Most travelers to Hungary experience only the capital, but a stay in the
provinces makes a rewarding extension of a Vienna-Bratislava-Budapest itinerary. We first headed two-and-a-half hours northeast to the most famous wine region in central Europe, Tokaj, driving ourselves from Budapest along well-marked and excellently maintained highways, eventually exiting onto narrow, winding country roads lined with plane trees.
Roads in the Hungarian countryside are picturesque, but they lack shoulders. We had a fine time with our rental car, but nervous or inexperienced drivers should consider a chauffeur. It may come as a surprise that Tokaj was one of the world’s first classified wine regions. Its vineyard sites received quality designations in 1700, a century and a half before Bordeaux. The French and Russian royal courts coveted Tokaji wines, but phylloxera hit the region hard. The vineyards had not completely recovered before World War II began, and they stagnated under communism. The authorities even converted part of one prized hillside into a quarry, tantamount to turning a slope of the Côte d’Or into a strip mine.
Today, Tokaj thrives anew, with international investment pouring into major facilities, complementing the many excellent small family producers.
Fortunately, a number of growers upheld the traditions of quality winemaking, and today, Tokaj thrives anew, with international investment pouring into major facilities, complementing the many excellent small family producers. Tasting wines in a region untouched by mass tourism is a joy. We had little trouble arranging private winery tours and tastings with owners and winemakers. Wine lovers who can forgo reds for a day or two will be in bliss, tromping through 500-year-old cellars caked in (beneficial) black mold and savoring wines bursting with liveliness, freshness and power.
The most famous wines of Tokaj are the sweet Aszú bottlings, but most producers also make superlative dry whites. Winemaker István Szepsy achieves especially impressive results. His dry Furmints reach the heights of fine white Burgundy, and his Aszú and Szamorodni wines exhibit remarkable concentration.
The Tokaj region has no equivalent to Auberge du Soleil or Meadowood, but I found the 21-room Gróf Degenfeld Castle Hotel, a 19th-century country mansion, to be thoroughly charming. We reserved its only suite, located on the second floor with a balcony overlooking the formal gardens. The spacious, neoclassically appointed living room was quite comfortable, with a crystal chandelier, parquet floors and a seating group upholstered in red-and-gold silk. I appreciated the ample storage space in the bedroom’s two armoires, and the black-and-white master bath had a separate shower and tub.
We had a wine tasting of fine Gróf Degenfeld vintages in one of the hotel’s elegant salons, and the main restaurant served expertly prepared traditional Hungarian cuisine, including a superb dish of heirloom Mangalica pork tenderloin with polenta. The hotel also has an outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts and, most important, an inexpensive shuttle to take you to nearby wineries and restaurants.
Regrettably, the cheerful service was helpful but not always to international luxury standards, and the hotel’s winery and restaurant recommendations weren’t always to my taste. The Szent Tamás winery, for example, had excellent wines but an impersonal tasting experience. Even so, I would gladly return to the Gróf Degenfeld’s suite when next I visit Tokaj, touring family-owned wineries such as Erzsébet Pince, Barta and Arvay Pincészet, and dining either at the hotel or at the nearby Sárga Borház restaurant.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: The charming vineyard setting; the fine traditional restaurant; our large and elegantly decorated suite; the commendable on-site winery; the handy shuttle service.
DISLIKE: The winery and restaurant recommendations; the occasionally casual service and sloppy housekeeping.
GOOD TO KNOW: The hotel draws mostly Hungarians and other Europeans, making it more lively on weekends; there is only a single suite.
Gróf Degenfeld Castle Hotel 88 Superior Room, $200; Suite, $225. Terézia Kert 9, Tarcal, Hungary. Tel. (36) 47-580-400.
We also explored the opposite side of Hungary, driving two-and-a-half hours southwest from Budapest along a highway that occasionally opened onto vistas of 48-mile-long Lake Balaton. A two-lane road leads south of the lake to a country retreat that is a destination in its own right. Encircled by apple orchards, pastures and wheat fields, Hertelendy Kastély looks to be straight out of the 18th century, but it was actually built as the centerpiece of a large fruit-producing estate in the 1920s and ’30s. This exceptionally gracious 16-room property harks back to an age of country house parties, with morning clay-pigeon shoots and afternoon tea in the salon.
Our Junior Suite Deluxe (#14) was well-appointed and appealing, with wood floors, an original olive-green ceramic-tile stove and a spacious bath with an immense soaking tub. Many attractions are within easy reach, including the pretty cities of Pécs and Keszthely, but the estate itself is so lovely that I couldn’t bring myself to leave. We spent our days relaxing alongside the well-kept outdoor pool, unwinding in the candlelit spa and enjoying wonderful meals on the terrace. Each night after dinner, I settled by a fire in the library with a novel and a pálinka flavored with Hertelendy’s apples. I especially enjoyed our horseback ride around the estate — the stables are impeccably maintained — and our private cooking class with Zsolt Hampuk, the good-humored and talented head chef. After harvesting produce from the kitchen garden, we spent a delightful four hours preparing Hungarian potato soup, chicken paprikás, Balaton pike-perch and “golden dumplings” with vanilla sauce. The class was one of the highlights of our entire journey.
When the morning of our checkout arrived, I was loath to give up the graceful rhythms of Hungarian manor house living. Hertelendy Kastély resurrects a lifestyle lost in the storms of war and the rush of modernity. Such places are increasingly rare, and I will treasure the memory of my stay.
AT A GLANCE
LIKE: The genuinely warm staff; the hideaway setting; the beautiful basement spa; the inviting pool; the combination of traditional décor with modern technology and conveniences; the delightful cooking class; the excellent meals.
DISLIKE: Accommodations above the ground floor have dormered windows and/or sloped ceilings.
GOOD TO KNOW: Those not wishing to make the drive from Budapest can use the hotel’s airstrip.
Hertelendy Kastély 95 Superior Room, $530; Deluxe Junior Suite, $700. Kutas-Kozmapuszta 0120/4, Hungary. Tel. (36) 82-568-400.
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