A good glass of red goes so great with game, doesn’t it? Well, they sure know that over in the Bükk Hills, which is hunting heaven, and it’s right next to wine country. You’re invited to celebrate both at an elegant castle…
The Castle of Diósgyőr was a favorite hunting spot for knight-king Louis the Great back in the 14th century. Today, even us peons get to go there, lured by the scent of roasting venison and wild boar wafting on the wind over the hills.
So you can feast like a king on these delicacies that usually appear on the menu offered by professional chefs: game stew with chanterelle mushrooms, forest-berry venison ragout, trout with almonds, tarragon-game soup, game stew with red wine… mmm. Or perhaps you’d prefer to enter your own team in the friendly cooking competition, garnering glory galore at the prize-giving with your own game dish.
Meanwhile, in every other spare space inside and outside the castle, witness all the winemaking wonders such as the pressing of the grapes and the making of traditional barrels and other ancient arts while sipping from a glass of fresh ‘must’ (yes, you must taste the fresh-pressed grape juice!)
Move on to the Wine Courtyard, where you can taste the wonderful reds of Eger and the sweet and dry wines of Tokaj, complemented by artisanal goat cheese.
Shopping, my dear? Yes, indeed, there will be craftspeople from the region showing their wares, as well as local farmers with local produce both fresh and bottled, in the form of forest-berry jam, honey and spices, for you to take home.
Time for dessert! Luckily for you, the Dió in Diósgyőr means “walnut,” and all seven towns in Hungary with Dió in their name are going to bring nutty desserts and show you what their nutty towns have to offer.
This wouldn’t be a Hungarian festival without open-air stages (one’s even called the Nutty Stage, which we must admit doesn’t sound as silly in Hungarian), all with live music and dancing. Whether you like being a peon at a fancy festival or you fancy yourself a monarch, you’ll feel at home here, at a real medieval castle in the middle of Hungary!
Date: September 11-12
Miskolc, Diósgyőri Vár (castle)
3534 Miskolc-Diósgyőr, Vár u. 24.
www.diosgyorivar.hu
How to get there:
Trains to Miskolc leave from Budapest’s Keleti station every half hour throughout the day. Buses also leave regularly from the Népliget bus depot.
By car, take the M3 motorway East and then M30 North towards Miskolc, which is 190km from Budapest. Diósgyőr Castle is in a western suburb of Miskolc.