VillGokart

In Villány, in southern Hungary, VillGokart offers an open-air karting track open to all, with no licence or experience. The outdoor layout is driven in the open air, in a sunny region at the southern tip of the country, and people gather as a family or with friends to string together timed laps. It is a welcome leisure venue in this quiet corner near the Croatian border.

Karting is about the simple fun of racing: a briefing, a helmet, and everyone heads off to post their best time. The short format suits beginners as much as regulars working on their lines, and groups happily set up short heats to sort out the drivers. Everyone tries to beat the clock, and people happily come back to improve their time. As the activity takes place outdoors, it is best to check opening times by season before coming.

Villány lies in southern Transdanubia, at the foot of sunny hills that are among the warmest in Hungary. The region holds fine discoveries: the medieval castle of Siklós, one of the best preserved in the country, the thermal baths of Harkány, known for their sulphurous waters, and the open-air sculpture park of the surroundings. The city of Pécs, rich with two thousand years of history, is half an hour away. The region is reached by road from Pécs or the Croatian border, in a southern and unspoilt part of the country.