Szekszárd
Capital of Tolna County and the heart of Hungary’s red wine country, with a Baroque square, a poet’s former home and many wine cellars in the old town.
Szekszárd lies in southern Hungary, at the foot of the hills on the western bank of the Danube. It is the capital of Tolna County and one of Hungary’s oldest wine regions, known for Kadarka grapes and Szekszárdi Bikavér (Bull’s Blood) red wine, and surrounded by many wine cellars. In the old town centre, King Béla Square features the late-18th-century Inner City Parish Church, the 1753 Holy Trinity Column, the 1846 town hall and the former county hall, which is built over the site of an 11th-century Benedictine monastery. The poet Mihály Babits was born here in 1883, and his birthplace is now a memorial museum. On the outskirts, Calvary Hill has a lookout tower overlooking the town and vineyards. To the east, the Gemenc Forest is a nature reserve on the Danube floodplain. It is about an hour’s drive from Pécs. Plan a half-day to a full day, book wine cellar tastings in advance, and do not drive after tasting.
Opening hours
Open all day (cellars and museum have separate hours)
Nearby sights
- Pécsvárad Castle
- Mohács National Memorial Park
- Zsolnay Cultural Quarter
- Kodály Centre
- St. Mary of the Snow Church
- Pécs Zoo
- Pécs TV Tower
- Király Street