Tokaj is a city associated with the production of the most famous Hungarian wine and the capital of the wine region of the same name. There are wine cellars that are over 600 years old, and there are many family-owned vineyards around the city that offer sightseeing and tasting opportunities.
The beginnings of wine making in Tokaj date back to the 13th century, when Italian winemakers settled here. Soon Tokaj wine became famous throughout Europe and was sold to the tables of nobility and even crowned heads. Poland was a very large recipient of Tokaj wine, and the merchant from Krosno, Wojciech Portius, in recognition of his merits for the development of wine trade, even has his own memorial plaque in the center of Tokaj.
The city is situated at the foot of the volcanic mountain Tokaj. It is the fertile volcanic soil, combined with adequate sunlight, that are responsible for the possibility of growing grapes here. Vineyards grow on the slopes of the hills around the city. They also grow on the slopes of Mount Tokaj, where there is a viewpoint. From it you can admire the panorama of the Tisza River and the Bodrog flowing into it at this point.
The city center has nice, mainly Baroque and Classicist buildings. In its center there are over 600 years old Rakoczy Cellars, where tastings are organized. The cellars are over one and a half kilometers long and form a labyrinth under Mount Tokaj. Next to this attraction, in Tokaj you can also visit the Museum with collections devoted to winemaking. The historic churches of St. Nicholas and the Heart of Jesus and the Church of St. Nicholas.
