Eger

A baroque town at the foot of the Bükk hills, two hours north-east of Budapest. Its castle is where Captain István Dobó's small garrison held off a far larger Ottoman army in 1552, a story every Hungarian knows; the Ottomans took it in 1596, and a slender 40 m minaret from their century still stands in town. The baroque Basilica and the Lyceum, with its working Camera Obscura, face each other below the castle. In the Valley of the Beautiful Women, cellars cut into the hillside pour Egri Bikavér (Bull's Blood) and other local wines; the town's Turkish bath and the white salt-hill springs at nearby Egerszalók are the non-drinkers' evening. Direct trains about every hour from Budapest-Keleti.

Highlights

• Eger Castle and the story of the 1552 siege
• The Ottoman minaret
• Baroque Basilica and Lyceum
• Camera Obscura view of the town
• Wine cellars of the Valley of the Beautiful Women
• Turkish Bath
• Egerszalók's white salt-hill springs

Things to do

• Eger Castle and the Dobó István Castle MuseumMorning · 2h 30m
• Climb the Ottoman minaret (narrow spiral stairs)Morning · 45m
• Basilica and the Lyceum's Camera ObscuraAfternoon · 2h
• Valley of the Beautiful Women wine cellarsEvening · 2h 30m
• Turkish Bath (Török fürdő) and its thermal poolsAfternoon · 2h 30m
• Egerszalók salt-hill thermal springsAfternoon · 3h

Tours & tickets

When to go

Best time: May – October