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About Hollókő

Hollókő is located in the northeast part of Hungary, about a 90-minute drive from Budapest. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, the village and its surroundings offer a unique insight into what life used to be like in rural Hungary before the 20th century. Today, Hollókő has two distinct parts: the Old Village with buildings that are over 100 years old, and the New Village, where most of the town’s population lives today.

Hollókő is often called a “living village”, meaning that unlike other similar villages, Hollókő has never been turned into a museum, and residents still live in the old part of town keeping the traditional customs alive. However, most of the buildings host shops, museums and restaurants serving the many travelers from both Hungary and abroad who visit Hollókő each year.

The Church of Hollőkő. Photo: Budapest Local

Summer in Hollókő. Photo: Budapest Local

Forest trail below the Old Village. Photo: Budapest Local

What to Do and See

Hollókő is a great place to learn about Hungarian history, culture, customs and traditions, to enjoy the beautiful nature, and to explore the region’s unique gastronomy.

The Old Village consists of two streets, Kossuth Lajos Street and Petőfi Sándor Street, where you’ll find 67 houses. Some of these buildings are private houses while others have been turned into museums, shops and restaurants. If you want to learn about the the history of Hollókő and about customs and traditions, make sure you visit the Village Museum, the Post Museum, the Doll Museum and The House Of The Weavers.

Make sure you also peek inside St. Martin Church, a Roman Catholic church that was built in 1889.

Dating back to the thirteenth century, the Hollókő Castle is a great place to enjoy the view over the old village and the stunning Cserhát mountains. The permanent exhibition showcases weapons from the 11th to the 16th century, traditional costumes, an intimate chapel, and a wax exhibition presenting the first lord of the castle and his family.

Wine shop and tasting room. Photo: Budapest Local

Unique souvenirs in Hollókő. Photo: Budapest Local

Where to Eat?

There are plenty of options in Hollókő for a great meal. For lunch in the old village, you should try the Mívesház Vendéglő or the Muskátli Vendéglő. Palócleves is a popular local specialty similar to our traditional gulyás (goulash) soup but this version has a sour taste. Castellum Hotel and its Mikszáth Restaurant offers a more gourmet (and pricy) experience with a fusion between traditional and modern Hungarian cuisine. They also have the best coffee in Hollókő.

At Borpatika (also in the old village), you can try some local wines and also meet the winemaker. There is also a small shop called Gazduram Sajtboltja with delicious artisan cheese and they’re happy to put together a cheese platter for you with a selection of their best cheese.

Original furnace. Photo: Budapest Local

Castle Ruins of Hollókő. Photo: Budapest Local

When to Go?

Hollókő is a great travel destination all year round, however, you’ll have a distinctly different experience depending on the season. Hollókő is highly popular during certain Holidays, including Easter, Pentecost, August 20th and Saint Martin Day, when traditional Hungarian customs are celebration in the old village. The hot summer months are usually not that popular as most travelers prefer visiting the Balaton region. The winter months are usually also quiet except for the Christmas Holidays.

Winter in Hollókő. Photo: Budapest Local

Winter in Hollókő. Photo: Budapest Local

Winter in Hollókő. Photo: Budapest Local

How to Get There?

The easiest and fastest way to get to Hollókő is by car. The approximately 90-minute drive from Budapest will take you through the beautiful Cserhát mountain range.

There are two buses everyday between Budapest and Hollókő. The bus 1024 leaves at 8:30am from the Stadion Bus Station in Budapest and the trip takes 2 hours. The bus 439 leaves at 3:15pm also from the Stadion Bus Station and arrives at Hollókő at 5:25pm. For the way back, you can take the bus 439 at 5am or 7:30am or the bus 1024 at 3pm or 4pm.

Download our Free Budapest Guides to learn how you can make the most of your trip.

Winter in Hollókő. Photo: Budapest Local

Where to Stay?

If you want to spend more than one day in Hollókő (which I highly recommend!), then you have plenty of options for accommodations. You can either stay in one of the guest houses in the old village to find out how people used to live in the early 20th century.

Although the buildings have been renovated to accommodate our modern needs, including indoor plumbing, you can still experience the traditional way of living through the interior with original furniture and decoration. These accommodations all have bathrooms and kitchens, and you can easily do your grocery shopping at a local store nearby. Check out the Kemencés Guest House, the Kaláris Guest House, the Mikula Porta, the Nefelejcs Guest House or the Hollóköves Guest Houses for a one-of-a-kind accommodation.

If you’re looking for a more modern experience, then we recommend Castellum Hotel Hollókő, which opened only a couple of years ago. This hotel features beautiful rooms with modern design, a great wellness section and a top-notch restaurant. Make sure you ask for a room with a view over the old village!

Winter view over the Old Village from Castellum Hotel Hollókő. Photo: Budapest Local

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The post Travel Back in Time in the Charming Village of Hollókő! appeared first on Budapest Local.

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Last year was so much fun, let’s do it again. After a successful inaugural BPBW festival in 2018, BPBW Beer Week in Budapest is back for 2019 and it is jam-packed with more beer, more bands and more excitement.

This time around, festival participants will have the opportunity to try beers from 60 breweries from around the world during the two day tasting sessions on May 24 and 25. And what a beer line-up they have. From Colorado’s Left Hand Brewing Company, to TotenHopfen from Luxembourg and 8 Wired Brewing coming all the way from New Zealand, this is truly an extraordinary opportunity for beer lovers to try some of the best craft beers around (including the 11 Hungarian breweries present). There will be something for everyone.

As this is a week-long festival, there will be events leading up to the main tasting sessions on the weekend. Warm yourself up by checking out some of these tap takeovers around Budapest during the week:

Monday 20 May

Stu Mostów (PL) Tap Takeover @ Hedon Bazilika Taproom

Omnipollo (SWE) Tap Takeover @ HOPS Beer Bar

Zichovec (CZ) Tap Takeover @ Hetedik Lépcső

Tuesday 21 May

Never go ALL IN (SWE) Meet The Brewer + Tap Takeover with All In Brewing, Beerbliotek, Dugges, Poppels, & Stigbergets @ Hopaholic

Iberian Delight Tap Takeover with Edge & Dois Covos @ Bölcső Bar

Berliner Vice Meet the organizer with Berlin Beer Week @ KEG Sörművház

Made in Italy Tap Takevoer with Baladin & Ritual Lab @ Kandalló

Wednesday 22 May

Colorful Colorado (USA) Meet The Brewer + Tap Takeover with Left Hand, WeldWerks, & Crooked Stave @ Jónás Craft Beer House

BrewDog + BrewDog OverWorks (Scotland, UK) Meet The Brewer + Tap Takeover @ BrewDog Bar Budapest

Norwegian Black Meet The Brewer + Tap Takeover with Lervig, Austmann, Crow @ First Craft Beer & BBQ

Pop-up beer dinner @ Beerganika

Thursday 2 May

BPBW 2019 Professional Day @ Neked Csak Dezső | Closed Event

Craft Save the Queen UK Tap Takover & Meet the brewers with Brew By Numbers, BrewDog, Magic Rock, North Brewing Co., BrewDog OverWorks, Siren Craft Brew @ BrewDog Bar Budapest

Chaos and Loathing from The Netherlands Meet The Brewers + Tap Takeover with De Moersleutel, Frontaal, Uiltje @ Hopaholic

Zagovor Brewery (MOS) meet the brewer & tap takeover @ KEG Sörművház

BPBW 2019 Official Opening Party @ Neked Csak Dezső | Closed event until 21:00! Tap takover with Finback, Crooked Stave, Pipeworks, 18th Street

Põhjala Brewery (Estonia) Meet The Brewer + Tap Takeover @ HOPS Beer Bar

Friday 24 May

Headline event Tasting Sessions – Day

Saturday 25 May

Headline event Tasting Sessions – Day

Sunday 26 May

Headline event BPBW Encore Session | Day – THE ESSENTIALS OF BEERS FROM THE FRIDAY-SATURDAY TASTING SESSIONS (What’s Left)

Did you get all that? So the challenge now is to see how many tap takeover events you an hit before the Tasting Sessions. Have a fun week Budapest.

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The post Check out These Events for BPBW Beer Week in Budapest 2019 appeared first on Budapest Local.

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Hungary is a veritable hotbed of winemaking activity, boasting over 22 different wine regions and hundreds of varietals. Of course, providing you with information about all these regions could make your head spin more than that third glass of wine, so we break it down into the country’s most popular wine regions to make your wine lesson easier to digest. And if you want to explore these beautiful regions and sample the best Hungarian wines, make sure you sign up for an expert-led wine tour.

Villány: Award Winning Reds and Rosés

Steeped in rich wine traditions, Villány is one of the Hungary’s top wine regions churning out a delicious array of reds and rosés, and boasting many of the country’s award-winning wines. The country’s beloved Kadarka, Portugieser and Schiller wines call this region home. They must be doing something right, because Villány’s wine producers have received prestigious awards such as, “Wine Producer of the Year” and “Wine Cellar of the Year” six-times running.

Since the Villány-Siklós wine route is by far one of the most well-renowned, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that the region drives the most visitors hoping to immerse themselves in the local Hungarian wine culture while also immersing themselves in a generous pour of delicious red wine.

Plus, you’ll find that the area’s wine cellars are within close proximity, so you don’t have to walk far to sample all the local wines (we’re not sure if this is a great thing or a dangerous thing).

Photo: Pixabay user BeJan

Somló: The Smallest Wine Region

When you think of Hungary the word “volcanic” probably doesn’t come to mind, but that’s only because you probably haven’t been to the country’s smallest wine region, Somló. Whether you are a professed white wine drinker or it’s just too hot outside to fathom pulling out that spicy red, Somló is the white wine region you should know but probably don’t.

This area was formed millions of years ago thanks, in part to a volcanic eruption. Today the volcanic mountain rises out of the sweeping plains and is nicknamed “The Forgotten Hat of God” (perhaps God just wanted to leave a breadcrumb so he knew where to find the best Hungarian wine).

Basalt bedrock surrounds the hill that leads to the ruins of an 11th century castle. Local lore states that the Christian court dissolved this monastery because the nuns may have been just a little too fond of the wine (and, honestly who could blame them?). For centuries, novelists and painters have sung the praises of this region, calling it one of the most beautiful landscapes in Hungary (they may also have been just a touch inspired by the local wines).

The area is home to three local grapes: the Hárslevelű, the Furmint grape and the well-known Juhfark. Juhfark, which means “sheep’s tail” is exclusive to this tiny northwestern region.

Surrounded by even more lore, it is said that a couple should consume Juhfark on their wedding night in the hopes of conceiving a boy. In fact, the rich and powerful were said to send their women there to drink the wine in the hopes of a male heir. While we can’t vouch for this legend, we are pretty sure that if you send your female companion to this wine region she will most certainly return happy.

With the perfect balance of lemon, smoke and honey notes, these golden volcanic mineral-driven wines of Somló age well and are best served at room temperature.

Photo: Flickr user János Korom

Eger: Home of the Famous Bull’s Blood

Nestled in the northeast region of Hungary between the Mátra and Bükk Mountains is the rolling valley of Eger. This rich soil is also formed on volcanic rock and many wine lovers have nicknamed Eger, “The Burgundy of Hungary”. Eger has a diverse wine history, dating back thousands of years when the local monks made wine from the local grapes. A 30-million-year-old vine leaf fossil, known as the “Vitis Hungarica” was also discovered in Eger.

While Eger offers a variety of different kinds of wines it’s most known for the Egri Bikavér, meaning “Bull’s Blood”, and the Egri Csillag, or “the Star of Eger”. As you might imagine, Egri Bikavér has a very intriguing past. According to legend, during the Ottoman takeover of Eger in the 16th century, the Hungarian soldiers were said to be generously imbibing on this rich, hearty red wine (liquid courage, anyone?).

Let’s just say that when the Turks saw the Hungarian troops with fierce, bloodshot eyes and suspicious-looking red stains in their beards they turned and ran the other way proclaiming that Hungarians drank the blood of the bull (good work, troops). So next time someone says that nothing good can come from drinking wine, kindly share with them the Bikavér legend.

Photo: Gal Tibor Winery

Szekszárd: Low-Acid and Low-Tannin Reds

In the southern region of Hungary, amongst the protected wetlands and stunning flood-area forest of Gemenc you’ll find another famous wine region known for producing wines of deep crimson with a rich aroma and velvety texture. Here, among the rolling hills, you’ll find a wide variety of wines, from cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc to kékfrankos and merlot. You can thank the loess (wind-blown slit) soil, only found in 10 percent of the world, for producing these low-acid, low-tannin reds.

The long, warm summers and mild winters of the southern region are also kind to the country’s red grapes. The Szekszárd blends are full-bodied, spicy, smooth and incredibly dark. However, don’t be fooled; this region has a knack for creating light, refreshing rosés, as well.

Szekszárd is another wine region where you’ll find the Kadarka grape, famous for producing the full-bodied but velvety Hungarian Bikavér (“Bull’s Blood”). The Szekszárd Bikavér is a cuvée, blending together two or three different kinds of wines and boasting a high alcohol-content. Of course, don’t ask one of the winemakers to give away their recipes, as these are top secret.

Fun fact: Several wine cellars were dug into this same soil where they were emergency homes for local families during the war.

Tűzkő Winery. Photo: Szekszárdi Bor

Tokaj: Where the Unique Aszú Wines Are Made

This story wouldn’t be complete if we weren’t to mention Hungary’s famed Tokaji (“toe-kay”) wine. Consider this the pièce de résistance of Hungarian wines. This region is found at the foothills of the Zemplén Mountains in northeastern Hungary. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is comprised of low hills and river valleys, characteristic of the traditional wine-producing landscape. Out of the volcanic ash rises, like a beautiful Phoenix, the sweet golden Tokaji wine.

The key to the wine’s uniqueness lies in the grapes themselves. These grapes are left on the vines longer than most, allowing the botrytis or “Noble Rot” fungus to grow on the grapes. While the same fungus that grows on your carton of strawberries may not look appealing, what it does to wine is nothing short of incredible.

In fact, it is the fungus itself that causes the aszú grapes to shrivel up, so much so juice cannot be squeezed from them. While that might sound like a bad thing, Tokaji one-of-a-kind winemaking has a few tricks up its sleeve. These unique grapes are placed into large tubs, where they are actually crushed into a paste. The thick, sweet paste is then soaked in a lighter wine. Often imitated but never duplicated, these wines have put Tokaj on the map.

Photo: Vineyards in Tokaj

These wines are unlike anything you’ve ever experienced with their rich amber color and high sugar content, which is perfectly balanced with the high acidity. Young Tokaji wines offer fruity, citrus flavors (ranging from subtle orange peel to tart grapefruit) with notes of honey, while aged Tokaji offers a nuttier or more floral profile. Of course, for those with drier palates, you can also find dry Tokaji wines. Discover for yourself why Louis XV of France declared Tokaji, “Vinum Regum, Rex Vinorum” (“Wine of Kings, King of Wines”).

As the famous Hungarian writer, Béla Hamvas once said, “Drinking has its rules: anytime, anywhere and anyhow, it is enough for serious time, serious-minded people, serious-minded nation…” So, if you are a serious-minded person who is serious about wine you can discover your own philosophy of wine with an expert-led wine tour. Sample great wines and delicious local foods while visiting famous wineries, and leave the driving to someone else.

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The post In Vino Veritas: Unearthing the Delicious Truth About Hungarian Wines appeared first on Budapest Local.