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Sopron / Bük & Sárvár region for Seniors - 5 days

Sopron region
How long it takes?
5 days
Best vehicle choice for this plan:
bicycle
public transport
bus
This region is famous for:
Baths, Spas  and Beaches
Thermal baths, Spas and Healing resources
Castles, Forts, Palaces
Culture and monuments
Sopron region
Seniors
Day 1
Start from Fő tér and discover the Old Town of Sopron with a short walk.

Every street in the town centre starts from and leads to Fő tér

Almost every building is a protected monument, and as you walk by, you can read the story of each house on the sign installed on the facade. In the Middle Ages, Sopron was one of Hungary’s seven most important free royal cities. It was not only a coronation city but also a border town, which, given its geographical position, always played an important role in facilitating intercultural dialogue throughout history. The old Roman trading roads ran through here, including the famous Amber Road. The buildings here are home to many museums: the Fabricius House, the Pharmacy Museum, the Scarbantia Forum, the Old and New Synagogues, the Eggenberg House, the Lábas House and the Cézár House are all within a short walk of each other. The story of the Storno House and the Kecske Church on Fő tér is of particular importance. The Storno House is a palatial corner house built in the Baroque style, a monument to the history of Sopron between the 17th and 20th centuries. Ferenc Storno, after whom the building was named, came to Sopron as a result of being given wrong directions given to him. He started working here as a chimney sweep and soon discovered real treasures in the attics of certain houses in and around Sopron.

 

The Goat Church looks back on an ancient past: manuscripts first make mention of it in 1280. Above its entrance, you can see the coat-of-arms with the goat, alluding to the benefactor of the church. It has been the venue of many historical events, including coronations, and the National Assembly held its meetings here several times.

Sopron and its symbol, the Fire Tower

The tower is the symbol of the town, and had great practical use in the past: the guards who once served in the Fire Tower warned the citizens of the town if there was a fire, if enemy was approaching or if someone wanted to enter the town with foreign wine. Visit the Roman city walls found within the Fire Tower, then climb up to the top of the 58-metre high tower. The staircase that takes you up to the top consists of 200 steps, which are easily climbed if you stop for a few short rests. It is definitely worth the effort, since the full circle around the tower gives you a wonderful view of Sopron, Lake Fertő and neighbouring Austria.

Visit the Harrer Chocolate Workshop

Austrian confectioner dynasty Harrer has been delighting visitors for four generations now, and in 2009 they also added chocolate to their repertoire. They purchase cocoa beans from the best locations, then roast them themselves. All their products are handmade and they only use natural raw ingredients, adding only seeds, dried fruit and herbs to season their products. As a result of constant experimentation, the range of chocolates on offer is unique, and their products continue to win awards at prestigious competitions held around the world. Try the dark and milk chocolates, the bonbons, the truffles, the hot chocolate, and, of course, the ice-cream on hot summer days. Book an appointment for the chocolate tasting in advance.

Day 2
Castles and wine regions surrounding Sopron

‘The Hungarian Versailles’ - Fertőd, Esterházy Castle

The building of the Esterházy Castle in Fertőd we see today was designed and created in the 18th century and the castle – with its 126 rooms – is a worthy match for Schönbrunn Castle in Vienna or Versailles in Paris.

 

‘The Hungarian Versailles’ was a place of music and splendour. It was regularly home to parties, and even Maria Theresa took part in one such magnificent ball. By the end of the 18th century, the castle became one of the cultural centres of the country, so it’s no wonder that even Joseph Haydn lived and worked here for two decades.

 

After a walk through the contemporary history exhibition in the rooms of the castle, take a walk in the beautiful castle park.

Wine tasting in Sopron: Erhardt, Bruckner, Pfneiszl

When you say Sopron, we say wine region and kékfrankos. Farmers in Sopron sold their wine to Napoleon’s soldiers for blue francs (kékfrank), which is how the wine came to be called kékfrankos.

 

The wine cellar of the Erhardt Restaurant has a traditional vaulted ‘poncichter’ room, where you can taste the many wine varieties produced in the Sopron wine region, accompanied by expert recommendations and an excellent kitchen.

 

If you visit the Bruckner Winery, you can take a peek into the life of a real ‘Buschenschank’, i.e. a place where the winemaker sells their wine from their own home, as permitted by Emperor Joseph II in 1784. The family winery offers cold food and dishes served on wooden plates to accompany their wine.

 

Everyone in the region has heard about the Pfneiszl girls: Katrin and Birgit, daughters of an Austrian winemaker, took over the estate in Sopron from their parents. Today, they run an organic farm on 13 hectares and work in the vineyard 365 days a year. They produce wine with kindness, full of youth and feminine sensitivity, the way they like their life to be.

Széchenyi Castle, Nagycenk

Nagycenk has become synonymous with the Széchenyi family. Ferenc Széchenyi moved into the palace in 1783, making Nagycenk the centre of the family estates. This is also where he kept his extensive collections, numbering in the tens of thousands of items (including manuscripts, books, coins, engravings, maps, etc.) Having inherited the castle, István Széchenyi, “the Greatest Hungarian” proceeded to apply all of the technical achievements and innovations learned during his travels abroad, including the installation of a bathroom and gas lighting.

Day 3
Relax and healing

Sá-Ra Thermal - Hegykő

The thermal bath in Hegykő is an ideal choice: plenty of medical and relaxing treatments that you can enjoy in a beautiful green environment. The medicinal water that wells up to the surface from a depth of 1,434 metres is at 55°C. The six outdoor and two indoor pools include thermal and medicinal water pools, which you can enjoy even if the weather is a little cooler.

The services offered by the bath, such as relaxing massages, mud wrapping, a medicinal pool bath, underwater water jet massage or physiotherapy and light therapy all serve the purpose of ensuring that you recharge your batteries and heal.

Day 4
Fertő-Hanság National Park Demonstration farm manor – Lászlómajor/canoe tour in the reeds of Lake Fertőd

Fertőrákos Stone Quarry and Cave Theatre

The rocks of the Fertőrákos Stone Quarry were used for various purposes back in Roman times: many of the buildings, residences, churches and palaces of Sopron and Vienna were built out of these stones. A prehistoric animal exhibit awaits you inside the quarry caves, with life-size prehistoric whales, sharks and dolphins. It also teaches visitors about the various types of limestone.

This is also where you’ll find the Cave Theatre, a stage with its own unique ambience. Thousand-year-old limestone formations serve as the backdrop for the various shows and concerts.

Finally, you should take a little walk to find a beautiful view of Lake Fertő and the memorial site of the Pan-European Picnic.

 

Mithras Sanctuary

There is a Roman temple in the middle of the woods, by the road between Fertőrákos and Fertőmeggyes (Austria), which is none other than a Mithras Sanctuary. It is one of the most valuable Roman relics found around the ancient Scarbantia region, which was discovered by Ferenc Storno in 1866, but was kept away from the public up by the Iron Curtain until 1989. If you come from the direction of Fertőrákos, you can even visit the sanctuary of the Sun God, which has been a World Heritage site since 2001.

Day 5

Bükfürdő Thermal & Spa

The name Bükfürdő is synonymous with the medicinal waters that bubble up through four wells from a depth of 1,282 m, and have been proven to prevent various musculoskeletal complaints.

The thermal, sports and family pools in the huge park, under the canopy of old trees, offer fun for every member of the family.

The medicinal water of the bath may also be applied internally in the form of a water therapy, while the bath also offers several traditional medical and spa treatments and massage therapies.

The grounds of the bath are huge and you will find everything here that you need to relax and recharge your batteries: peace and quiet, healing, an idyllic environment and cool shade under huge trees.

 

During your visit

Wine

If you ever find yourself in the Sopron wine region, you should certainly try the Sopron Kékfrankos (Bläufrankisch) or the Sopron Zenit. The town of Sopron has a long tradition of viticulture and winemaking, and is famous for its Kékfrankos wine. At one time, it comprised a single wine region with the city of Rust in Austria, as well as the surrounding areas. Legend has it that the local Ponzichters (local German-speaking producers) would only sell this wine to Napoleon’s soldiers in exchange for their valuable ‘blue francs’, hence the name. It is a full-bodied wine, sharing this characteristic with the Zenit, also a local wine.

Gastronomy

Babsterc (also known as Bohnensterz) is a dish native to Sopron. It got its name from the Ponzichters, local producers who would grow beans between the rows of grapevines. Beans were a thrifty choice, as they did not cast shade on the vines, did not disrupt the harvest, and were also not taxed. Babsterc is prepared the same way today as it always has been: made with flour, fat or oil, and salt. It is best enjoyed with pörkölt (a Hungarian beef and onion stew), but is also excellent with sour cream, cucumber salad, or even as a sweet dish with any kind of jam.

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