Gazdovské pivnice cellar area, Veľká Tŕňa
A lane of farmhouse wine cellars dug into volcanic tuff, with 33 stone portals leading to more than 100 cellars still used by local growers.
Things to do in and around Slovak Tokaj
Beyond the tastings: cellar lanes, churches, castles and the river. Places outside the seven villages are marked.
Cellars
Historic cellars of Viničky
Viničky is one of the main cellar villages of Slovak Tokaj, and the regional tourism organisation lists its registered tuff cellars among the national cultural monuments. On Tokajská street is the medieval cellar of the Zlatý Strapec family winery (no. 118/19), and members of the Tokajský strapec growers' association open their farmhouse cellars in the village during the season. Viničky is also one of the stops of the Open Tokaj Cellars Day in September.
Medzipivničná cellar lane, Malá Tŕňa
A street of historic farmers' cellars dug into tuff, where small family cellars stand next to the 2.5 km cellar of Tokaj & CO.
Tokaj Wine Route
A themed route linking the seven Slovak Tokaj villages, their tuff cellars, churches, family wineries and guesthouses.
History & heritage
Andrássy manor and Chapel of St Joseph, Viničky
In the Andrássy manor, much altered over time, the botanist Štefan Litowský ran early open-air trials of cotton, sesame and sorghum. Behind its stone wall stands the Chapel of St Joseph, a late-18th-century Baroque-Classicist building listed as a national cultural monument, which has been used for Catholic Mass since after the Second World War. The manor itself is not a listed monument.
Church of Sts Cyril and Methodius (former synagogue), Slovenské Nové Mesto
The building is listed as a national cultural monument; sources disagree on its age, with the monument list giving the first half of the 19th century and local records 1931. A Marian column with a pietà stands beside it, and a memorial to the deported Jews is nearby. The church is open only during services.
Classicist Greek Catholic church, Veľká Tŕňa
The Greek Catholic church was probably built in 1828 and was extended with a tower and a longer nave in 1899. Its onion-shaped roof is in the Baroque style, and the main altar and four side altars date from the time of construction. It stands about 400 metres from the Romanesque church on the hill.
Former wine research station, Malá Tŕňa
The manor was built in the early 18th century on the foundations of a former Pauline church and has old cellars beneath it. From 1924 it housed the State Wine Research Station, which shaped how vines were grown and wine was made on the Slovak side of Tokaj. The station no longer operates and the building is deteriorating, so it can only be viewed from the outside.
House of Folk Traditions, Čerhov
The museum presents traditional housing and costumes, crafts such as weaving, historic tools and a grape press. It shares the building complex at Dlhá 230 with the Tokaj tourist information office. Opening hours are not published, so contact the municipality of Čerhov before you go.
Recreation zone with the M. R. Štefánik memorial, Slovenské Nové Mesto
The park has an open-air stage and a yard used for folk festivals. Its memorial recalls Milan Rastislav Štefánik's train journey through the village on his way to the Russian front; the bust was removed in the 1950s, later returned, and the park was restored in 2005.
Reformed church, Černochov
The single-nave church was built in 1793 and is a national cultural monument that keeps its original timber roof structure. Inside, the wooden ceiling is painted as a blue sky full of stars. No opening hours are published; ask locally if you would like to look inside.
Renaissance Reformed church, Malá Tŕňa
The church was built in 1656 on the remains of a Gothic predecessor and renovated in 1848. It keeps an inscription tablet from 1656 with dolphin reliefs, Renaissance pewter jugs from about 1650 and 1696 and a Renaissance patron's bench. No opening hours are published; ask locally if you would like to see inside.
Romanesque church, Veľká Tŕňa
A 13th-century hilltop church with a lord's gallery and Romanesque murals, now used by the Reformed Church.
Romanesque-Gothic Reformed church, Malá Bara
The church, originally dedicated to St Peter, dates from around the mid-13th century and was first rebuilt in the mid-14th century; its Gothic tower was remodelled later. Research in 1989–1990 uncovered part of a Last Judgement fresco on the south wall. It is a national cultural monument used by the Reformed Church, and no opening hours are published.
Statue of St Urban, Čerhov
St Urban is the traditional patron of winegrowers, and his feast day on 25 May is a traditional winegrowers' feast in the region. His wooden statue stands among the vines above the village and is a good stop on a walk through the Čerhov vineyards.
Andrássy Mausoleum, Trebišov
The mausoleum was designed by the German architect Arthur Meinig and built in 1893 in the park beside the Andrássy manor. Gyula Andrássy, who died in 1890, was laid to rest here in 1894; his sarcophagus is the work of the Budapest sculptor György Zala (1893–1895).
Cejkov Castle site
The castle guarded the route from Zemplín to Trebišov and was finally destroyed by imperial troops in 1673. Only ramparts, ditches and a fragment of wall survive.
Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Streda nad Bodrogom
The church was first mentioned in 1329 and received its tower around 1800. Also in the village is the Renaissance-Baroque Vécsey manor from about 1700, now the municipal office; the Chateau Vécsey winery carries on the family name.
Csonkavár castle ruin, Kráľovský Chlmec
Like other castles in the area, it was ordered to be demolished as punishment for its owner's support of an anti-Habsburg uprising. In the same town you can also visit the Jozef Mailáth regional museum.
Jozef Mailáth Regional Museum, Kráľovský Chlmec
The exhibition covers folk customs, crafts and everyday life in the region. Opening hours are not published, so check before you go.
Parič water castle ruins, Trebišov
Parič began in the 12th–13th century as a residential tower and was extended in the early 14th century with a polygonal mantle wall and an early Gothic palace. Only fragments of the walls survive, in the same park as the Andrássy manor and mausoleum.
Rákóczi manor, Borša
The restored Renaissance manor where Francis II Rákóczi was born in 1676, now a museum with a hotel and restaurant.
Reformed church, Borša
The church passed to the Calvinists before 1552, burned in 1865 and was renovated in 1936 and again in 1992. Its small tower still holds the original working bell. It stands about 200 metres from the Rákóczi manor where Rákóczi was born.
Ruin of the Church of Sts Joachim and Anne, Klin nad Bodrogom
The single-nave church was built in the last third of the 13th century on the edge of the village and closed in 1907. It has been under restoration since 1988 and was recently given a new roof; the vaulted presbytery survives, with fragments of 14th-century frescoes.
Trebišov Museum in the Andrássy manor
The Baroque-Classicist manor was built in 1786 by Count Csáky, partly from the stones of Parič castle, and later remodelled by the Andrássy family. Its permanent exhibitions cover the Andrássy family, the archaeology of southern Zemplín including Tokaj viticulture, and life on the estate; all of them are accessible, with a stairlift. Tours start every full hour, and the museum also offers Tokaj wine tastings.
Veľký Kamenec Castle ruins
The castle was built after the Tatar invasion and strengthened with bastions in the 15th century; in 1458 a peace treaty between Jiskra and Hunyadi was signed here. Imperial troops demolished it in 1672. Walls, a polygonal bastion and a rock-cut cistern remain; the site is open to the public and the walk up starts in the village.
Zemplín County House
The county assembly of Zemplín met in this building for almost 150 years, until the county seat moved to Sátoraljaújhely. In the 20th century it served as a granary, and today it is a municipal museum. Opening hours are not published, so check with the municipality before you go. The Zemplín hillfort, an important archaeological site, is in the same village.
Zemplín hillfort
The hill was a Celtic-Dacian centre, a Great Moravian hillfort and later the castle of Zemplín County. No castle walls survive: today the hilltop is occupied by the village churches and cemetery. The Zemplín County House is nearby in the same village.
Nature
Bodrog river
The Bodrog is formed by the confluence of the Ondava and Latorica near Zemplín, flows south past Viničky and Streda nad Bodrogom and leaves Slovakia near Klin nad Bodrogom and Borša, at the country's lowest point. According to the regional tourism organisation, it is the only East Slovak waterway navigable by larger boats, with a depth of about 230 cm depending on the water level. You can paddle it in a rented kayak from Ladmovce or take an excursion boat from Viničky.
Borsuk hill and obsidian site, Viničky
Borsuk rises north of Viničky, with vineyards on its slopes and protected warmth-loving plants such as white dittany and dwarf iris. Obsidian, a volcanic glass, occurs on its andesite part above the vineyards, and the site is protected.
Podkova oxbow lake, Viničky
Podkova, meaning horseshoe, is a cut-off arm of the Bodrog right by Viničky. Anglers come here, and on sunny summer days it is popular for boating.
Tokaj lookout tower
The region's landmark: a 12-metre lookout tower shaped like a wine barrel, standing in the vineyards between Malá Tŕňa and Černochov.
Zemplín Hills
The range covers just 101 km², and its highest point, Rozhľadňa, reaches 469 m. Protected sites include the Kašvár reserve, the Boršiansky les forest and the Ladmovce limestones. The red-marked trail that forms part of the international Eisenach–Budapest route crosses the hills past Černochov and Bara.
Boršiansky les protected area
Established in 2009, the 7.9-hectare area protects lowland willow-poplar alluvial forest and species such as the stag beetle, the thick-shelled river mussel and the fire-bellied toad. It lies by the Rákóczi manor, so you can combine it with a visit to the museum.
Kašvár National Nature Reserve
Kašvár was declared in 1953 and covers about 116 ha of Mesozoic limestone with lime-loving, warmth-loving vegetation, its associated fauna and occasional karst features. It lies near Ladmovce, just east of Viničky.
Ladmovce limestones
The site of European importance covers about 338 ha at the foot of the Zemplín Hills. Its dark limestone, veined with white calcite, supports lime-loving and dry-grassland plants and warmth-loving animals.
Latorica Protected Landscape Area
The protected landscape area was established in 1990 and updated in 2004, and part of it has been a Ramsar wetland of international importance since 26 May 1993. For birdwatching, the Oborín nature trail has an observation tower, and the Tajba reserve near Streda nad Bodrogom is another place to see water birds.
Lowest point of Slovakia, Klin nad Bodrogom
A granite marker on the bank of the Bodrog, where the river leaves Slovakia, marks the country's lowest point at 94.3 metres above sea level.
Oborín nature trail and boardwalk
The nature trail was built in 2019, and its boardwalk of about 600 m leads through wetland to a tower for watching birds. Information panels explain the Latorica Protected Landscape Area, the Medzibodrožie bird area and the Oborínske jamy site. It is more than 30 km from the Tokaj villages by road, so plan it as a separate trip.
Tajba National Nature Reserve
An oxbow of the Bodrog near Streda nad Bodrogom, protected since 1966 as a refuge of the European pond turtle.
Tarbucka Nature Reserve
Tarbucka was declared in 1986 and covers about 149 ha in two parts between Streda nad Bodrogom, Malý Kamenec and Veľký Kamenec. It protects rare sand-loving plants, including the Hungarian pasqueflower, and many nesting birds, and has the highest level of protection (level 5).
Trebišov town park
The park has French and English sections, a pond with a wooden bridge, the ruins of Parič castle and the Andrássy mausoleum. It is easy to combine with a visit to the museum in the manor.
Cycling
Bike and e-bike rental, Čerhov
Renting in Čerhov means you can arrive by train from Košice and start cycling straight away. The office is open during events and otherwise by phone arrangement, so call ahead; rental prices are not published. Further afield, Trebišov has a public bike-sharing scheme with stations including the bus station.
Bodrog boat trips from Viničky
The cruises are run by Tokajská lodná preprava s. r. o. under the Plavby Tokaj brand and go to Sárospatak, with its castle, or to Tokaj at the confluence of the Bodrog and the Tisza. An older listing by the Tokaj Wine Route association mentions commentary and Tokaj wine tastings on board. Prices, timetable and season were not available when we checked, so contact the operator for current sailings.
Cycle route 8717 (yellow): Slovenské Nové Mesto – Bara – Viničky
The route is about 15 km long according to OpenStreetMap and starts in Slovenské Nové Mesto, which has a railway station, so you can arrive by train with your bike. The length is calculated from map data, so follow the signs on the ground.
Eisenach–Budapest trail (red) through the Zemplín Hills
In the Tokaj area the trail runs from Michaľany via Veľaty, Černochov and Bara and ends at the border between Slovenské Nové Mesto and Sátoraljaújhely. In Hungary it continues on the blue-marked National Blue Trail (Országos Kéktúra) around Sátoraljaújhely, so you can walk from the Slovak vineyards into Hungarian Tokaj.
Furmanská cesta Tokajom tourist train
The Furmanská cesta Tokajom tourist train runs in season on a 28 km route, starting from the village-owned Tokajský vínny dom in Malá Tŕňa. Dates, times and fares are not published in our sources, so ask the municipality of Malá Tŕňa or the Tokaj information office in Čerhov before you plan around it.
Horse riding at Majer Bara
Besides its restaurant, rooms and wellness, the estate keeps stables and organises horse riding and carriage tours, as well as seasonal events such as harvest days and Hubertus rides. Prices are not published, so book directly with the estate.
Lower Zemplín cycle route (CM 017)
The route runs for about 95 km from the area around Izra lake via Kalša, Kuzmice, Čerhov, Malá Tŕňa and Borša to Streda nad Bodrogom, and then along the Bodrog and Latorica embankments towards Ukraine. The Tokaj section between Čerhov and Viničky is about 22.5 km long and mostly flat. Bikes can travel on line 190 trains (Košice – Čerhov – Streda nad Bodrogom), so it is easy to ride one way and return by train. The Košice Region has announced the modernisation of about 15 km between Borša and Zatín.
Recreation zone and municipal cellar, Čerhov
The park is a pleasant place for a break in Čerhov, with wooden sculptures around a pond and an open-air stage. Local wine producers use the municipal cellar here, and the area is one of the venues of the Tokaj Harvest Festival at the end of September.
Tokaj cycle loop from Malá Tŕňa
An easy 29 km loop on asphalt and paved paths from Malá Tŕňa past the barrel lookout tower, Bara and Viničky to the Bodrog.
Wine cycle route 5710 (green)
The route is about 16 km long according to OpenStreetMap and links three Tokaj villages through the vineyards. The length is calculated from map data, so follow the signs on the ground.
Kayaking and paddleboarding on the Bodrog
Rent a kayak or paddleboard in Ladmovce and paddle down the Bodrog to Borša or on into Hungary, with the boats collected at the end.
Across the border in Hungary
Museum of the Hungarian Language, Széphalom
Széphalom, now part of Sátoraljaújhely, was the home of the language reformer Ferenc Kazinczy, whose mausoleum stands nearby. The museum lies just across the border from Čerhov and Slovenské Nové Mesto.
Sárospatak Castle (Rákóczi Museum)
Péter Perényi built the castle in 1534–1542 around the Red Tower, and the Rákóczi family later expanded it; the castle appears on the 500-forint banknote. It houses the Rákóczi Museum of the Hungarian National Museum. Sárospatak is about 21 km from Malá Tŕňa, and you can also reach it by kayak down the Bodrog from Ladmovce or by excursion boat from Viničky.
Sátoraljaújhely
The Hungarian border town directly opposite Slovenské Nové Mesto, with a Baroque town hall, historic churches and the Hungarian Calvary on the hill above.
Tokaj (town in Hungary)
Tokaj sits at the foot of Kopasz Hill, where the Bodrog meets the Tisza. In 2002 the Hungarian Tokaj wine region was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the Tokaj Wine Region Historic Cultural Landscape; the Slovak part is on Slovakia's Tentative List. In town you can see the river confluence, the Rákóczi-Dessewffy castle, the synagogue, historic cellars and churches; it is about 56 km from Malá Tŕňa, and excursion boats from Viničky also sail here.
Zemplén Adventure Park and suspension bridge
An adventure park on the hills above Sátoraljaújhely with zip lines, a summer bobsled run, a chairlift and a pedestrian suspension bridge opened in 2024.
Map
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