Departures:
September 2009 for a minimum of 12 participants
This tour starts and ends in Budapest and has two parts:
- A Western Hungarian program south of Lake Neusiedler See near the Austrian/Hungarian border, using castles for most accommodations, and
- A Mid-Hungarian program, between Budapest and Kecskemét, to give you an idea how the Puszta looks like.
Accommodations are a bit simpler, although we've tried to get the best places available. The tour will be operated with up to four four-in-hand carriages.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Budapest. Individual arrival at Budapest and transfer to the hotel Hyatt Regency in Budapest. The Hyatt is close to the bank of the River Danube on the Pest side of Budapes (left bank). The hotel, too, is close to the shopping mile inside a foot passenger precinct. Dinner and tomorrow's breakfast on your own expense.
Day 2: Budapest - Nagycenk (motorcoach). 01.00 pm: Transfer by motor coach from the Hyatt Regency hotel to the castle of Nagycenk, assisted by an English and Hungarian speaking guide. Around 04.00 pm arrival at the castle. The castle of Nagycenk was, prior to Communist times, the property of the count Széczényi, a famous reformer of Hungarian economic and social life. Nowadays there is still a stallion station in one of the wings, which we will visit, guided by Tóth, Laszlo, the former head of this stable. Tonight, dinner and gipsy music in the castle and accomodation in the castle hotel.
Day 3: Nagycenk - Röjtömuszaj. We will depart the castle in the forenoon. Luggage transfer is provided for. Ride through the Natural Reserve south of the Neusiedler See (Hungarian: Fertö), a very shallow lake, 6 ft, which is rapidly becoming marshland by silting up and evaporation. It is a typical prairie lake. We will have lunch in a small country inn. We will visit the huge castle of the former town of Esterhaza, now called Fertöd.
This mighty baroque palace, the largest palace in Hungary, was home of the noble family of Esterhazy. Josef Haydn was court composer /conductor for 30 years for the family of Esterhazy. Continue for an evening arrival at the castle of Röjtökmuszaj for a dream of a stay! The castle has been carefully restored and converted into a luxury hotel, with all amenities of wellness such as sauna, massages, saltwater baths. Dinner and overnight here in Castle Röjtökmuszaj.
Day 4: Röjtökmuszaj and surrounding. A day of relaxation: Take advantage of all the opportunities offered by the castle hotel as well as participate in an outing with the carriages into the nearby forest for lunch. Return to enjoy what the hotel has to offer followed by dinner and overnight in the Castle of Röjtökmuszaj.
Day 5: Röjtökmuszaj - Örag Malom. We leave the castle by carriage riding through forests and open country. A lunch break will be taken in a "Czarda" (a simple country inn always along a road, and where the carriages changed horses in olden times). Continue through open land for an early afternoon arrival at "Örag Malom" (Old mill), now a romantic hotel and restaurant, and a nice place to stay the night. Dinner and overnight at "Örag Malom".
Day 6: Örag Malom - Boszok. After breakfast depart via carriages through the forests into the small town of Köszeg, a walled-in town, which played an important role during the Turkish Wars as a small band of Hussars defended the town against the 200.000 Turks. We will leave the carriages for a guided walk inside the old town, followed by a hearty lunch at the historic "Blue Hussar" restaurant specialized in game and fish. Continue by carriage along the Hungarian/Austrian border, the former Iron Curtain. Deep in the forests we will find the castle Boszok, built in the 16th and 17th centuries, and our home for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Boszok - Uj. A longer day today. In a wide bend, we drive southwest and south of the major town of Szombathely. En route we'll have either a picnic or a lunch at a Czarda. Continue by carriage for a late afternoon arrival at the castle of Uj near Vasszéchényi. Dinner and overnight in the castle.
Day 8: Uj - Sárvár. A short drive this morning with the carriages from castle UJ to Sárvár, a town of some 20.000 inhabitants. Sárvár, until the end of World War II, according to the founder of "Coaching in Bavaria", Andreas Nemitz, "was the home of my master, Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, where his uncle, the later King Ludwig III of Bavaria and the last king of Bavaria, had a huge stud farm as well as a very modern dairy farm. His nick name in Bavaria was "Milli-Kini", (the Milky King). Shortly before the end of World War II, Prince Ludwig left this stud farm with 16 four-in-hand teams to escape the advancing Soviet troops and the retreating German troops. Especially the latter as both Prince Ludwig and his brother Prince Rasso had been sentenced to death by a Nazi court. Finally, in the first days of May 1945, they arrived at Leutstetten, some 15 miles away from my farm, Prince Ludwig built up his Hungarian stud farm and it was there where I learned my basics in riding and driving". Your stay will be in the excellent "Danubius Thermal Hotel Sárvár". Plenty of opportunity for shopping either inside the luxury hotel or in the town of Sárvár. Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Day 9: Sárvar - Gérebi Kuria (motorcoach). Leisure time this morning to visit the town for shopping or sightseeing, as we end the Western Hungarian portion of our tour. At noon, you will board a motor-coach for a three hour ride to Mid-Hungary to the place of Gérebi Kuria north of Kecskemét. We'll stop at an estate house in the Puszta, where we'll see the world famous Czikos (Hungarian mounted horse herders) showing their riding abilities. Our dinner and overnight will be at the estate Gérebi Kuria.
Day 10: Gérebi Kuria - Uj Tanya. This morning we'll depart from Gérebi Kuria through wooded areas alternating with open land. Lunch break at a Czarda with an interesting show of the mounted horse- and cattle herders, the Csikos. For the night we will stay in a nearby place. Maybe we will meet György Bardos, one of Hungary's top drivers.
Day 11: Uj Tanya - Pongratz Tanya/Kerekegyhaza. Carriages depart in the morning for a drive through a large Natural Reserve, our ride goes through an area flat and sandy, sometimes with low trees and bushes, sometimes forest, always very lonely. Lunch either a picnic or at a Czarda. Afternoon arrival at the big Czarda "Pongratz Tanya" where we'll see many horses and the typical long horn cattle of the Puszta. We'll enjoy an organized performance of rural Puszta life. Our stay is in very clean, newly built pension inside a small town of Kerekegyhaza.
Day 12: Pongratz Tanya/Kerekegyhaza - Sarlospuszta. Carriages leave after breakfast for another Natural Reserve, a mainly wooded area. Picnic at the little place of Gal Tanya, Gulyash soup from the open fire place! Through sand dunes and forests, we may see white harrons and great bustards, very rare birds in Europe. Evening we arrive for our overnight stay at the estate of Sarlospuszta, where we will find all amenities we need: horses, swimming pool, good food, nice rooms.
Day 13: Sarlospuszta - Apaj (and by motorcoach to Budapest). Carriages leave after breakfast for the last portion of our Hungarian carriage travel. Wide-open land, very flat, often flooded. Huge estates along the way. Lunch in an inn or a picnic. A late afternoon arrival at Apaj, one of the area's largest agricultural cooperatives. Here the carriage tour ends. After a farewell drink, we're off by motorcoach on a one hour ride back to Budapest. Accomodations are included in the Hyatt Regency hotel, with dinner on your own expense.
Day 14: Return from Budapest. Continuation of your journey or flight back home.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- 10 days carriage tour with four-in-hand carriages
- All accommodations (13 nights)
- All motorcoach transfers (Budapest-Nagycenk, Sárvar-Kecskemét, Apaj-Budapest)
- All meals from dinner 2nd day to lunch 13th day
- All beverages to the meals
- English, German, Hungarian and Italian speaking guide from 2nd to 13th day
- English and German speaking coachmen
- All luggage transfer
- All shows, concerts and music performances
Price Excludes:
- Transfers from and to Budapest airport.
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Europe
Hungary
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Wildlife Viewing
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