Whenever people in other countries talk about Hungarian wine, they are most likely referring to ‘tokaji’. The former beer house is home to the museum of the World Heritage wine region, which you should visit before or after the unmissable visit to the wine cellars in Tokaj, combined with a tasting.
The vinegar museum may well change your mind about this special product after you have tasted all the natural fruit and balsamic vinegars on offer. The short film of the history of vinegar gives you plenty of information, as well as being highly entertaining. Everything you always wanted to know about vinegar, but were afraid to ask!
Once you get to know Mád Wine wines, you will believe that they are capable of creating something memorable, and not just in drinks. The building of the Első Mádi Wine House is fascinating, while its menu includes both modern and traditional Hungarian dishes based on locally available resources.
The memory of the Jewish community that once lived here is kept alive by the strikingly beautiful synagogue in Mád. The stones that were used to build it were extracted and transported to the construction site by members of the community. As you step into the building, you will see a space that combines Baroque and Zopfstil elements in spectacular harmony.
The best known of the Rákóczi family estates, it is the most popular sight in Sárospatak. One of the most beautiful works of late Renaissance architecture in Hungary, and home to the relics of the famous family. You must have seen it on the 500 HUF banknote several times, so why not visit it in person?
Not far from Sárospatak, you will find one the most interesting and most photogenic natural wonders of Hungary. As you cross a land reminiscent of Tuscany, follow the sign to reach the former millstone quarry. Rainwater has turned its pit into a scenic lake. The workers of the quarry have carved resting places into the rhyolite rock, which is easy to cut.
One of the hidden treasures of the Zemplén Hills. The wine cellar system of the Swabian village is part of the Tokaj-Hegyalja World Heritage site. It consists of 195 cellars and is only a few kilometres from Sárospatak, bringing back the feeling of old country life and traditional cellar culture.
Hungarian is a language that is regarded as special and hard to learn. Dr. Emil Pásztor, a researcher and linguist, came up with the idea of a museum dedicated to the Hungarian language, which was later established in the place where Ferenc Kazinczy’s fruit orchard once stood.
The first attraction at the Zemplén Adventure Park in Sátoraljaújhely that every visitor tries is the summer bobsled. But once you enter the park, you should also try all the others. Test yourself on a zipline, a chairlift and even a climbing wall.
One of the surprises in the Zemplén Hills is the recently renovated Füzér Castle. It has been standing on the top of a volcanic hill since the Tatar invasion. A gift to a princess of the Árpád Dynasty, it was the hiding place of the Holy Crown and also the estate of the Báthory family. The view of the surrounding hills and the colourful glass windows of the castle chapel are not to be missed.
The exhibition presents the history of porcelain production in Hollóháza, from the beginnings to the present day. The name of the porcelain factory and that of the painter Endre Szász have become one, as the items designed by him have become very popular among collectors.
If a place is called ‘happy stone’, it cannot be anything but a happy place. Wherever you look in Boldogkőváralja, the castle will always be in view. Climb up the mountain to the gate and on your way up, take a good look at the peach orchards that are so typical of the region – and once you reach the top, look around and admire the panorama from the bastion. This is the home of the Gönci apricot variety, where it is grown in the largest volume and where its tradition was revived.
This has become the most popular zoo in Hungary in a very short time and there is always something happening here. It is home to ring-tailed lemurs and white tigers, both species on the verge of extinction, in an environment that is very similar to their natural habitat. You’ll feel more as though you are in a rainforest, in the desert or on the savannahs than in a zoo.
The adventure park that blends into the forest-covered surroundings of Sóstó has a cable-rope obstacle course consisting of 130 stations, where you can put your skills and agility to the test. The different courses have different levels of difficulty, so both children and adults, and the more daring and less courageous can all find the course that suits them best.
Discover the towns and villages of the Tokaj wine region.