Pécs & Villány, Southern Hungary
10 Hours
Heading to the South after 2 hours exciting journey across Trasdanubian hills and valleys we first reach the 5th biggest city of Hungary called Pécs, located on the slopes of the Mecsek Mountains in the south-west of the country, close to the border with Croatia. It is the administrative and economical centre of Baranya county, seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pécs. It has been selected to be the European Capital of Culture in 2010 sharing the title together with Essen and Istanbul. The city's motto is: "The Borderless City". With its mediaeval monuments, meandering cabled stoned streets and baroque houses it has a real Mediterranean atmosphere with many cafés, restaurants that await their guests with open terraces from March until October. In order to get know to the sights, your guide will invite you for a wonderful walk in the old town, that is part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. The mayor attractions are: Roman burial valuts, an original mosque and a tall minaret from the 16th century left from the period of the former Ottoman Empire, Zsolnay Porcelain Manufacture and Museum, grandiose paintings in the Csontváry Gallery, decorative Vasarely patterns, public buildings and statues decorated with Zsolnay Porcelain called "eozin" that has a special greenish colour. In early spring the greatest attraction is when the almond trees are blossoming. After the short historical walk your guide will take you for lunch in the downtown.
The next stop is at the city of Villány, centre of the great Villány wine region, Hungary's first-class red-wine producing areas. Situated upon the southern and eastern slopes of the Villány Mountains the terraced surface of the mountain offers an ideal morphology to the efficient viticulture. The mass of the Villány Mountains protects the vineyards from the northern cold climatic influence, resulting in a special sub-Mediterranean microclimate. There is also a protected natural park here: 240 million years old fossils of animals and ammonites had been discovered in the former limestone quarry. Having discovered the fertility of this land the Romans were first to plant grape here. Many well-known wines are made from the grapes basked in sun in the vineyards on the plateaus slopes. The red wines, for which the Villány is famous, are the Blue-Oporto, Blue-Frankish, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and the Merlot. Here you can see famous vineyards and visit one of Hungary's top wine makers, the Gere Winery and taste its wines. Arriving to Villány, optionally you can visit the Gere Winery's vineyards with picturesque slopes and can get acquainted with the winery's viniculture philosophy and wine-production. Afterwards we will invite you in the winery's traditional, centuries-old cellar, where you will hear about the wine region's and the winery's history, winemaking traditions and can taste splendid wines. After a memorable day in joyful, rural atmosphere we return to Budapest.