The beautiful town with hardly any tourists dubbed Eastern Europe’s answer to Tuscany | Travel News | Travel
As summer slowly approaches, many are already dreaming of escaping their humdrum daily routines and escaping to sunny, warm climes for some adventure and relaxation. In particular those planning a trip to Europe are increasingly facing the problems of overcrowding from mass tourism.
From Venice to Athens, Europe’s most popular destinations are straining under the weight of unsustainable tourist numbers. Visitors have to struggle with crowds, queues and crumbling infrastructure, while locals have to face strained resources that foster a growing anger towards tourists.
Yet for those prepared to go off the beaten track, there are still plenty of gems with no crowds that offer all the cultural and historical vibes, as well as gastronomical delights that are commonly associated with the most popular European destinations.
One such place is the historic town of Tokaj in Hungary, that is located in one of the country’s most famous wine growing regions.
The town stands at the confluence of the Bodrog and Tisza rivers and is picturesquely framed by the Zemplen Mountain.
Tokaj has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and has given its name to wine drunk even by Royalty.
Made for more than one thousand years, Hungarian Tokaj was served at Versailles and became a favourite of Louis XV, King of France.
The reason for its longterm success as one of the world’s most beloved libations?
This region has a unique microclimate that allows the wine to develop a distinctive taste.
Visitors can learn all about local wine making techniques at the World Heritage Wine Museum, housed in a historic building in the town centre.
The surrounding region is made up of 30 villages and towns, each with their own wineries and all worth a visit.
In the warmer months, grapes hang from the vines that stretch out across the slopes.
Stopping at the local wineries, visitors can taste the different dry and sweet styles and learn about their production.
At the same time there are plenty of medieval castles, chateaux, nature trails and gourmet restaurants to explore right across the region – making Tokaj and its region a perfect travel destination.