{"id":862470,"date":"2025-01-17T17:41:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-17T15:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/?p=862470"},"modified":"2025-02-03T17:58:25","modified_gmt":"2025-02-03T15:58:25","slug":"tokaj-and-nyiregyhaza-hidden-gems-of-hungary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/tokaj-and-nyiregyhaza-hidden-gems-of-hungary\/","title":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udf77 Tokaj and Nyiregyh\u00e1za: hidden gems of Hungary"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hungary attracts with its variety of attractions<\/a> and rich cultural<\/a> heritage. In addition to the capital, it is known for its wine-making traditions. Distributors of alcoholic<\/a> beverages actively offer Hungarian wine on the international market, contributing to the popularization of this drink. Wines from Hungary are gaining increasing popularity and value, attracting wine lovers from all over the world. Wine tourism<\/a> in the country is also becoming an increasingly popular destination among travelers who want to get to know local wineries and taste the best examples of Hungarian wines.<\/p>\n

In fact, Hungarians value this wonderful drink no less and will be offended if in a cafe you ask for a bottle of Bordeaux instead of Tokaj wine. Don't believe me? How about the fact that the Hungarian national anthem mentions “drops of sweet nectar spilled by God on the lands of Tokaj.” I don\u2019t know about you, but for me this sounded like a great reason to travel from Budapest<\/a> to the main wine region of the country. By the way, it is included in the UNESCO<\/a> World Heritage List.<\/p>\n

How to get there<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n

It won\u2019t be a big deal to come to Tokaj. I used Hungarian trains. They depart from the capital's two main stations, Keleti or Nyugati. Interestingly, most regional trains in Hungary describe a vicious circle in their route<\/a> e. That is, departing from one Budapest station<\/a> arriving at another. Therefore, do not be alarmed when you see Keleti and Nyugati stations as the starting and ending points of the train you are looking for. The train will reach the neighboring capital station only when it has described a large circle through the cities of Hungary.<\/p>\n

Travel time from the capital to Tokaj ranges from 3 hours on daytime trains to 7 on night trains. Ticket prices range from 4100 to 6500 Hungarian forints (11-16 euros). The ticket can be purchased in advance on the Hungarian Railways MAV<\/a> website.<\/p>\n

Alternatives<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Theoretically, there are alternatives to rail transport<\/a>. Travel sites write about the possibilities of traveling by bus or river transport. But it has been established empirically: the largest national bus carrier Volanbusz<\/a> does not offer tickets to Tokaj from Buda<\/a> Pest. And a river trip along the Tisza, no matter how romantic it may be ,<\/a> can only be found by tourists who are very stubborn in their search. I didn't succeed.<\/p>\n

Tokaj cellars<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A trip to Tokaj by train is good not only because of its accessibility. But also because immediately upon arrival at Tokai station you will fall into the arms of Bacchus. Cross the road and you are surrounded by wine cellars that cordially open their doors to tourists. Just don't arrive very early. Cellar owners rarely open them before 10-11 am.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Tokaj,<\/a><\/p>\n

The inhabitants of Tokaj are winegrowers and winemakers for many generations. Wine cellars in Tokaj appeared 500-700 years ago. Despite the fact that only about 4,000 people live in Tokaj, and the residential buildings here are mostly one-story, the locals still call the town “multi-story.” This is because its “floors” do not go up, but underground. The length of Tokaj cellars is 40 kilometers.<\/p>\n

It is quite possible that over a glass of wine in one of the wineries you will become friends with the owner or hostess. And you will be allowed into the holy of holies, where the white gold of Tokaj is kept. Then be sure to pay attention not only to the centuries-old wine barrels that entice you with their contents. But also on the walls of cellars, covered with soft dark gray mold. If you touch it, your hands will sink into it. The mold (lucky girl!) feeds on the alcohol evaporating from wine barrels. And in return, she creates a special microclimate in the cellar ,<\/a> which gives Tokaj wines their unique aroma.<\/p>\n

Be a real sommelier<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In order not to be embarrassed during wine tastings by comments a la “you can drink, but the degree is not enough,” I will post a short guide about Tokaj wine, which is unique in many respects. In my opinion, there is nothing more accurately describing the Tokaj wine style than the remark<\/a> on the Simple Wine website:<\/p>\n

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Tokaj has been producing the greatest sweet white wines on the planet for the last four hundred years, but in our fitness-oriented era, few people care. Dryness, six-pack abs, posts on FB with morning mileage, carefree youth of aroma, energetic freshness of taste are in fashion. And, lo and behold, the Tokaj people were able to provide all this.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Tokaj\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Experienced oenophiles (wine collectors) will be surprised by Tokaj drinks. Indeed, unlike what Italy<\/a> taught us, the wines here are predominantly sweet and semi-sweet. And definitely white. One touch of this drink with your lips will revive the myths about the sweet nectar tasted by the gods on the ancient Greek Olympus. Local white wine will delight you with the taste of raisins and notes of honey. This feature is given to the wine by grapes that are picked as ripe as possible, even when dried in the sun.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t rush to buy a bottle of the wine you like right away. Several wineries are open at the same time, located within walking distance of each other. After trying the wines in one (the average price of a glass is 200-500 forints or 0.5-1.5 euros), visit another. If you\u2019re not sure which wines you\u2019ll like, but want to try as many as possible, hospitable hosts will often accommodate you and, instead of selling a glass, simply arrange a free tasting session.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Vineyards<\/a> – the cradle of wine<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I hope you are not too tired after the tastings? After all, it would be wrong to taste the wines and not see where they spent their childhood and adolescence.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are about 11 thousand hectares of vineyards in Tokaj. Which allow us to produce 10 million liters of wine drinks annually. I\u2019m sure a liter or two of this volume is already rattling in your shopping bag, announcing to the locals that yet another tourist has had a successful alcohol shopping spree.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Tokaj\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Tokaj became world famous for its late-harvest wines made from the so-called assu, berries infected with “noble rot,” the fungus botrytis.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During a short walk along the grape slopes, you can ask the workers where which grape varieties grow. And find the legendary assu. Entrance to the vineyards is free; they are used to tourists here and do not pay any attention to them. Unless you start brazenly eating up bunch after bunch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

What to see<\/a> in the city<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Tokaj is an old city, existing for at least 650 years. However, the wars that did not spare the Hungarian land did not spare this region, lost among the grape hills. Most of the architectural monuments in Tokaj have sunk into oblivion following their creators. But if there is an hour or two left before departure, then you can take a walk around the town.<\/p>\n

One thing that is definitely worth a visit is the Great Synagogue of Tokaj<\/strong>. As you remember from the Pest guide<\/a>, Hungary has always had an impressive Jewish community.<\/p>\n

\"Tokaj\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Not far from it is the Catholic Church of the Heart of Jesus<\/strong> from 1912. Fans of historical ruins can take a stroll to the remains of Tokaj Castle<\/strong>. It will be symbolic to end your sightseeing tour of<\/a> Tokaj with the statue of Bacchus<\/strong> in the city.<\/p>\n

Next stop – Nyiregyh\u00e1za<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Nyiregyh\u00e1za is one of the easternmost cities in Hungary. The appearance of which was significantly influenced by its proximity to Ukraine. Nyiregyh\u00e1za rarely appears in tourist brochures; few people deliberately travel to Hungary for her sake. But I found myself only half an hour from Tokaj to this city with an intricate name, I made a stop over there and did not regret my choice at all.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Path to Nyiregyhaza<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As you already understand, it is very convenient to travel around Hungary by rail. Therefore, we don\u2019t invent a bicycle, but buy a ticket for the nearest train at Tokaj station. Trains go to Nyiregyh\u00e1za almost every hour. The journey will take only 20-40 minutes. If, as usual, the train is not late. Ticket price is 600-800 forints (2 euros).\u00a0<\/p>\n

A stop in Nyiregyh\u00e1za is convenient for another reason. It is located right in the middle of the railway circle, which is described by trains traveling from one station in Budapest to another. So you can go here from both Nyugati (then Tokaj will be after a stop in Ny\u00edregyh\u00e1za) and from Keleti (then there will be Tokaj first and then Ny\u00edregyh\u00e1za).\u00a0<\/p>\n

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