Greetings from Tokaj

Dear reader!

As a local tour guide, I would like to take this opportunity (too) to come and get to know the city of Tokaj. This town is the naming settlement of the world-famous Tokaj wine region.

This blog will talk about the history of Tokaj, and the region as well; famous people who are from this town or connected to it. You can read about the history of the most important buildings and you can also write me a message if you interested in any topic of my hometown.

I believe that Tokaj is not just wine, so I will rarely write about wine. I leave this topic to wineries, winemakers, experts and sommeliers.

Try to bring here interesting stories and anecdote from the everyday life of old times. Sometimes we “travel” to other settlements of the Tokaj wine region as well.

But where are we going?

Map-

At first glance, it may seem like we are going off the map, somewhere 5 km behind the Good God! From here, however, the rest of the world is far away.

All in all, those who want to see Tokaj and this region must come to the middle of Europe, to the Carpathian Basin, and to the north-east of Hungary. If the visitation of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites is on your bucket list, you can’t miss Tokaj-Hegyalja either. In 2002, it was officially added to the World Heritage list as Tokaj Wine Region Historic Cultural Landscape. By the way, did you know that there are only 14 wine regions in the world among the World Heritage Sites?

Tokaj and the wine region

Tokaj is just one of the 27 settlements in the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region. And it must be admitted that the best vineyards are not here, but the whole region is known from this town. The supposed answer to “Then why?” is the important role of the town in traffic and commerce. For centuries, one easy way to get across the river Tisza was the ferry here. Here meet the river Tisza and Bodrog, the North Hungarian Mountains and the Great Plain. Here was also the meeting points of the north – south and east – west trade and military routes. And we’ve learned in history lessons that people loved to settle by rivers, in a well-protected and nutritious natural environment, and along trade routes.

For me, Tokaj is my hometown. It is beautiful for me in any season. In dazzling sunshine, mysterious fog, squeaking cold, it is the same and yet different. When I see the the 517 m high volcanic peak, called Nagy-Kopasz (great bald) and the TV tower on it, I already know I will be home soon.

Dear reader! I encourage you to come to Tokaj and have a guided walk in this lovely, picturesque town. If there is a topic related to Tokaj and you would like to read about it in the blog, write me here .