memories of Hungaria - part five

i've realised how many photos i took during our journeys in Hungary. it is not easy for me to make a nice selection here without being too boring. i'll try my best and i'll stick to... three more posts devoted to Hungary.

our next trip was a cruise on the Danube River (Duna), departing from Budapest and arriving at Esztergom. the five hours journey by ship was a perfect chillout due to very pleasant weather and nice landscapes. Esztergom is in the North of the country and this is where the Danube forms the borderline between Hungary and Slovakia. despite being small the city is a home to the biggest church in the country, Esztergom Basilica. Esztergom was once the capital of Hungary.

Mária Valéria Bridge joins Hungarian Esztergom with Slovak Štúrovo

i highly recommend crossing the bridge and trying some of the regional cuisines. my and Balint's choice were: Slovak bryndzove halusky (potato dumplings with bryndza - a sheep’s-milk cheese), Czech knedlí (Czech dumpling) combined with a pig roast and steamed cabbage accompanied by a famous Slovak Zlatý Bažant beer.

only a few days later we travelled west stopping by the Balaton Lake . it is a must place to see if you want to tick one more tourist attraction off on your list. however there is also plenty to discover for those who have more intimate expectations and who love (Hungarian) wine. we certainly do :)
there are many guided wine tours in various wine regions of Hungary. our main objectives were to visit both, a wine district and the lake. these pictures were taken in Badacsony, an area famous especially of its delicious whites. ah, just to let you know, it is not everything just about wine there. the view from the top of the Badacsony Mountain is marvelous.

translucent gold, semi dry and straight from a barrel - Olaszrizling (Italian Riesling)


for a Pole, who's been living abroad (United Kingdom of pie 'n' mash;) for a couple of years, ordering a g(rill)ed sausage with a slice of a proper bread evoked nice memories making me superb cheerful. btw, those marinated peppers are a hungarian specialty. mmmm... Jó étvágyat! (enjoy your meal;)


a sightseeing tour in Badacsony could look like this: you walk up the hill, you admire the views, you pop into an informal restaurant with a cellar (they are usually private households), you order a snack and a glass of wine, you have a chat and you enjoy your meal and your drink. afterwards you carry on with walking up the mountain. as you walk you meet strangers who are of different nationalities, all very kind (and sometimes tipsy;) and they greet as you walk pass. when you get tired (or thirsty) you stop by another cellar...
in case of any confussion just ask for borház (wine bar) or borpince (wine cellar).

in this wine cellar where we tried our first wine


another stop; this is a garden shed of a different borház beautifully overgrown with grapes


being silly in Szentbékálla (St. Frog's Chin) 'stone field'; there are natural stone formation located within some 15 min drive from Badacsony; it's a perfect place for watching the sun disappears below the horizon or playing hide and seek ;)