Hollókő Full-Day Sightseeing & Wine Tour from Budapest

Highlights

• See the 58 protected buildings of Hollókő, including masterpieces of 17th-Century vernacular architecture
• Get panoramic views from Hollókő Castle
• Enjoy a traditional Hungarian lunch in Hollókő
• Try some of the wines of the Mátra wine region
• Relax with round-trip transfers from Budapest

Full description

This full-day excursion from Budapest takes you to the UNESCO town of Hollókő, inscribed in 1987 as a superb example of a well-preserved traditional settlement.

The picturesque village is located in the northern part of Hungary, about 55 miles (91 kilometers) northeast of Budapest. Take a 90-minute drive through the valley of the low-lying Cserhát Mountains to the ethnographic village of the native Palóc people, built in the 17-18th-Century.

The atmospheric narrow streets, typical Hungarian rural houses and beautiful surroundings reveal rural life before the agricultural revolution of the 20th-Century.

The most precious part of the village is the central area, where UNESCO has protected 58 buildings that are especially well-preserved masterpieces of 17th-Century vernacular architecture.

At the western edge of the village lie the ruins of Hollókő Castle, dating from the 13th-Century. The castle was abandoned at the end of the Ottoman occupation in the 17th-Century and stands on the crest of a hill where you can enjoy beautiful views of the village.

After visiting the Village Museum and the Castle, you will sit down to a traditional Hungarian 3-course lunch at a local restaurant.

Continue after lunch by traveling across the Mátra Hills, part of the North Hungarian Mountains, known for its strong wine industry. You will visit an excellent winery to try about 5 or 6 of the local wines, given flavor by the fertile volcanic soil.

You will also enjoy some delicious Hungarian peasant food to round off your journey back in time, and to a place where people feel more connected to the land. You will be driven back to Budapest for your hotel drop-off in the late afternoon.

What’s included

• Personal guide
• Transportation by air-conditioned, elegant car or minivan
• Tour of Hollókő
• Entrance fee to Hollókő Castle
• Lunch
• Wine-tasting with cold snack

What’s not included

• Entrance fees to optional sights

Meeting Point

Pick-up and drop-off are included in the price and can be arranged from the Budapest location of your choice.