Hungary
A wine town whose tuff-carved cellars hold "Bull's Blood," then a UNESCO cave network spanning two countries
Hungary
A journey far from Budapest and Lake Balaton: Eger, a baroque town in north-eastern Hungary whose Valley of the Beautiful Woman concentrates over two hundred cellars carved into the tuff rock, producing the famous Egri Bikavér, or "Bull's Blood," then the Aggtelek Karst, a limestone massif UNESCO World Heritage listed, home to more than two hundred and forty caves including the Baradla, a twenty-five-kilometre underground network shared with neighbouring Slovakia.
When
May to Sept
Price
From 1 600€ excl. flights
(based on 2 people sharing)
How long
4 nights
Ideal length
Days 1-2
The first chapter unfolds in Eger, a baroque town nestled in the wine-growing hills of north-eastern Hungary, whose Valley of the Beautiful Woman concentrates over two hundred family cellars carved directly into volcanic tuff rock. These cellars have for centuries produced Egri Bikavér, literally "Bull's Blood," a tannic red wine whose name, according to local legend, traces back to the 1552 siege of Eger Castle, where Hungarian soldiers, their beards stained with wine during the fighting, are said to have convinced the attacking Ottoman forces they drew their strength from bull's blood.
Day 1
A tasting in the Valley of the Beautiful Woman
A tasting of red wines in the family cellars carved into the volcanic tuff of the Valley of the Beautiful Woman, including Egri Bikavér, the famous "Bull's Blood."
Day 2
Eger Castle and its history of siege
A visit to Eger Castle, whose legendary 1552 siege against Ottoman forces remains etched in Hungarian national memory.
Days 1-2
The road to the Aggtelek Karst, a limestone massif UNESCO World Heritage listed, home to more than two hundred and forty caves formed over millions of years by underground erosion, including the Baradla, a twenty-five-kilometre network shared with neighbouring Slovakia and one of Europe's largest stalactite caves. This karst territory, largely spared from mass tourism despite its World Heritage listing since 1995, also offers characteristic surface landscapes of sinkholes, chasms, and sparsely populated limestone meadows.
Day 1
Exploring Baradla Cave
A guided exploration of Baradla Cave, a twenty-five-kilometre underground network adorned with some of Europe's most spectacular stalactite formations.
Day 2
A hike across the karst meadows
A hike across the limestone meadows of Aggtelek National Park, dotted with sinkholes and chasms that bear witness to the underground karst activity.
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