Plan a Trip to Slovak Tokaj

Slovak Tokaj is the northern part of a wine landscape that a border split in two. Seven villages about an hour east of Košice grow Furmint, Lipovina and Muškát žltý and age their wine in cellars dug into volcanic tuff. Across the border lies the larger Hungarian part of Tokaj. This section covers the practical side of a visit.

Why go

Cellars you can walk into. The tuff cellars stay at about 10–12 °C all year. In Veľká Tŕňa, 33 stone portals lead to more than 100 farmers' cellars in the Gazdovské pivnice. In Malá Tŕňa, Medzipivničná street runs past the cellar of Tokaj & CO, about 2.5 km of corridors and a national cultural monument.
Small producers. The region had 42 registered wine producers on 31 July 2025. Many are family cellars where the person pouring made the wine. Browse the wineries.
Wines you rarely see elsewhere. Alongside dry wines you can taste výber, a sweet wine made with botrytised berries (cibéby) and graded in putne, the traditional tubs of those berries. Slovakia kept the 3- and 4-putňový levels as well as 5 and 6. Our guide to wine styles explains the terms.
Two countries in one trip. Slovenské Nové Mesto faces the Hungarian town of Sátoraljaújhely across the border, and Sárospatak and the town of Tokaj are within an hour's drive.

How long to stay

One day is enough for two or three tastings, the lookout tower and a walk through a cellar lane, and it works by train from Košice. See the day trip from Košice.
Two days let you sleep at a winery, taste in the evening without thinking about the drive, and add the Bodrog river and the Rákóczi manor in Borša. See the weekend itinerary.
Three days give you time to cross into Hungary for Sárospatak and the town of Tokaj. See one Tokaj, two countries.

The shape of the region

The law defines the wine region by the cadastral areas of seven municipalities; its delimited area is commonly given as 907 ha. No two village centres are more than about 10 km apart as the crow flies, so you can see a lot without long drives.

Čerhov is the first village on the road and railway from Košice, with a railway halt, the tourist information office and two wine shops.
Malá Tŕňa and Veľká Tŕňa, about 3 km from Čerhov station, have the densest cluster of cellars. The barrel-shaped lookout tower stands in the vineyards above Malá Tŕňa.
Viničky lies on the Bodrog river, with boats and canoes in summer.
Bara and Černochov are quieter villages towards the south of the hills.
Slovenské Nové Mesto sits on the Hungarian border and has a railway station.

Borša, Streda nad Bodrogom and Ladmovce are close by but outside the wine region; we say so wherever they appear. The map shows everything in one place.

What to book ahead

Tastings. Most wineries ask for a reservation, and small family cellars open by arrangement. Contact them a few days ahead and say how many you are: some take groups of four or more only.
Festival tickets. The Open Tokaj Cellars Day in September had a limit of 1,000 tickets in 2026. Check the events calendar early.
Beds on festival weekends. Most accommodation is in small guesthouses and winery rooms, so book early for weekends in May, late June, late August and September.
Bikes, boats and meals. Bike rental in Čerhov, kayaks on the Bodrog and restaurant tables all work best booked.

Driving and drinking

Note: Slovakia and Hungary both have zero tolerance for alcohol when driving: the limit is 0.0 ‰. Take the train, agree on a designated driver who drinks nothing at all, or stay overnight. Spitting at tastings is normal and nobody will mind.

Plan your trip

Getting there: train, car, plane and the border crossing
When to visit: seasons, climate and festivals
Where to stay: winery rooms, guesthouses or Košice as a base
Food and drink: Zemplín dishes, eating at wineries, tasting etiquette
Practical information: money, languages, cellar visits, taking wine home
Itineraries: one day, a weekend or three days in two countries

Plan your trip to Slovak Tokaj