08 April 2022 / Sue Tolson
You can easily visit the closest part of the Etyek-Buda Wine District, Budafok, now a suburb of Budapest, in a day, or even half a day, by tram or city bus, stroll its winding old streets and enjoy the historic atmosphere of the city’s ‘wine quarter’. Visit the historic cellars carved into the limestone under the area and learn more about sparkling wine production in the interactive museum of Törley Sparkling Wine Manufactory, Hungary’s largest producer of fizz, the drink Budafok is best known for. Of course, there is also the chance to taste some! If you visit the district on the first Sunday of the month, you can take advantage of the free shuttle buses around the ‘wine quarter’, leaving from the district’s central square and stopping at wineries such as the Várszegi Winery and other attractions, and enjoy wine tastings, guided cellar tours and concerts. A good time to visit is during the Budafok Wine Days, held each year at the start of September, so you can experience Budafok teeming with life, music and festivities.
You can easily reach wine village Etyek, heart of the Etyek-Buda Wine District by frequent bus service from next to Kelenföld railway station – buses run every 30-60 minutes throughout the day and the journey takes 40 minutes. The limestone soils, similar to those of Champagne, produce many of the grapes that go into the sparkling wine produced in Budafok. It is also renowned for its excellent Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. There are plenty of wineries to visit in this lovely village, lined up in cellar rows across its hillside. For example, Etyeki Kúria, Rókusfalvy Estate, Haraszthy Vineyards, Nádas Winery, Hernyák Estate are all worth a visit. Haraszthy Vineyards also operates a wine bistro at weekends, while Rókusfalvy Estate organises the Etyeki Piknik four times a year, when the narrow paths in front of its cellar rows are thronged with people enjoying wine, produce and other activities. (Etyek view on the cover)
A little further away, but just as quick and easy to reach is Lake Velence, a beautiful small lake with gently rolling hills adorned with vineyards to its north. The lake is surrounded by the less well-known southern reaches of the Etyek-Buda Wine District and is located just north of the city of Székesfehévár, also worth a visit. Easily accessible by train from Budapest Déli (Southern Railway Station) at the end of Metro line 2. There are four stops along the lakeshore, but if you hop off at Agárd (45 minutes from Budapest), there are a couple of wineries you can reach on foot, such as L Simon Winery and Csóbor Winery, where you can taste a wide range of mostly light white wines but also some reds. The area around the lake is relatively flat, so it’s a popular place for cycling too. So, why not rent a bike and cycle around to the other shore, where could visit the small Csordás & Nagy Cellar in Pákozd, or the 1.5-ha TinyGardens Winery in Pázmánd, so called as they have vineyards on six different locations on Pázmánd Hill. Make sure you call ahead though, as these are all very small wineries with limited opening hours. Once you’ve exhausted yourself cycling and tasting, you could always finish your day in Velence relaxing at the modern Velence Spa overlooking the lake or sunbathing and swimming at one of the lakeside beaches.
(velenceito.hu)
No longer just a stone’s throw away, unless you are an extremely good shot, but the Eger Wine District is also relatively quick and easy to reach by train. Direct trains depart every hour from Budapest Keleti (Budapest Eastern Railway Station), which you can reach by Metros 2 and 4, with the journey to Eger taking around 1 hour 50 minutes. You could do it in a day, but best to stay a night so you can explore a little further afield than the city of Eger. Eger itself is beautiful to stroll around, with its wonderfully restored city centre and imposing castle, from which the legend of Egri Bikavér was born. However, if you’re here to do some wine tasting and want to stay in the city centre, you can discover the wines of the Tibor Gál Winery at his contemporary wine bar Fuzio. Alternatively, hop in a taxi and the Bolyki Winery is just ten minutes’ ride away. Set within the 30-metre-high walls of an old stone quarry, the winery and its nine cellars are not only a stunning backdrop for wine tasting, but also for numerous wine dinners, pop concerts and the popular FesztEger pop festival organised by Jáni Bolyki each year.
Another option is to head out to Szépasszony-völgy (Valley of the Beautiful Lady) on foot or by taxi. The traditional wine tourist hotspot of the city, it is lined with wine cellars, which are increasingly contemporary and tasteful. Call in at the cellars or wine bars belonging to Tóth Ferenc Winery, Ostoros Winery or Hagymási Winery to taste some Egri Bikavér or Csillag, or maybe even some Egri Leányka. If you opt to spend two days in Eger, you could also take the bus out to Egerszalók, about 25 minutes ride away (buses leave every 20 minutes from Eger bus station) and spend the night there at either the Arabic-themed Shiraz Hotel or the Saliris Resort, with its open-air spa right next to the spectacular Salt Hill. And, as you’re here for wine, you should organise a wine tasting at the St Andrea Vineyards and Winery and taste their award-winning Bikavérs. Advance booking required.
If you’re here on a Saturday, you can use the Eger Wine Bus to get around. The circular hop-on, hop-off service enables you to easily visit several wineries in one day. The two alternating schedules have stops in the city centre, Egerszalók and at various wineries and restaurants. The day ticket also gives you coupons for discounted wine tastings and bottles of wine. So hop on and discover Eger. Details about the service can be found at: Egri Bor Busz - Egri Bor Most.
