Tokaj Wine District

1. day tour

Start by exploring the area in the heart of the wine district, Mád. First, admire the renovated building of the Mád synagogue from both outside and inside; its vestibule is one of few of a kind in Central and Eastern Europe, and then visit the exhibition in the former yeshiva next to it, today’s Rabbi’s House, where you can also learn about “Mád’s Jewish” history.

Then enjoy a cheese tasting in a Mád cheese-making workshop and then, if possible, by prior appointment, visit the cellar of one of the Mád wineries – there is a whole maze of cellars waiting to be discovered – where you can of course also taste and buy wine. Enjoy lunch in a local wine bar or bistro, or even among the vines on a walking, cycling or off-road picnic tour. In the afternoon, visit a small family winery; choose one which boasts additional architectural curiosities (such as the Rákóczi-Aspremont Mansion) as well as its wines, or a completely different type of modern winery, a big name or a less well-known one. It’s worth having dinner in one of the town’s many wineries and spending the night in a hotel, guest house or winery.

2. day tour

Visit Tolcsva in the morning, where you can learn about the area’s herbs in the Helia-D Herbal House Visitor & Beauty Centre and can even make your own Aszú-based cream! Afterwards, take a walk in front of the birthplace of the founder of the famous Hollywood film studio, 20th Century Fox, William Fox (born William Fuchs), and then visit a winery in Tolcsva. You could have lunch here or even on the banks of the Bodrog.

In the afternoon, go to Tarcal, where you can take a short but steep hike or flight of stairs to the largest statue of Jesus in Hungary, the statue of the Blessing Christ and the nearby quarry lake. From here, in good weather, you can not only see to Szerencs, but the Bükk and Mátra Mountains are also visible in the distance. Descend the hill and go for a wine tasting at a Tarcal winery on Könyves Kálmán Street or in the village cellar row. If you are already hungry, it’s worth planning dinner here before heading home, either in the town’s imposing castle hotel or at one of the family wineries that also offers meals.