This is your destination guide for Hungary.
A castle that beat the Ottomans, a valley of wine cellars, and the sweet wine of kings.
The reality: It's six in the evening in the Valley of the Beautiful Woman outside Eger. You're on a bench at the mouth of a cellar dug into the hillside, and the owner is drawing dark red Bull's Blood straight from the barrel with a glass pipette. There are dozens of cellars on this one curve of road, and every one has a different opinion about which is best.
Eger is a baroque town with a castle every Hungarian knows. In 1552, a small garrison held it against an Ottoman army many times its size. The Ottomans took it later, and left a minaret behind. Behind the town, the Bükk hills are Hungary's biggest stretch of forest.
An hour and a half east is Tokaj, a UNESCO wine landscape of vineyards on old volcanic hills, where the sweet aszú wine has been made for centuries. Do two nights in Eger and two in Tokaj, and get someone else to drive on tasting days.
A castle, a minaret and the best wine street in Hungary.
Eger Castle — every Hungarian child reads the story: in 1552, István Dobó's small garrison, with the town's women fighting on the walls, held off an Ottoman army for weeks. Walk the walls and go down into the underground casemates.
The minaret — slender, and oddly placed among the baroque roofs: the northernmost Ottoman minaret left in Europe. You can climb its tight spiral stair if you don't mind a squeeze.
The Basilica and the baths — the big neoclassical cathedral in the centre, and thermal baths in a park a few minutes away.
Valley of the Beautiful Woman (Szépasszony-völgy) — a short walk or taxi from the centre, a curve of road lined with cellars dug into the soft rock. Most open in the afternoon and evening.
Volcanic hills, mouldy cellars and a wine that kings wrote about.
Tokaji Aszú — autumn mists off the Bodrog and Tisza rivers let a "noble rot" grow on the grapes, which shrivel and concentrate. Picked by hand, berry by berry, they make a sweet golden wine with fresh acidity, served at royal courts since the 1600s. Sweetness was measured in puttonyos, the baskets the grapes were carried in.
Dry Furmint — the best-kept secret. In Tokaj town, Tarcal, Mád and Tállya, winemakers pour dry whites, late-harvest wines and aszú side by side.
The cellars — old tunnels in the hillside, their walls furred with a black mould that keeps them humid. It's harmless, and it's part of the tour.
Sárospatak — north of the hills, the Rákóczi castle on the river, home of the princes who once owned these vineyards.
Forest, horses, a cave and a castle village.
Also on the drive: Lillafüred, a small lake and a grand old hotel in the Bükk hills above Miskolc.
Bull's Blood with dinner, aszú with dessert.
Egri Bikavér (Bull's Blood) — a red blend. Legend says the castle's defenders drank it before battle, and the Ottomans took the stains on their beards for blood. It ranges from rough to serious and spicy.
Egri Csillag — "Star of Eger", the region's white blend.
Hill-country food — pork, wild boar or venison stew, and túrós csusza, pasta with curd cheese and crispy bacon.
A Tokaj tasting — a dry Furmint, a Hárslevelű, a late-harvest wine and an aszú at the end. Have aszú with blue cheese, or on its own.
Harvest is the best time, spring the second best.
May and June — green and warm, 20–26°C, good for walking in the Bükk.
July and August — hot, around 30°C, and the Eger valley is busy at weekends.
September and October — harvest. In Tokaj the aszú grapes are often picked into November. Villages hold harvest festivals and the vineyards turn gold.
Winter — cold, around 0°C. Many Tokaj cellars open by appointment only, but Eger's baths and the cave bath at Miskolctapolca are at their best.
A train to Eger, a car or a driver for the vineyards.
By train — direct trains from Budapest Keleti reach Eger in about two hours. For Tokaj, change at Miskolc. Both town centres are walkable.
By car — the easiest way to link Eger, the Bükk and Tokaj. Motorways need an e-vignette (e-matrica).
Hungary has zero tolerance for alcohol when driving. Not one glass. On tasting days, use a taxi, a local driver or a guided wine tour.
Compare rental cars →A baroque town, a wine village or the hills.
Eger old town — hotels and guesthouses in baroque buildings, walking distance from the castle and the cellar valley.
Szilvásvárad — guesthouses at the edge of the Bükk, for walking and horses.
Tokaj town — small hotels on the river, the easiest base without a car.
Mád or Tarcal — winery guesthouses among the vines. Taste without driving.
Eger and Tokaj are much cheaper than Budapest. A glass of good wine at a family cellar costs less than a coffee in Vienna. The expensive bit is top aszú, which can cost as much as a fine Sauternes.
Prices in 2026 Hungarian forint. 10 000 Ft is about €25. Harvest weekends in Tokaj fill up, so book ahead.
Go if you want a castle with a real story, a whole valley of wine cellars and a tasting of one of the world's oldest sweet wines. Skip if you don't drink or only have a day. Four nights, two towns and someone else doing the driving.
Found this useful? Share it.
One new way to travel. Every Thursday.
Not deals or destinations — methods. House sitting, night trains, repositioning cruises, and what each one really costs.
Ever thought of travelling this way?
Overnight Ferries
Sleep on a ship that has to cross anyway. A two-berth cabin with a shower for less than a hotel room — and you wake up in another country.
Read article →Campervan Relocations
Rental companies need their vans driven back. Four berths, a kitchen and a shower for about a euro a night — and a country you would never have picked.
Read article →Farm Stays
A few hours’ work a day on a farm, and a bed and dinner at the family table in return. Pick grapes in Portugal in September and again in New Zealand in March.
Read article →👇 Tap one, or just type
