TradNatura Sport: Bicycle tours in Hungary

:· BICYCLE TOUR DETAILS

Our other bicycle tours:

• Castles and wines in northern Hungary
• Castles and spas in west Hungary
• Best selection of the Danube
• Nature and culture in South Hungary

LEGENDARY TOKAJ WINES AND THE ENCHANTING RIVER&LAKE TISZA WITH HORTOBÁGY PUSZTA

This is a wonderful holiday for lovers of the unspoilt nature, birds, romantic water-worlds, amenities of splendid hotels, excellent wines, and superb gastronomic experiences. During this very nice and easy tour we will have a look at the Andrássy Castle in a romantic park, and taste very special (Aszu) wines in the world-famous Tokaj Wine-Region (World Heritage Site). We will bicycle along idyllic landscapes of the River Tisza, to the miraculous Hortobágy Puszta National Park (World Heritage Site), where we will see the traditional Hungarian domestic animals during a horse-carriage drive with a spectacular horse-show. We will cycle around Lake Tisza, and take a fantastic boat tour in this enchanting bird and watersport paradise, where we will stay in a lovely thermal-hotel situated right at the lake, with a beautiful view. After all these, and cycling along the river, big fishponds, and charming villages, we stay in a little hotel with specially familiar atmosphere and delicious home made food. Coming back to Budapest we visit the famous "Sisi Castle" in Gödöllő, where the wellknown Austro-Hungarian Royal couple: Queen Elisabeth and Francis Joseph spent their holidays.

ITINERARY:

Bicycle tour map

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN BUDAPEST

Your hotel is situated right at the woods on the top of the Buda hills. Its lovely surroundings and swimming pool, sauna, or massage possibilities will make you feel well, and relaxed quickly. You will meet with your tourguide at the reception at 6pm, and have a welcome drink, information about the tour, and dinner in the cosy restaurant of the hotel.

Andrássy Castle

Buxus Labyrinth

River Tisza

Vineyards

DAY 2: THE LEGENDARY TOKAJ WINE-REGION

We drive through Budapest, along its most beautiful avenue, the Andrássy Street, take a bustransfer towards the famous Tokaj Wine-Region, and after getting to the River Tisza we will have a look at the castle of the Andrássy family as well! Count Gyula Andrássy was a prominent nobleman, who was the first Prime Minister of Hungary, after the compromise was made between Austria and Hungary in 1867. It was his work to establish the modern and independent Hungarian state organization. The marvellous English-Gothic building is surrounded by a beautiful buxus labyrinth, ancient trees of a rather romantic English-garden and the Tisza. We cycle there in a nice area near the Tisza, and we end up at Tállya, which is a significant village of the historic wine-region, and the geometrical central point of Europe. Another greatest Hungarian politician of the 19th century, Lajos Kossuth was baptized in the protestant church here. Making special wine is a great tradition here since the middle-ages, and the small story - when a Hungarian Archbishop gave some wine from Tállya to Pope Gregory XVI, after drinking it the Pope said: "This kind of wine suits the Pope the best" - well describes the quality. We have a really gourmet dinner with tasting quite special wines of this place, such as the unique "Aszu", the noblest sweetwine of the world, in a fabulous restaurant of an antique mansion, near the nice small hotel where we stay.
(appr. 45 km / 28 m cycling)

Mansion courtyard

Wine restaurant

Delicious dinner

Tokaj wine

DAY 3: ALONG THE ROMANTIC RIVER TISZA

We take a short bustransfer to the Tisza, and we cycle all day on the very peaceful embankment of the river, along wonderful flood plain forests with a lot of birds, and picturesque landscapes of this untouched area. We stop for a lunch at a small Fishermen's-Csárda (Inn) in a romantic surroundings at the river-bank. This is one of those old restaurants with gingham tablecloths, and traditional Hungarian cuisine, bringing back the atmosphere of the bygone days. There are gourmets who come here even from a great distance, just to taste their delicious fish-dishes. So, maybe it is worth doing so for us as well... After this nice rest we cycle on to Tiszafüred at Lake Tisza. We stay 3 nights here in a very beautiful Spa-Hotel right at the shore, with a nice view of the lake, and lovely indoor thermal and outdoor swimming pools, and various wellness facilities.
(appr. 64 km / 40 m cycling)

Along the Tisza

Tisza Landscape

Hotel-swimming pool

Sunset from hotel

DAY 4: CYCLING AROUND LAKE TISZA - AN UNSPOILT PARADISE,

which was created by a hydroelectric station that was built originally to make a huge water reservoir, as a part of the watering system of the Great Plain. Later, during the years this big lake became a wonderful water-land and holiday resort, where people can enjoy watching birds, fishing, canoeing in the peaceful areas, as well as swimming, windsurfing, and other watersports in the other parts. This fantastic nature reserve belongs to the Hortobágy National Park, and the UNESCO World Heritage. Today we will ride around the lake, along the shore and several resort villages, beaches, and see many different faces and beautiful colours of the lake and the nature. We will stop at a lovely little beach to swim, and taste one of the most popular typical Hungarian "fast food", the "Lángos" (fried dough), which is always delicious and fresh here. After this pleasant break we cycle on the dam back to our hotel to have a rest before we go to a small Csárda restaurant to enjoy some of the local specialities.
(appr. 54 km / 34 m cycling)

View from our hotel

Romantic canal

Cormorants

Grey heron

DAY 5: BOAT TRIP ON LAKE TISZA, HORSE SHOW IN THE HORTOBÁGY PUSZTA

We get on little fishing-motor-boats to enjoy the peerless atmosphere of this romantic water-world and bird paradise. We will see plenty of white and yellow flowers of big Water-Lily, Floating Heart and Waterchestnut fields, decorating the lake wonderfully, and we can watch many Gulls, Cormorants, Herons, Mallards, Whiskered or Black Terns, Coots, Great Crested Grebes, Marsh Harriers, and several other birds among the reeds and woods in the narrow deadarms and channels, and on the huge open water surfaces. We will even take a walk on a small hidden island, to get a deeper insight into the extremely rich flora and fauna of the area, and the life of the local fishermen. After this unique experience, and tasting the delicious Hungarian Fish Soup in a small restaurant at the lake, we can have some rest, or swim in the lake, or in the swimming pools of our hotel.

Boat tour on Lake

Lake Tisza

Water-Lily carpet

Water-Lilies

In the afternoon we take a short bustransfer to the Hortobágy Puszta. This is the largest continuous steppe of Europe, a colorful mosaic of different natural habitats, alkaline grasslands and meadows, smaller and bigger marshes enclosed between them. The endless horizon - "where the sky touches the ground" - with a mirage, the breathtaking sunsets, and the sweep-pole wells are just some of its fantastic landscape features. We will take a horse-carriage drive with a spectacular horse show, where we will see the ancient Hungarian domestic animals that live out in the puszta, such as the Noniusz Horses, Grey Cattle, Racka Sheep, Mangalica Pigs, Water Buffalos, and we can get acquainted with the traditional life of the local herdsmen. After this we will cross the famous Hortobágy-Stone Bridge, to get to the oldest building of the puszta (built in 1699.), the Hortobágy Csárda, where many of the most eminent representatives of our culture, such as Francis Liszt, Béla Bartók, or István Széchenyi were guests, - and we will taste some of the traditional (and organic) Hungaian specialities, such as the famous "Gulyás".

Horse show

Cart and oxes

Hortobágy in spring

Fishpond

DAY 6: BIRDS, BEAUTIFUL COUNTRYSIDE, HOME-MADE FLAVOURS

We cycle among huge fishponds and reeds that are one of the most important waterbird breeding and stop over sites of Europe. Here we can watch some of the 340 registered bird species, such as Storks, Spoonbills (largest colony in Middle Europe), Grey, Purple or Night Herons, Great White Egrets, Cormorants, Gees, Lapwings, and many others. Getting to the Tisza, we cross the river by a unique and romantic paddle-wheel ferry. We ride along the river, beautiful woods and charming villages with nice old thatched houses, and stop for a picnic lunch at a small beach. Later we take our bus, and drive through Mezőkövesd, which is famous for its very richly decorated hand embroidery and folk art, and get to a small village in this area. We stay there in a small family-run hotel, which is a fantastic place in an enchanting surroundings right at the wood. It is full of old village furnitures like an antique shop, and owing to the warm hospitality of the owners, and the familiar and unreserved atmosphere here you can feel yourself totally at home. It is very hard to refrain from eating up all their delicious home made surprises. Fortunately they have very good home made schnappses too to open your stomach properly before dinner.
(appr.48 km / 30 m cycling)

Spoonbill

Nice landscape

The old ferry

Home made dinner

DAY 7: ROYAL CASTLE OF "SISI"

We have an easy cycling through lovely villages that are wellknown for their old traditions such as making wine, plum jam and prune. We take a bustransfer to Gödöllő, where we will have a guided tour in one of the largest Baroque palaces of Hungary, surrounded by a beautiful park. We will visit the very nicely reconstructed Royal suites of Queen Elisabeth and Francis Joseph, and a very interesting exhibition about their life. You will be invited for a coffee and cake in the small café there, and there is an exclusive gift shop, where you can buy some souvenirs. Then we get to our hotel in Budapest, where you can have some rest or drinks, or maybe a swim in the lovely swimming pool, before we have our farewell dinner there. (appr. 19 km / 12 m cycling)
(appr 22 km / 14 m cycling)

Old thatched house

Sunflowers

Stork in nest

Sisi Castle

DAY 8:

After enjoying breakfast in the nice atmosphere of your hotel, we hope that you will leave with nice memories for a lifetime.

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

• 7 nights accommodation in 4 star small hotels, (1x in a 3 star), in beautiful and quiet surroundings, with familiar atmosphere, and rather high quality, always with private facililities.
• 7 times breakfast, and 3 course gourmet dinners, always with some drinks and excellent wines.
• 1x wine tasting in Tokaj Wine-Region, in one of the best and antique restaurants of Hungary.
• Superb lunches in nice spots in the nature or in typical Hungarian Csárda-Inns, and drinks during cycling.
• Full English speaking guiding during cycling and the programmes of the whole tour, with 1st class service of 2 professional and friendly guides, one cycling with you, and one driving the back-up bus.
• Full technical support, and special trailer for all the bikes, and to transport all your luggage.
• Air conditioned support bus, available for the whole group, during the whole tour, making possible to cycle along the most beautiful and quiet parts of the route, and providing a flexible alternative for those who want to rest at any time.
• All the bustransfers, private guided sightseeing tours, and visits mentioned in the itinerary.
• A wonderful boat trip to see the enchanting water-world of Lake Tisza.
• A horse-carriage drive and a horse show in the Hortobágy Puszta National Park
• All the museum, and ferry tickets, written in the programme.
• Very good quality hybrid bikes with 24 gears, front suspension, handbrakes, and panniers.
• Souvenir water-bottle and TNS T-shirt.
• Sights - Most beautiful routes mainly in nature reserves or woods, always with low or no car traffic.
• Transfers in Budapest between your hotel and the airport or stations.

OPTIONAL (not included):

• Extra nights in Budapest.
• Relaxing massage possibilities.

NOT INCLUDED:

• Your travel between Budapest and your home, before and after the tour.
• Travel and health insurance.

TOUR PRICE: