Eger and the Northern Wine Country.

Eger & the Northern Wine Country

The baroque town of Eger, in the hills of northern Hungary, is one of the country's most charming and a center of its wine culture. Its cobbled old town is a beauty of pastel baroque buildings, a grand basilica and the highest minaret in Europe outside of Turkey, a relic of Ottoman times, all watched over by the hilltop Eger Castle, where Hungarian defenders famously held off a vast Ottoman army in 1552.

But Eger is best known for its wine, above all Egri Bikaver, the bold red blend known as "Bull's Blood." Just outside town, the Valley of the Beautiful Women is lined with dozens of little cellars cut into the rock, where you can wander from door to door tasting wine poured straight from the barrel.

With its history, architecture and convivial cellar culture, Eger is a delicious slice of provincial Hungary.

Where: Northern Hungary
Best time: Late spring to fall (May–Oct); harvest in fall
Good for: Wine & history
Pair it with: Budapest or the Danube Bend

Where it is

On the map.

Eger sits in the hills of northern Hungary; the Valley of the Beautiful Women wine cellars lie just southwest of the town.

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What you'll see

On the route.

Stop 01

The baroque old town and basilica

Eger's cobbled center is a beauty of pastel baroque facades crowned by the grand neoclassical basilica, the second-largest church in Hungary.

Stop 02

Eger Castle on its hill

The medieval fortress above the town, where Hungarian defenders famously held off a vast Ottoman army in 1552, with sweeping views over the rooftops.

Stop 03

A cellar in the Valley of the Beautiful Women

Just outside town, dozens of little cellars are cut into the rock, their barrels lining the vaults where winemakers pour the deep red Bull's Blood.

Stop 04

A glass of Egri Bikaver

The bold red blend known as Bull's Blood is the wine to seek out, poured straight from the barrel and best enjoyed slowly over an afternoon.

Know before you go

The practical details.

Good to know

The town

Eger's compact baroque center is walkable: visit the castle for the history and views, the basilica, and climb the narrow Ottoman minaret if you have a head for heights; the town makes an easy day trip or overnight from Budapest, about two hours away.

Good to know

The wine

Egri Bikaver (Bull's Blood) is the famous bold red, but the region also makes crisp whites like Egri Csillag; the Valley of the Beautiful Women just outside town is a cluster of small cellars where you taste from the barrel for a few coins, so go with time and a designated driver or a guided tour.

Good to know

When to go

Late spring through fall is loveliest, with the vineyards green in summer and the grape harvest and cellar life at their best in fall; the cellars are most atmospheric in the late afternoon and evening.

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Eger and the Northern Wine Country.

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