Eger and the Valley of the Beautiful Women
Just two hours north of Budapest lies a small city that feels worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the Hungarian capital.
A short train ride, and you can trade in the clash of nighttime traffic for a serenade of nighttime insects; the sprawling city for just a few major streets. And instead of Budapest's ruin bars, here you can explore dozens of wine cellars.
This is Eger.
A city of about 60,000, Eger still manages to possess that Hungarian charm that I fell in love with in Budapest, despite its miniature size. Cobbled streets empty into broad squares with towering cathedrals. Colorful cafes spill out onto sidewalks littered with umbrella-shaded tables. And an ancient castle provides sweeping views out over the whole city.
In fact, Eger Castle is one of the region's main attractions, with the structure dating back centuries. Even on a rainy Sunday when all the museums and exhibitions were closed, the fortress was well worth a visit.
But nobody comes to Eger just to see the castle.
The real draw of this city lies an easy 20 minutes' walk outside of the main square, in an area known romantically as the Valley of the Beautiful Women. You could, of course, also hire a car, but the walk is gentle and very pretty.
Here, tucked deep into a verdant valley, lies Hungary's most well-known wine region. But it's not your average wine region — Eger is unique in that it boasts dozens of wineries, each of which operates a small cellar in the Valley of the Beautiful Women where you can pop in and try some local specialties for dirt cheap. (There are actually upwards of 200 cellars here, with roughly 4 dozen open to the public.)
It's kind of like a pub crawl. Except you substitute wine cellars for pubs, and instead of beer you can expect wine. Lots and lots of wine.
You can find wine of all colors and tastes here — from white to blush to deep red. But the most famous wine in Eger is definitely Egri Bikavér — or “Bull's Blood.” This dark red wine is rich and dry, made from a mixture of 3 different types of grapes.
And the name is just as unique as the wine.
Back in the 1550s, as the Turks were expanding their Ottoman Empire to include Hungary, they thought they'd make quick work of taking over Eger, an important stronghold in the northern part of the country at the time. What they weren't expecting in 1552 with their army of tens of thousands (stories list anywhere from 40,000 to 150,000 Turks), however, was such a fierce force in Eger to oppose them.
The ruler of Eger at the time, Dobo Istvan, rallied his roughly 2,000 troops (legends list the number anywhere between 800 and 3,000 men), and decided to boost their morale by giving them barrels of wine to drink — all the wine in Eger was mixed together randomly to sustain Dobo's troops.
The small Eger force was able to defend Eger Castle and drive the Turks away, and fought so passionately that a rumor spread around the Turkish ranks that the Hungarians were drinking the blood from bulls to gain their improbable strength (and red-stained beards). And so “Bull's Blood” wine got its name.
Just about any cellar in the Valley will be able to serve you its own version of Egri Bikavér, along with a variety of other wines. Cellar 19, for example, had nearly 30 different varieties of wine in one of the oldest cellars in the valley.
But if you are only going to visit one cellar in Eger, make it cellar number 2. This cellar, tucked into an unsuspecting corner removed from the outdoor seating and blaring loudspeaker music, was by far my favorite. The owner, an older Hungarian lady who spoke very little English, poured wine through a slender glass contraption with gusto and served up very curious “sandwiches” and cheese plates.
There was no rush to leave, and no wine glass left unfilled.
The dark and musty cellar — covered in moss and mold that helps regulate the temperature year-round — was full of warm character, the walls covered with coins from all over the world that had been pressed into the fungus. The owner told us that if you pressed a coin into the wall and it stuck, it meant you would be sure to return to Eger.
Coin or no coin, Eger is definitely a part of Hungary I would return to someday.
IF YOU GO
The best option is to take a train to Eger and stay overnight. But if that's not an option, you can also book a day trip from Budapest; Eger is about 2 hours one-way from the Hungarian capital.
If you decide to stay overnight in Eger, the Senator House Hotel is the top-rated hotel in the city.
Have you been cellar hopping in Eger? If not, is this is place you'd like to go wine tasting someday?
*Note: I am on a complimentary “Explore Eastern Europe” tour with Intrepid Travel, but all opinions are completely my own.
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
[…] doing it! I’ve never been to Hungary but I know that I will love it when I go. There are many caves that exist in Hungary where wine is aged and this type of aging gives it a very distinct flavour, […]
Hello Amanda,
Apologies, if this seems like spam but I think my site http://www.ieger.com would be a useful resource for your visitors, so if they want to know more about opening times of cellars and the like they can hop over to the site,
You write well, by the way. Great blog.
Best wishes,
Charles
I am indebted to you for the recommendation to go to Cellar #2! I had read your post earlier this morning before visiting the Valley of the Beautiful Women. Cellar #2 was closed when I got there but as I was leaving I noticed it was open… After a minute of should I stay or should I go I decided to check it out based on your recommendation.
What a wonderful woman and what delicious wine she poured! And wow did she teach me how to drink it (she drank right along with me). Amazing experience. Thank you, I wouldn’t have ventured there if I hadn’t read your post.
That is so awesome to hear! (Both that you went based on this blog post, and that she’s still there serving up her delicious wine!)
We will be going to Budapest this November, and plan on going to Eger! Could you tell us how to get to the cellars from Eger city center or Eger castle? We will have a driver drop us off in the am, and pick us up at the end of the day. I think we will just walk to the cellars, since you said it’s pretty easy. Thank you!
Unfortunately it’s been quite a few years since I was there, so I don’t remember the exact directions. However you definitely can walk to the cellars. I would just ask around in town! If I remember correctly, there were a few signs pointing the way.
It’s quite interesting how I came to find you Amanda. I am Agi Anderson and I was born in Budapest, Hungary. Almost all of my family lives in Eger where I plan t go for a year in 2016 to set up a vacation rental. Your photos are stunning and you truly captured the beauty of this wonderful city in your post. Let’s connect, I would love to chat about your visit to Eger. I was there in July 2013, a year after your trip.
Welcome to my blog, Agi! Eger was so beautiful – I’m so glad I got to visit!
Hi Amanda!
Were the wine cellars open on Sunday? We’re planning a trip, and that might be the best day for us to go, assuming things are open!
Thanks!
Hi Janos! To be perfectly honest with you, I don’t know! I don’t remember what day of the week I went, I’m afraid – it was quite a few years ago! If you are going to be in the area beforehand, I would probably just ask someone local as they would know much better than I would.
I am happy to check with my family members about questions you have about visiting Eger.
Thanks for the information. I am currently in Eger, Hungary nearing the end of a one month cycle tour through this interesting and diverse country. Now I know that I can leave my bicycle parked here at the camping ground and walk down the street to the Valley of the Beautiful Women. I don’t usually drink wine but discovered the joys of Hungarian wine at Lake Balaton so might just have to continue my education today.
You’ll find some great wines in the cellars there! Plus, the cellars are just full of character!
[…] known for its reds. The wine cellar we visited reminded me a lot of the cellars I went to in the Valley of the Beautiful Women in Eger a few years […]
I lived in Budapest between 1992-1994 and remember visiting the wine cellars. I loved it at the time and your article took me back in time to happier days and wonderful memories. I loved seeing your photos. Thanks.
So glad I could bring back some fond memories for you, Carol. 🙂
It’s an amazing story – the few Hungarians lead by Isván Dobó resisted an immense Ottoman army and they even managed to overcome.
Beautiful city and I’d love to visit it!
Yes, the story is quite incredible!
Visited number 2 yesterday. Beatrix is still there pouring the wine and offering generous hospitality. The wine is “shockingly delicious” as one customer puts it.
Haha awesome to hear!