The Danube creates a wild forest in Tolna county called Gemenc. It is a flooded woodland full of deer and black storks. You can take a small train through the deep green brush. It is the largest forest of its kind in Europe. The water reflects the giant willow trees in every pond. You can spot the tracks of wild boar in the soft mud by the river.
Szekszárd is famous for its spicy red wines. The hills around the town are covered in vines. It is a cozy place with a long history of hospitality. Stop for a glass of Kadarka and a bite of local food. The wine cellars are tucked away in narrow, leafy valleys. You can meet the winemakers who treat their grapes like family.
The landscape is a mix of hills and river flats. You will find small villages where time seems to stand still. It is a quiet county with a big heart. It is the perfect place to get lost for a while. The roads are empty and lined with fruit trees. You can find small roadside stands selling fresh walnuts and honey.
Tolna highlights
- Gemenc Flood Forest Ride a small train through a wild world of water and giant trees where the largest stags in Europe live. The forest is quiet and green and the river is always near.
- Szekszárd Wine Cellars Drive into a valley of red wine where the houses are built right over the deep cool cellars. The wine made here is deep red and famous for its strong taste.
- Simontornya Castle Tour a thick stone fort with a high tower that has stood in the middle of a town for seven hundred years. It was a home for noble ladies and a strong guard.
- Ozora Palace Visit a white manor house that was built as a romantic gift for a wife and looks like a castle from Italy. The garden is full of herbs and the rooms are very grand.
- Dunaföldvár Tower Climb a square stone tower that sits on a high bank over the wide blue Danube river. You can see the ships passing by and the flat plains on the other side.
- Paks Fish Soup Stop at a river tavern to taste the spicy red soup made from the fresh fish of the Danube. The town is a mix of old river life and new power.
- Grábóc Monastery Find a quiet stone church in the green hills that is a holy site for the eastern faith. The paintings inside are full of gold and the air is very peaceful.
- Lengyel Anna Palace See a grand house hidden in a park of massive trees and blooming flowers. The area is quiet and perfect for a slow walk away from the main road.
- Bátaszék Giant Oak Visit a massive oak tree that is over three hundred years old and has survived fires and floods. The local people love the tree and it stands like a king.
- Sötétvölgy Forest Drive through a dark valley of thick oak trees to find hidden ponds and quiet paths. It is a favorite spot for local people to find mushrooms and fresh air.
The local Four
History of Tolna
Tolna is a land of Sun and Silt, where the Danube river has carved deep valleys into the soft clay hills. In the middle ages, the region was a center for the royal courts, with castles like Simontornya serving as elegant homes for the queens. The river was a busy highway for the salt ships coming from the mountains, creating a wealthy merchant class that built grand stone houses along the banks. This river wealth is the focus of the Danube Valley heritage drive.
The 1700s brought a wave of settlers from the south and west who discovered that the sunny sheltered hills were perfect for a new kind of spicy red wine. They carved vast networks of cellars directly into the clay, creating entire underground streets that stay the same temperature all year round. This era turned the region into a capital of wine and folk art, famous for its colorful embroidery and the deep dark Bull Blood that rivals the best in the north.
The landscape is also home to the Gemenc, the largest flood forest in Europe. Here, the river still rules, covering the land in water every spring and creating a jungle of willow and oak where massive stags hide. Today, the region is a place of quiet hills and wild waters, where you can taste the fire of the wine and the peace of the forest.