Cycling tours in Hungary - Castles and wines in northern Hungary

CASTLES AND WINES IN NORTHERN HUNGARY

This is a wonderful holiday for lovers of nature, antique buildings, history, and culture. Taking this cycling tour, you will ride through very beautiful woods in the Mátra, Bükk and Zemplén Hills, enjoy fascinating views, picturesque landscapes, and the tranquillity in some of the most unspoilt areas of Hungary. You will visit the miraculous Stalactite Caves of Aggtelek/Jósvafő, the famous medieval Castle of Sárospatak, the lovely Baroque town Eger, and charming old village houses, museums and churches. We will stay in wonderfully located castles, have superb gastronomic experiences in small but outstanding hotels and restaurants, and taste the unique flavour of special wines in some of the best cellars of the world-famous Tokaj, and the historic Eger wine-regions.

TOUR ITINERARY:

„A no-trouble holiday, 4 star service all the way. No need to think, just follow the crowd – very relaxing – most of the cycling downhill – my type of holiday. Excellent organization and well thought out routes and accommodation, also the meals – no need to choose – just eat. Many thanks for a great holiday.”
John – UK 

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN BUDAPEST

Your hotel is situated right at the woods on the Buda Hills. Its lovely environment and swimming pool, sauna, or massage possibilities will make you feel well, and relaxed quickly. In the evening you will meet us at the reception, and have a welcome drink, information about the tour, and dinner in the nice restaurant of the hotel. 

DAY 2: CYCLING IN THE MÁTRA HILLS

We take a bus transfer to the Mátra. Near one of the highest points of the hills we stop at a nice glade, where we have a short lunch, set our bikes (and ourselves going). Cycling down through very nice woods, we will stop a few times to enjoy the panoramic view, visit a small crystal workshop where you can see (or maybe buy) their wonderful glasses and vases, and a horse carriage museum where you can learn why the word „coach” (as many other great things too) derives from Hungary. We get to a nice little village where the famous Lipizzan horses are bred in Hungary. Here we stay in a wonderful castle-hotel in a beautiful park, which was owned by a wellknown noble family. We have dinner in the nice restaurant of the castle. (cycling approx.27km/17m)

DAY 3: A MAGICAL WORLD OF DRIPSTONES

After taking a bus transfer along beautiful landscapes, we arrive at the Aggtelek Karst Hills, where the special situation and micro-climate offer ideal circumstances for many scarce flowers, birds, insects, and the Fire Salamander, which is the logo of the National Park. Here we take a two hours long tour in the Baradla Stalactite Caves. It is a fantastic realm of truly astounding dripstone formations. It is one of the most imposing phenomena of the world, peerless throughout whole Europe, and it is the longest (25 kms) lime-stone cave of the temperate zone, a part of the UNESCO World Heritage. We enter a fantasmagorical subterranean domain, where the stunning scale of the dripstone phantoms conjure up a mysterious fairy-tale world. Walking through narrow passages and occasionally enormous halls, we will see here several lovely formations, even a Hall of Giants, where we can listen to some wellnown melodies with fantastic acoustics. Coming out in a charming little village, we will have lunch at a lovely small stream. After this we cycle along nice fields and hills with beautiful views, and get to a hidden place, where we have a gourmet dinner in a fabulous restaurant of a lovely old mansion where we stay. We will taste some special wines of the famous Tokaj region, as well as the unique „Aszu”, the noblest sweetwine of the world. (cycling approx. 45km/28m) 

DAY 4: BIKE TOUR WITH SMALL TREASURES OF THE ZEMPLÉN HILLS

We cycle to the small village Vizsoly, where the Bible was printed first time in Hungarian language in 1590. There is an original copy in the 13th century church, so let’s have a look. Biking further we stop in a village, where the special sized (136,7 l) oak casks, which are used for the famous Tokaj Aszú wine, derive from. We stop here at a small museum in a 17th century village house built in a typical style of this region. Then we ride on, pass by some nice hills, and have a lunch break in a beautiful wood, near a small cave and a cold spring. Cycling through the forests, and along very nice landscapes we get to a rather quiet village, where we stay in a very friendly small hunting lodge. After a short rest we visit a fantastic medieval castle. Already from the distance we can enjoy the picturesque view of the castle on the top of a volcanic hill. It really looks like a beautiful painting. We climb up the hill, which is covered by plenty of colorful grasses and flowers of the area, and we take a walk among the ruins of the castle, where the Holy Crown of the Hungarian kings was hidden from the Turks in the 16th century. The panorama of the surrounding hills is simply breath-taking from here. After this short trip we enjoy the fantastic flavour of our home-made dinner, the peacefulness, and the great view from the terrace of our hotel. (cycling approx.41km/25m)

DAY 5: CYCLE TO THE TOKAJ WINE-REGION

Cycling among small hills, we still enjoy the lovely scenery all around. We cycle on very quiet roads through a beautiful forest, and charming villages of this hidden area. After this bike ride in the woods we arrive at another World Heritage Site, the historic Tokaj wine-region, where the noblest sweet wine of the world, the Tokaj Aszú is made. It is called „The Wine of the Kings, and the King of the Wines”. The special micro-climate and volcanic soil, the protected explosure, the late vintage, the special casks, the old cellars covered with noble mould, the local expertise, and respect of traditions make the area a unique treasure of the world. Here we visit one of the best wine-companies of Hungary, where we sample their excellent wines in the peerless atmosphere of their more kilometre long labyrinth of cellars, which were hollowed out of the volcanic tuff by hand in the 13th century. A short busride along picturesque vineyards, and we get to a luxurious castle hotel. The beautiful old furnitures in the former mansion conjure up a real 19th century atmosphere. It’s a property of a noble family, which played a significant role in the wine region, and their vineyards provide outstanding wines even now. Here you can refresh yourself either from inside on their terrace, or from outside in their nice outdoor swimming pool, in the surrounding beautiful park. (cycling appr. 40km/25m) 

DAY 6: RIDING FROM CASTLE TO CASTLE

We get to Sárospatak, an important cultural centre due to its Reformed Church College, which was one of the strongest „fortresses” of education in Hungary from the 16th century. We visit here one of the most valuable fortified castles of Hungary. The complex was built throughout the 16-18th centuries, so the various parts represent the styles of several ages. The Late-Renaissance Lórántffy-loggia, and the Perényi-wing are among the most beautiful monuments of the Hungarian architecture. In the 17th century it became the estate of the Rákóczi family, which played a very important role in our history. Several eminent members of the family were reigning princes of Transylvania, and made the castle the center of freedom fighters in the 18th century. Many historic events took place here, such as a conspiracy in the Sub Rosa room, and in 1708 the last meeting of the leaders of the freedom fights against the Habsburgs. We can enjoy the nice view of the River Bodrog from the oldest part of the castle, the Red Tower, and then have a look at the exhibition about the castle, the Rákóczi family, the history of the war of independence, and some antique arms and furnitures. After all these experiences and a delicious lunch we cycle in a quiet natural environment, cross the Tisza on an antique ferry, and ride to Tokaj, which is the center of the famous wine-region. Then we take a short bus ride, and get to a splendid Palace Hotel built in Renaissance style. The whole setting here with a beautiful lake, wedged between massive hills, and reflecting the picture of the palace, the view of Hungary’s largest waterfalls from the creeper-covered terraces below the palace, and the beautiful park behind it, provide a really picturesque impression. (cycling approx.31km/20m) 

DAY 7: CYCLING AMONG MIRACLES OF NATURE IN THE BÜKK HILLS

Passing by an open-air spectacle, an ancient furnace (there are only three remaining in Europe), with our bus we get up the Bükk Plateau, where we start cycling today. Some of the rocks that encircle this enormous limestone block, rises over 800 metres. Steep valleys, blunt peaks, broad and narrow ridges, gullies, sink holes, dolines, and open shafts (vertical caves) make its karst surface variegated. More than 850 caves (the deepest one is 250m deep) can be found here. We will cycle through untouched oak, hornbeam, beech and pine woods, and along colorful meadows that are richly decorated by various and scarce flowers, such as the Northern Dragonhead or the Lady’s Slipper Orchid. If we are lucky, we can even see the renowned Lipizzan stud. Rolling down the hills, we stop at a wooden look out tower to admire the astonishing panorama from there, and further we bike down to the Szalajka Valley, which belongs to the main attractions of the Bükk. We go up with the narrow-gauge railways, and walk down along the scenic highlights of the stream: the picturesque „Veil-Waterfall”, a Rock Spring, beautiful ponds with incredible green colour, and plenty of trouts, and an open-air forest-museum. After this beautiful tour we ride to a small village near Eger. The small family hotel where we stay, is an absolutely fantastic place in an enchanting surroundings right at the wood. It is like an antique shop, full of old village furnitures, and owing to the kind hospitality of the owners, and the unreserved atmosphere here you can feel yourself totally at home. We will be members of the family for two nights. Mummy is an excellent cook here, so it is very hard to refrain from eating up all her delicious home made surprises. Fortunately they have very good home made schnappses too, to open your stomach properly before dinner. (cycling approx.19km/12m)

DAY 8: EGER, THE BAROQUE JEWEL, A THERMAL BATH, AND WINE TASTING

Our bikes and ourselves have some rest today. We visit the historic Eger, one of the most beautiful Baroque towns of Hungary. First we have a tour among the medieval rooms, walls and bastions in the fortress of Eger, to see some of the interesting exhibitions there. The Siege of Eger, - when the heroic defenders succeeded to protect the fortress against the Turks in 1552. - is a wellnown novel about one of the greatest victories of our history. Our next stop will be the second biggest cathedral of Hungary, and then we take a walk to admire some of the nicest Baroque buildings of Hungary, the Minorite church, the Lyceum (one of the best higher education institutions in Hungary) with its high observatory tower and library, which preserves the oldest book printed in Hungarian, the Archiepiscopal Palace, the County Hall with its fine wrought iron gate, and many other beautiful houses. It is also quite alluring to have a drink or some good cakes in one of the nice confectioneries, and enjoy the charming atmosphere here. After this we go to a very modern and special thermal bath of Hungary, where numerous in- and outdoor swimming pools with healing thermal water, whirlpools, wave and river pools, and many other possibilities are waiting for you in a unique surroundings. The spa is situated at the base of a beautiful „Salt Hill” wich is formed by the hot water streaming down the hillside, and accumulating layers of lime stone. Such a natural phenomenon can be found only in two other places of the world. After we made our muscles recovered, we get back to our hotel, where you can have some relaxation, or enjoy the nice fresh air and tranquillity in the garden. As we are in the historic wine region of Eger, the home of a famous red wine, the „Bull’s Blood”, tonight we will have a wine tasting and dinner in a 100 year old wine-cellar of a very kind family, which has won the „Best wine maker of the year”, and many other international prizes. Their home-made bread, delicious specialities cooked in earthen vessel, and their lovely cakes will slide into our stomach well with the number of excellent wines we taste here.

DAY 9: FOLK ART, AND OLD TRADITIONS IN MATYÓ LAND

After a sad moment when we leave our lovely hotel, we cycle through charming villages that are wellknown for their old traditions such as making wine, plum jam and prunes, special baskets or pottery. Then we arrive at the capital of a special ethnographic group: the Matyó people. Their traditional costumes are one of the most ornamented ones in Hungary. Plenty of flowers are embroidered in their clothes, which are extremely rich in colours. We visit here a few small museums in nice old thatched village houses where you can see how the people lived in the old days, and their old furnitures, hand-embroidered dresses, table-cloths, dolls, gingerbreads or eggs, all decorated with the colourful local patterns. This is a perfect place to by some typical Hungarian souvenirs. After this all, we take a bus transfer to our hotel in Budapest, where you can have some rest or drinks, or a swim in the lovely swimming pool, before we have our farewell dinner there. (cycling approx.19km/12m)

DAY 10:

After enjoying breakfast in the nice atmosphere of your hotel, we hope you will get home safely, with nice memories for a lifetime.