The Tokaj wine region has a total of 27 towns and 7,000 hectares of crops (mainly in Hungary, but also on the Slovak side of the border). In 2012 The Tokaj region was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is one of the few wine regions in Europe where naturally sweet wines are produced. A wonderful landscape, vineyards and hillsides with vines, as well as interesting places and monuments that are really worth seeing!
Located
Tokaj is a region located in north-eastern Hungary. It stretches between the two largest cities in the country, Miskolc and Nyiregyhaza. Area is located on the banks of the Bodrog and Cisa Rivers.
Wine
Tokaj is often associated with the pride of Hungary – Tokaj wine and wineries. According to general data, there are almost 600 wineries, of which about 50 produce all local types of wine. The main grape varieties grown in the region are furmint, harslevelu, as well as yellow muscat – sargamuscotaly and zeta. The famous Tokaj is a white wine and the characteristic of grape cultivation in this region is to dry them on the vines until they form raisins.
Attractions of the Region:
Tokaj Mountain
Mount Tokaj (Kopasza Hill) – a mountain of volcanic origin at the southern end of the Tokaj-Slańskie Mountains. Height – 512 m above sea level 512 m above sea level At the foot of Mount Tokaj lies the town of Tokaj and the Tokaj wine region. The panorama from the top is stunning.
City of Tokaj
The Tokaj Wine Region is home to some of Hungary’s most beloved varieties of wine. The region is spread over a romantic landscape of cellar labyrinths, vines and slopes, nestled at the foothills of the Zemplén Mountains. There are great attractions to visit in the Tokaj city:
– Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus – a temple from the beginning of the 20th century;
– Orthodox Church of Saint Nicholas – dating from 1750;
– Greek Catholic church from 1743 – the oldest preserved temple in Tokaj;
– The Jewish cemetery and the ruins of the former fortress – located at the junction of Bodrog and Tisza;
-Rakoczy’s cellars – almost 600 years old;
– Tokaj Museum – on Bethlen Street: here you can learn about the entire history of the city, the region and wine production;
– Baroque Rákóczi Castle – a 300-year-old fortress;
– Aquarius Nyíregyháza swimming pool.
Hercegkut wine cellars
Centuries of wine production have transformed the landscape of this region, with an intricate pattern of vineyards, farms, villages and small towns, with their historic network of deep wine cellars hand-carved into the volcanic rocks, being Tokaj’s most iconic structures. Of particular note are the wine cellars in Hercegkút, a small village in Swabia just 3 km from Sárospatak. Here, the cellars are dug into the hillside with a triangular entrance. It’s a very fascinatinig view of tourist.
Chapel of Saint Teresa in Tarcal (Szent Teréz-kápolna)
The chapel was built in 1749-50 by Count Antal Grassalkovich, out of gratitude for the donations of Mária Terézia. The chapel built by Master Gottfried Drese was consecrated in honor of St. Theresa, because on October 15, the traditional Tarcal harvest day, the Catholic faithful paid their respects to the saint with a farewell procession.
Boldogko Castle
Boldogkő Castle is located on a high rock above the village of Boldogkőváralja. When traveling from the south, it does not stand out much from a distance, but from the west it dominates the area majestically. To the south of the main castle buildings, there is a narrow, long rock perch, and at its end there is a small wooden turret. To get there, you have to cross a long narrow passage.
Rákóczi’s Castle in Sarospatak
This beautiful, late Renaissance-style castle is the most famous in Hungary. Castle was built between 1534 and 1537 and located in a beautiful green-belt, just along Bodrog river. The oldest part of the Rákóczi castle, the five-storey Red Tower, dates from the late 15th century – inside you’ll find period rooms in excellent condition. Today, along with some 19th-century additions, it contains the Rákóczi Exhibition, devoted to the 1703–11 uprising and the castle’s later occupants. Bedrooms and dining halls overflow with furniture, tapestries and porcelain.
Megyer-hegy Tarn
Located on the Megyer mountain, the Megyer Mountain Sea Eagle is a true earthly paradise for nature lovers. The nearly 1-hectare area has become one of the most popular places in Hungary in a few years thanks to the more and more beautiful pictures taken of the lake.
This region also offers:
– numerous music festivals in Tokaj and surrounding towns;
– bicycle routes several hundred kilometers long and boat cruises on the Bodrog River;
– hiking, climbing or visiting castle ruins in the Zemplén Mountains
– In nearby Nyíregyháza: a great Zoo (with an oceanarium) and a very good Aquarius water park.
