When I read this post by Amanda about her time in the town of Eger in Northern Hungary, I honestly (and perhaps a little ignorantly) couldn’t believe somewhere so gorgeous existed in Hungary. I had felt extremely underwhelmed with my first visit to Budapest and Lake Balaton was like a terrible British seaside resort from the 60’s.

Sadly, I couldn’t think of a single thing that I truly loved about Hungary.

When I started researching Eger, I knew it would be my best hope of changing my mind about the country. It looked just like the kind of Eastern European town I love –  a compact, walkable old town with tons of beautiful, colourful buildings, lots of castles and a rich history.

Although I was surprised to learn that the main reason for people coming here is NOT to look at the pretty buildings.

They come here for the wine.

Eger is said to be one of the top wine regions in Europe and it’s why most people choose to spend a day or two there.

Unfortunately, I think wine tastes like vinegar and can’t drink it without gagging, so winetasting was off the cards for me. I would be spending my day in Eger wandering up and down cobblestone alleyways, people watching in small cafes, admiring the stunning architecture and drinking beer.

Yes, I drank beer in Eger.

…And I loved it. 

In fact, Eger ended up being one of the highlights of my time in Central and Eastern Europe. It made for a peaceful break from the chaos caused by rushing around huge cities trying to cram in all the main attractions. You can see the entire town in half a day and spend the other half lazily wandering around some of the most gorgeous buildings in Europe.

Eger definitely has a lot more to offer than good wine. 

My trip through Central and Eastern Europe was made possible by the lovely people at Interrailnet.com.

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