa. Much of the old architecture is in poor repair. Wine cellar visits need arranging locally.

Nearby

Mukachevo is northeast, and the Valley of Daffodils is east near Khust.