23 March 2022 / Sue Tolson
Immerse yourself in Tokaj’s UNESCO World Heritage landscape, which celebrates man’s age-old cultural connection with the landscape. Stroll between the unique rows of multi-level cellars standing at the edge of the Swabian village of Hercegkút, on Gomboshegy and Kőporos. Snap the small cellar openings with their characteristic triangular entrances, dug into the hillsides and covered with grass. It’s as if you’ve stumbled into a scene in The Hobbit. The cellars are owned by the villagers, and there’s said to be one per house in the village! (cover picture)
Then head underground into one of Tokaj’s labyrinths of centuries-old cellars carved into the region’s volcanic tuff. There are hundreds of kilometres of cellars stretching under Tokaj’s wineries, with black ‘cellar mould’ adorning their ceilings and walls, and even some of the bottles that have lain down here for decades. The gloom of the cellars is occasionally brightened by glowing rows of bottles containing Tokaj’s amber nectar, Aszú, stacked up along the walls or piled up in niches – the perfect canvas for a pic. You can access this underworld network at wineries like Tokaj-Oremus, Royal Tokaji or Erzsébet Pince when tasting wines there.
Hike to the top of the solitary ‘witness mountain’ of Somló, past small, whitewashed press houses surrounded by green vines, black volcanic soils and steep terraces. Once at the top, you’ll have an amazing view over the surrounding countryside from the 11th century castle ruins. You could also follow the Pál Kitaibel educational trail leading up there and learn something on the way. Of course, you should stop off at a small cellar or two on the way to enjoy a glass or two of wine and take a few snaps too.
Badacsony, the closest of the Balaton Uplands’ extinct volcanoes to the Balaton, stopped ejecting lava millions of years ago, but has created some spectacular rock formations. The frozen lava columns of the ‘basalt organs’ on Badacsony and Szent György Hill make a stunning black backdrop for photos. Follow the path up behind the Kisfaludy House high up on Badacsony Hill to reach those on Badacsony. Of course, the hill itself and the stunning views it affords across the emerald-green Balaton also make pretty good pics.
One of Hungary’s most stunning landscapes is the unique volcanic landscape of the Balaton Highlands on the northern shore of the Balaton. Curiously shaped truncated volcanic buttes like Badacsony, Csobánc and Szent György Hill resemble coffins from afar, while there are also cone-shaped hills like Gulács Hill, which looks a little like Sugar Loaf Mountain. Some of the most spectacular views of these otherworldly shapes can be had from the southern shore of the lake, for example from Fonyód, a ferry ride away from Badacsony.
The scenic Tihany peninsula protrudes into the Balaton further along the northern shore. The Benedictine abbey perched on the top of the hilly peninsula has some of the best views of the lake, while the abbey itself provides a beautiful backdrop for photos – snap away from a boat on the Balaton or across the inner lake of the peninsula. If you visit at the right time of year, then Tihany also boasts enchanting fields of lavender, whose purple flowers will make you feel as if you are in Provence.
The town of Hajós boasts its own cellar village, or ‘pincefalu’. It’s like a standalone village, with 24 streets lined with traditional wine cellars and press houses – some even have a winery still functioning in them. The around 1,200 cellars here make it the biggest ‘cellar row’ in Hungary. Beautifully adorned with flowers in summer, a stroll along its streets with whitewashed cellars jostling up against each other provides plenty of photo opportunities. Historically famous for its Kadarka, make sure you have a glass of this spicy light red in hand.
For breath-taking views over the river Danube, head to the northwest of the country close to the border with Slovakia and visit the Neszmély wine district. Its endless green rolling hills provide the perfect backdrop for Instagram shots, and one of the modern wineries with its restaurant high above the Danube snaking amongst the wine district’s vines provides the perfect spot to capture the grandeur of this majestic river. Enjoy a meal, a glass of wine or even stay and take in the view for longer.
Numerous bars have sprung up on the rooftops of some of Budapest’s buildings, affording stunning views across the city’s iconic skyline, one of which, the St Andrea Wine and Sky Bar, is run by one of Eger’s leading wineries. These provide the perfect opportunity to snap yourself against the Budapest skyline. You could also enjoy a glass or two at High Note with St Stephen’s Basilica in the background or LEO overlooking the Chain Bridge.
Of course, there are no end of spots in Hungary’s wine regions to take your perfect Instagram shot, but Budapest is doubtless Hungary’s capital of Instagram posts, so if you’re in the capital, pick up a glass and a bottle of Hungarian wine and seek out some of the city’s most instagrammable places – pose with your chosen wine on the Fisherman’s Bastion, in front of the Chain Bridge, near Matthias Church, on the Budapest Eye or in the romantic surroundings of Vajdahunyad Castle in the City Park. You’re sure to find the perfect Instagram spot in Budapest too!
