Hungary
On Christmas 2011, after having sampled our numerous alcohol-based gifts before noon, my family decided we would plan our first vacation together in about a decade or more. It’s since become an annual tradition, but in that first year, the summer of 2012, we found ourselves in Hungary. In retrospect, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly the rationale behind this choice, though I know it was my pick. Probably it was the draw of sightseeing in a major European city, the prominent wine culture (and a love of wine was pretty much all we had in common at this point) and the weak currency (hello, Hungarian forint). In the end, it was all of these things and more that made that vacation memorable and the beginning of a tradition that we all still, beyond all reason, cherish.
I’ve met a lot of people who have been to Budapest, and for good reason – it’s a stunning city filled with Baroque architecture and central European culture of old, and visiting it comes at a fraction of the cost of, say, Paris or London or even Vienna. But those same people saw Budapest in a one-week trip in tandem with a visit to Prague, typically. In fact, no one I’ve met since our trip saw Hungary beyond its beautiful capital. But this, to me, is the real gift – to really see a place, to spend some time getting to know it beyond what’s easy and on the surface. East of Budapest, Hungary is, yes, a lot of flat fields stretching into the beginnings of Eastern Europe, but while its topography is not that memorable, the culture and traditions we experienced are.
We had two weeks in the country and decided to focus on its eastern half to limit the driving and hone in on the wines we wanted to taste. I would have loved to see Lake Balaton and the northwest corner of the country, but I’m sure there will be a next time. So while I can only speak to half of Hungary, I can tell you it’s special. Go there if you love history and Old Europe. Go there especially if you love wines, and know that it’s not just about the sweet ones. Go there to eat some really delicious and comforting meals (vegetarians, beware!). But most importantly, go there if you want to see something that’s different, incredibly charming and a little off the beaten path.
Here was our 2-week itinerary:
Budapest
Eger
Tokaj
Pécs
Budapest
Spectacular Budapest truly is a tale of two cities, with Buda and Pest separated by the Danube River and connected by the iconic lion bridge that runs across. Each side has its own vibe, though we found that we spent the majority of our time in Pest, which is where more of the action is. We spent about five days here (though two were day trips), roaming down the leafy boulevards and taking in the ornate Baroque-style buildings dotted with reminders of not-so-long-ago Soviet occupation. Budapest has a really interesting past, so if you are into history or architecture or religion – or frankly just culture – it’s a can’t-miss destination that you can get a good sense of in 3-5 days.
Where We Stayed:
Danubius Hotel Astoria City Center. Set in a classic, iconic building in central Budapest, the Hotel Astoria offers comfort and very good value. The location truly can’t be beat – it’s within walking distance of just about everything and about 10 feet from the metro station – and the staff was attentive and at our service whenever necessary. The lobby is grand and ornate, though the rooms were a bit tired; nonetheless, for the price, we were very pleased with this choice and would readily recommend it to others.
What We Ate:
Klassz. While much of our eating was done in sidewalk cafes (the vegetarians slowly realizing that it would be a long two weeks with nary a vegetable in sight), we did manage to sneak in a few memorable meals. One was at Klassz, right across from the opera house. Definitely an upmarket dining experience, Klassz did not disappoint, with an ambitious European menu that offered twists on the Hungarian classics. It also had an excellent wine list which acted as our first real introduction to the regional wines which we proceeded to get to know a little too well over the next couple of weeks. Highly recommend – of note, Klassz does not accept reservations and is a popular spot, so be prepared for a potential wait, and don’t except the speediest service.
Trattoria Toscana. I did not expect to go to Hungary to be eating Italian food, but on our last night in the city we chose to eat at Trattoria Toscana to celebrate the fact that my sister had just heard that she’d landed a new job. Also, she was a vegetarian at the time and after three or four days of eating fried vegetables it felt like Italian food might be the most generous thing we could offer her. The restaurant was right on the water, on the Pest side of the Danube, with stunning nighttime views of Buda. And the food – the food was spectacular. Nearly four years later, I can still remember what I ate (it was housemade tagliatelle with wild boar ragu – there’s still a similar dish on the menu) because it was absolutely outstanding. The wine was excellent, the service spot on and the food was so good that when we started eating everyone was silent for several minutes. We ordered grappa after dinner, which they gave to us on the house when they heard we were celebrating.
What We Did:
Vajdahunyad Castle Summer Music Festival. One of my favorite things to do when I travel is try to either align the dates with fun cultural events happening at our destination, or seek them out whenever possible once the dates are established. The Vajdahunyad Castle Summer Music Festival was in full swing on the days we were visiting Budapest, so I ordered tickets beforehand to an evening of Beethoven performed by the King St. Stephen Symphony Orchestra in the courtyard of a beautiful castle just inside City Park. The entrance to the park is easily accessible via metro (we instead walked, got into a full-on family fight on the way and arrived late – but it was still not enough to ruin the event). This festival is an annual event that occurs every summer, so if you’re able to I’d definitely recommend trying to attend – it was a magical evening.
Hungarian State Opera House Tour. There’s no opera in July in Budapest, which was a big letdown for us. So we chose the second best option available and took a tour of the magnificent opera house instead. The hall is a gorgeous Neo-Renaissance building, covered in ornate detail. On the inside, it’s all about the bling – everything is over-the-top and draped entirely in gold. Frescoes cover the ceilings. There are daily tours in a number of languages and they take you behind the scenes, so to speak, showing you how the opera house was used in the days of the Hapsburgs and today. Even better, get tickets to an opera if you can!
Parliament Building Tour. Budapest’s Parliament building, obviously modeled after the one in London, is probably Budapest’s most iconic structure. It’s a vast neo-Gothic building that sits right on the Danube and is technically open for tours. That said, they do not make this easy to do. You will need to book a tour ahead of time online, and you will need to get there early and wait on a line to collect your tickets. You will need to bring your passports. Is it a hassle? Sure is. Is it worth it? Definitely. There’s so much history to this building, and the interior is just as gorgeous as the exterior. We had a wonderful tour guide who was filled with information and anecdotes about everything from government to art to interior design. If you can swing a visit, you definitely won’t regret it.
Churches and Synagogues. Hungary’s got these in spades, and in Budapest you should definitely check out St. Stephen’s Basilica (it’s hard to miss) and the Great Synagogue. At St. Stephen’s, you can marvel at the ornate interior and climb the belltower for a fantastic view of the city (this was the first church we visited in Hungary so all parties participated; some became quite “churched out” by the time 14 days had passed). Similarly, there’s plenty of golden décor to go around at the stunning synagogue, but you’ll also learn about the devastating fate most Jews in Budapest faced during World War II in the museum that’s adjacent. Budapest’s Jewish history is rich, so you should also be sure to check out the moving memorial “Shoes on the Danube Bank.”
An Afternoon in Buda. Honestly, you’re going to spend most of your time in Pest because there’s more to do there. But you should spend at least one afternoon in Buda – walk across that iconic lion bridge and take the funicular up to the top of the hill (or walk if you’re feeling a little more ambitious) if only for the view of Pest! On our afternoon in Buda, we poked around the Fisherman’s Bastian to get some good photos, walked through Matthias Church (late Gothic and a total contrast to St. Stephen’s on the other side of the river) and checked out the grounds of Buda Castle. We’d also wanted to visit the National Gallery nearby, but it was closed that day so we had to take a pass. Outside of the direct tourist madness around the Fisherman’s Bastian, Buda has quiet and charming streets in which to order a tasty Hungarian lunch and watch the passersby.
Danube Bend Day Trip. For the first and last times in our whole lives (I expect) we went on two day trips from Budapest on tours. Since then, we have always rented a car, but with parking in Budapest it just seemed easier to be picked up and dropped off. The first tour was of the Danube Bend, and it first took us to the town of Esztergom, former capital of Hungary, which sits right on the Slovakian border and is home to a gigantic basilica. After lunch at a pretty sad restaurant on a hill overlooking Visegrad Castle, we then headed towards Szentendre, which was an adorable town right on the river. It had some great souvenirs and quaint cafes where we drank some ice cream floats before heading back to Budapest. If you’ve got your own set of wheels and just want to choose one Danube town, this one would be it.
Kecskemét Day Trip. Our second day trip was to the Hungarian plains, beginning in the town of Kecskemét. If you’re into architecture, there are tons of beautiful Art Nouveau buildings in the town’s central square. We then headed on to tour a Hungarian ranch nearby. While I’ll admit that this was, at times, a little cheesy, we actually had a lot of fun doing this, and I’d recommend something similar, especially if you like horses. The Hungarian “cowboys,” dressed in their traditional costumes, did some pretty incredible tricks on horseback and created formations with many, many horses running at full speed. To add to the fun, there were a number of pulis (these amazing dogs) roaming adorably around the ranch. This was a different, but culturally very interesting outing which I’d definitely recommend, especially if kids are coming along.
Evening River Boat. Along with our day trips came a voucher for an evening boat ride, which we were not particularly keen to use. But we changed our minds one night and decided to just be tourists and go for it. I’m glad we did, because the views along the river at night are truly spectacular, with the parliament building ablaze in lights and the castle up on Buda hill sparkling in the distance. If you can find a good deal on one of these short rides (and I think they are easy to come by) you could do worse things than spend an hour cruising the Danube, admiring the many, many sites.
Gödöllő Palace. On the morning we left Budapest, we picked up our gigantic Ford Galaxy and got out of dodge, heading eastward. Our first stop that morning was at Gödöllő Palace, which was the summer palace of the Hapsburgs. I’m not ashamed to admit that ever since I visited Vienna for the first time back in 2007, I’ve been utterly obsessed with the Hapsburg family and visiting their many, many dwellings in central Europe, so this slight detour was an absolute no-brainer. In typical fashion, my mom and I snatched up the audio guides to do the grand tour through this stunning home, while my dad turned up his nose at the guide and instead gave himself a tour of the house which consisted of wondering aloud what things were and examining the building materials with the eye of a home inspector hoping not to get sued. History nerds (and construction nerds): visit this palace.
Hollókő Village. After a morning of opulence at the palace, our van took a turn north and headed towards the quaint UNESCO World Heritage village of Hollókő. The preserved community now serves as an example of rural life pre-industrial revolution in Hungary and consists of a number of homes, farms and a church. There’s also a castle on a hill just outside of town – you can catch the trail right at the parking lot and it’s just a short hike. I’m not sure I’d go terribly out of my way to visit this village, but it was historically interesting to roam around for an hour on our way to our destination. The high note was lunch, which we basically ate in someone’s home – homemade spaetzle and meat sauce at a long picnic-style table.
Eger
The guidebooks called Eger Hungary’s “Baroque jewelbox” and I can’t disagree with that description. It’s just the right size for a few days of relaxing, with a great castle that’s walkable from town, numerous cathedrals worth peeking into and a unique wine tasting venue that you can’t miss. Eger is famous for its “bull’s blood” wine, which is frankly not the most amazing thing you’ve ever drunk, and also not the best wine you’re going to find in Hungary, but visiting the Valley of the Beautiful Women (more on that below) to see how the wines are stored and to taste different labels is an outing that should be on the top of your list. If you have a few days in Hungary and like wine, I’d highly recommend incorporating northeastern Hungary, including Eger, into an itinerary with Budapest.
Where We Stayed
Hotel Korona. I have to say, this is the one place we stayed in all of my recent years of travel that I wouldn’t recommend to others. The location is good, just about 2 blocks or so out of the main town square, and the prices are compelling, but the quality of our stay was not up to my standards. Perhaps in recent years this has been remedied, but the hotel badly needed an update and service was only so-so. I would avoid and find an equally convenient spot that offers better value.
What We Ate:
Senator Haz Restaurant. Just across the bridge behind the Dobo Istvan statue in the town square is a little cluster of restaurants with seats outdoors. We had a great dinner at Senator Haz, which I think is the most highly rated of the group. It was a delicious meal and the atmosphere is quaint, adorable and very European. Definitely a little touristy given close proximity to the town’s main sights, with atmospheric gypsy violins playing in the background! Good Hungarian menu, I’d highly recommend dinner here.
Főtér Cafe Restaurant. In a fantastic location right on the town square, looking right at the gorgeous pink Minorite Church, this restaurant made for another excellent outdoor meal one night (though our primary memory from that evening was a child whirring by, back and forth, in a motorized Barbie car). Solid European cuisine with a great local wine list make for really excellent value.
What We Did:
Eger Castle. Eger’s got, hands down, the best castle in Hungary. It hovers right above town so you can easily just walk up to it as you go about your day. The castle, famous for repelling a Turkish attack in the 1500s, today has a great historical museum that makes it easy to imagine the site as it was hundreds of years ago. The castle walls are also a great place to wander, with lovely views of the red rooftops of Eger.
Churches. Eger has two really beautiful churches that tower over the town. The first is the blush-colored Minorite Church right in the town’s main square which is worth peeking in the door for its magnificent frescoes and gorgeous high alter. It’s truly just as stunning inside as it is out, which is saying a lot. The second is the large, columned golden basilica on the edge of town, which is set up high with a grand staircase leading up. Also filled with frescoes and statues, this grand church is also definitely worth a visit.
Town under the Town. Just after visiting the basilica, we did a tour of Eger’s “Town Under the Town,” a large cellar system under the church. Historically, this area was used by the diocese to store wine coming in from the rest of the region. Today you can take a fascinating tour to learn about the religious AND wine history of the area, which we really enjoyed.
Valley of the Beautiful Women. Probably the most well-known attraction of Eger, the uniquely named Valley of the Beautiful women is really just a wine-tasting venue. Set a bit outside of town (but easily accessible via a little tourist train, or on foot if you’re in the mood for a little hike), the valley is essentially a cul-de-sac set into a hill into which dozens of wine cellars have been dug. Each is represented by a different label. You can get a handy guide of the different venues, walk around and pop into each shop to taste their wines and learn about their history. The Valley is just wine storage – the wines are made outside of the town – but the representatives are knowledgeable and you’d be hard pressed to find a more fun way to spend an afternoon. It’s like a beer garden, but with red wine!
Szilvásvárad Lipizzaner Stud Farm. With a horse lover in our midst, we always try to find a compelling way to integrate this into the itinerary at hand. In Hungary, that meant a trip to the Lipizzaner Stud Farm, about 30 minutes north of Eger. Hungarian Lipizzaners have been bred since the 1800s at this farm when they were transferred from Lipica in Slovenia (where we’ve also been) to avoid destruction by Napoleon’s troops. At the farm there’s a nice little museum (and gift shop) where you can learn about the history of the breed and the way they’ve been employed, and most importantly you can visit the studs as well as the mothers and foals.
Tokaj
If you’ve heard of Tokaj before, it’s most likely in connection with the bright gold dessert wines that the region is world famous for. And while it’s true that a lot of the draw for Tokaj is its sweet wines, it has some great dry whites on offer as well (dry Hungarian furmint is one of my favorite whites these days). And if you’re not a wine snob at all, I loved Tokaj just for the beauty, quiet and peacefulness we found there – the church towers in the distance, the stork nests on the tops of the telephone poles. Zipping on a bike through the Hungarian countryside, I remember just thinking how happy I felt, like time was standing still for a few minutes.
Where We Stayed:
Toldi Fogado Inn. For a relatively inexpensive B&B, the Toldi Inn offers a great location at the center of town, within walking distance of good restaurants and all the wine cellars in town. Our rooms were nicely made up, with skylights and plenty of space, and reception was really helpful in recommending dinner destinations and helping us change reservations we already had. If you’re looking for good value and nothing fancy, I’d recommend Toldi.
What We Ate:
Toldi Fogado Inn. The restaurant in the hotel where we were staying was a solid option in Tokaj, where the vast majority of options are underwhelming and geared towards tourists. It was a nice summer night, so we ordered fish and ate on the back patio. Very solid food, a bit upmarket (but casual) for Tokaj and definitely opt for the patio – right near the river – if it’s a nice night.
Os Kajan Restaurant. I’d read about Os Kajan in my Bradt guide to Hungary, in a section on recommendations for a wine tour of the area. The town of Tolcsva, just a few miles from Tokaj, is home to this unique restaurant owned by a French husband and wife who serve lovingly prepared French and Hungarian food. The building is both a restaurant and inn, with artistically and eccentrically decorated rooms, and we ate our dinner in the back garden amidst flowering trees, with peaceful fields stretching into the distance. The service is not speedy, and not all of the wines on the list were available, and because of details like this I’ve see the restaurant get less than stellar reviews from travellers on places like TripAdvisor. However, the rustic experience of eating a meal cooked with love in someone’s home was second to none for me. The wines were perfect, my braised rabbit was a dream and it remains one of the most special eating experiences any of us has ever had to date.
What We Did:
Wine tour. The thing to do in Tokaj is drink wine. Full stop. There are numerous cellars in town where you can easily sample the goods and learn about the history. We chose to taste the region’s legendary wines by going to the source – on two wheels. We rented a fleet of bicycles (very easy to do with several options right in town) and set off one morning to discover Tokaj’s riches, because who doesn’t love drinking dessert wine in the morning? The region is, on the whole, flat, so perfect for getting around on bicycles, and most of the main roads have bike paths. With our guidebooks in hand, we went to a few towns which seemed the most promising and ended up just going inside when we found a wine cellar, or “pince,” we liked the looks of (they all have signs out front). After waffling for some time and getting a little shy about just walking into a cellar uninvited, we came across Andrassy Pince at the top of a rare hill. We parked our bikes, and as we walked up to the door an old woman came out. “Vino?” we asked, and she smiled and beckoned us inside. We were taken into their wine cellar and for the next 30 minutes were given a tour, completely in Hungarian of course, but which we somehow understood. The space was huge, the technique for aging the wines was incredible, and we were completely flabbergasted that we were receiving this tutorial by chance. Our tour guide opened about 10 different barrels for us, sucked the wine through a glass bulb and straw and filled glasses for each of us to taste, moving from the driest to the sweetest aszu wine (which is VERY sweet). We bought some wines to go (in plastic liter bottles, of course) from their kitchen on our way out and rather drunkenly got back onto our bicycles, our backpacks heavy with bright Tokaji liquid gold, onto the next cellar. This was truly some of the most fun I’ve ever had, and if you’re in the region you absolutely cannot miss the chance to have a little wine-fueled adventure on a bicycle.
Pécs
Our next and last stop on the Hungarian travel circuit was Pécs, by way of Szeged (which, to be honest, we found underwhelming and I would not recommend a stop there). Pécs is due south of Budapest and was a Roman settlement, with an almost Mediterranean feel to it. A European Capital of Culture in 2010, Pécs has been recently cleaned up and rejuvenated, and offers a number of compelling museums, a few beautiful (and interesting) churches and a mosque, and a really excellent wine region nearby, perfect for a day trip.
Where We Stayed:
Hotel Patria. Hotel Patria is located just on the outskirts of Pécs’ town center, and from the outside looks like a huge post-Soviet eyesore. That said, the inside of the hotel is nicely made up and for the price, was comfortable and offered everything we needed. There’s ample parking in the back, and it’s just a five minute walk to the town’s main square. There are surely more luxurious hotel options available, but for anyone on a budget this is a solid choice.
What We Did:
Day Trip to Villany. There are two wine regions within day-trip distance from Pécs: Siklós and Villany. After completely maxing out on our white wine consumption in Tokaj, we were ready for some reds so we chose to visit Villany, about a 40-minute drive from Pécs. Real wine lovers could easily spend a weekend in this quaint town filled with wineries. We did it justice as best we could in an afternoon, with tastings at two wineries and lunch at another. We began with lunch at Bock Pince, a well-known winery, restaurant and hotel just off the town’s main road. The spread was truly delicious, with the best stuffed cabbage we had in Hungary (and that’s saying a lot) and some very creative mushroom dishes for the vegetarians in our midst. Afterwards, we paid visits to Attila Gere (probably the best rated wine in the region – well worth a visit) and Sauska, which is a wine we’d been drinking throughout our time in Hungary. We had a beautiful tasting on the back patio along with some delicious bread and olives, and came away with bottles of Portugieser, a rosé and a cabernet franc. I’d highly recommend all three of these wineries.
Siklós Castle. On the way to Villany, we stopped off at Siklós Castle for our medieval fix. Just like every other castle in Hungary, this one was destroyed, but parts still date back to the 13th century, though a lot of it was rebuilt in in the 1950s. The castle is a great place to spend an hour poking around in the rooms, and it also offers great views of the town of Siklós and the nearby vineyards.
Gallery of Modern Hungarian Art. This huge, beautiful museum holds more than 12,000 20th century Hungarian works. The huge collection moves in chronological order – you’ll see a few names that you recognize, but most you won’t. However, a lot of the art reflects the country’s fascinating history. A worthwhile stop.
Csontváry Museum. We really loved this museum which showcases the work of Tivadar Csontváry Kosztka, the “Hungarian Picasso.” The museum itself is beautifully done, and his work is endlessly interesting (though I had not heard of Csontváry before our visit). Would definitely recommend a visit here for art lovers who are looking for something they haven’t seen before.
Churches, mosques and synagogues. Pecs has a number of interesting religious institutions worth visiting and learning about. Perhaps its most unique structure is the Inner Town Parish Church, which sits right at the top of the main square. It’s more commonly known at the “Mosque Church” because – you guessed it – it used to be a mosque. The church is the oldest structure in Hungary from the time of the Turkish occupation and definitely deserves a look inside. Another church that’s a bit of an architectural hodge-podge is the four-towered basilica on a hill with an ornate interior. Near the church is a 19th century synagogue, a reminder of the city’s Jewish history, though few Jews remain today. And lastly, there’s the Pasha Hasan Jacovali Mosque, down near the Hotel Patria – built in the 16th century, it has a beautiful minaret and is full of Islamic art objects.
