Discover the Hungarian Village Zsámbék

Our first destination was the oldest residential building in Zsámbék built in 1740 by Keller Melchior, who was a rich Swabian livestock breeder. It was named after the relief visible on the facade.
As I was walking around, I found several pieces of furniture. They were hand painted or made with a special technique which evokes Swabian folk art and the old life and symbolism of Zsámbék. The kitchen contained an open chimney and a kitchen cabinet which was the oldest furniture in the building. As I took a closer look, I saw the front of it which is decorated with four trees of life consisting of tulip, rose and carnation motifs.
The house had other pieces such as beautiful ceramics from Tata, which were very popular in the old households in Zsámbék.
When I was walking into the bedroom I noticed that door’s heel strap was decorated with pomegranate motifs which is a symbol of fertility. Walking along in this residential building gave me a great experience and an insight into the life of people back in the old times.
Opening hours: From March 15th until October 23rd Every 2nd weekend during the Open Museums Weekend: 10:00 - 18:00 From October 24th until March 14th Every 2nd weekend during the Open Museums Weekend: 10:00 - 16:00
You can also request an appointment by phone or email if you're planning to visit the house outside its opening hours.

Not too far we found this unique museum which was created by Francis Borus in his wine cellar In 1960. The idea came during the set of the wine museum when he was looking for suitable lights for it. Francis liked the pieces so much that he started collecting them. After purchasing the lamps, sometimes 20-25 pieces a day, he cleaned and restored them.
During its history, it became very popular, so Francis decided to exhibit them and in 1970 he opened the first permanent exhibition in the Cultural Center with a collection of about 250 objects. Finally, his collection moved to the 19th-century farmhouse in 1979. The exhibition was extraordinary. The 1100 lighting objects created a unique atmosphere. The institution entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1995. In 1999, the President of the Republic of Hungary awarded the founder of the museum with the Gold Memorial Medal and in 1998, Francis Borus became an honorary citizen of Zsámbék. Opening hours: 15th March - 23rd October Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00 - 18:00 Monday: closed 24th October - 14th March Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00 - 16:00 Monday: closed

Before we visited our next destination, we left our car in the car park. We made sure to purchase our ticket for a few hours as after the church we took a walking tour which took about 3 hours.

In the 1050s there was a stone church which stood here, which would be expanded in the next century. King Béla III donated Zsámbék to the knight Aynard, who accompanied his wife. His descendants built this late Romanesque-Coragotic basilica around 1220. It is one of the most beautiful monuments of medieval Hungarian architecture.
As I admired the ruins, I could see the features of late Romanesque and early Gothic styles and French influences. Originally, it was used by the Paulites from the time of King Matthias. During its history, it was destroyed several times. The first major reconstruction took place in 1889 led by the architect Stephen Möller. His focus was mainly on conservation. As I examined this beautiful three-nave basilica-styled church, I could clearly see that the apse of the southern aisle and the four semicircular windows of the main nave were reconstructed. In contrast, the less reproducible parts of the church were replaced with bricks. I also found two facade towers in the Romanesque style, a peaked pediment, a rose window and a peaked gate. The south tower consisted of a unique, delicately curved tower helm built from stone.
When I was walking around, I discovered the artistic carvings of plant motifs on several columns, as well as the remains of frescoes. Next to the remains of the church, there were the ruins of the former Premontre monastery. In 1934, architect Kálmán Lux revealed this beautiful building, which is connected to the north side of the church. Originally, it was built by the Paulists when they received the estate as a donation from King Matthias. Today, the only remains of the building were the vaulted room, which is now the stone storehouse, the former refectory, the foundation walls and the cellar system which belongs to the monastery. Unfortunately, it was closed due to the current dangerous conditions, but it was still worth walking around. Also, I really enjoyed the incredible view of the surrounding hills, which provided good photo opportunities. Opening hours: 15th March - 23rd October Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00 - 18:00 Monday: closed 24th October - 14th March Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00 - 16:00 Monday: closed

Before we began our tour on the Nyakas mountain, we stopped for a lunch. The locals suggested this cozy restaurant which was opposite the Lamp Museum. As the distance was short, we decided to get some delicious food here and of course, we weren’t disappointed. I ordered the famous Gulyas soup, which was served with freshly baked bread. It was a great choice. Opening hours: Monday - Friday: 11:00 - 21:00 Saturday: 12:00 - 21:00 Sunday: 12:00 - 20:00

After the delicious lunch, we were ready for the walking tour, which began at the famous ruined church in Zsámbék.
On the southeastern edge of Gerecse, on the Nyakas mountain range, there was a pleasant footpath which was overlooking the Zsámbéki basin. Our varied route was punctuated by savanna-like meadows, cosy pine forests, limestone cliffs, extensive vineyards, orchards, old cellars, and wine presses.
Length of the tour: 9,5 km (from the bus stop is 11,5 km) The duration of the tour: 3 hours Level difference: 150 m
The nature of the tour: An easy, family trip on well-marked tourist routes, footpaths, and rarely marked or unmarked vineyard roads between the vineyards. There is no possibility to get water on the way, so make sure you bring enough with you.
We began the trip from the ruined church of Zsámbék on the road which led past the cemetery and was marked with a Yellow lane. In front of the Matthias wine bar, we turned left, and then followed the whimsically winding vineyard roads marked with yellow lanes.

From the closed garden zone, we reached the upper part of the gardens, where a narrow path was waiting for us. Following it, we arrived in a forest then after a few steps, we reached the grassy mountain ridge of Nyakas-tetö dotted with black pines.
More info and the map can be found here.
We continued our journey on a wide carriage road accompanied by yellow signs painted on poles and surrounded by a bushy, treeless area. Suddenly, we came across a modern crucifix. Next to it, there were outcropping limestone cliffs which offered an excellent resting place. Returning to the marked road, we went on. Shortly, we found ourselves in a cosy pine forest, where our pleasant path brought us again to the savanna-like grassy meadow.
Next to the shallow mine yard, we come up from the right, the töki educational trail (töki tanösvény) is marked with green oak leaves. Here, we turned left onto a wide road then after a few steps, we turned right and continued into the forest. If you cannot find the sign of the pumpkin trail, you can follow the better marked yellow lane road, as the two roads will meet later.
The narrow path was easy to follow and brought us through a young forest, scrubs and finally to the edge of the Toki ravine. As we were walking, we saw various limestone rock formations on the right and the Gerecse’s features that appeared from time to time among the trees on the left. We reached a wide crack running across the road. From here, the view of Gerecse was quite good as well as the beautifully shaped double cone of Cuckoo Mountain.
The educational trail turned to the right and continued downwards, then finally it flowed into the road marked with a yellow lane. Following this path, we reached a wider road. Here, we turned right and walked through a forest strip among huge vineyards. Out of the trees from the left joined the path marked with red grapes.
At the two beautiful press houses, we turned right to the red grape trail. As we walked on the Tök vineyard, among old cellars and wine presses, we came across again the töki educational trail marked with the green oak leaf. We turned right to this path and continued our journey until we reached a forest strip.
Leaving the educational trail, we turned left and followed an unmarked road. Within a short distance, it took us down to Zsámbék’s cozy old basement row. The closely integrated cellars carved into the loess wall offer an interesting sight.

Our little path changed to a concrete road and its name was Jóvilág utca (Good World street). From here, we turned right to another accommodation road, then we immediately turned left. When we reached the upper part of the old Swabian cemetery, we came across a picturesque sight of the new church or the ruins of the old monastery church through the tall tombstones. We continued our walk between the two old graveyards, which brought us down to Szőlőhegyi út (Szőlőhegyi street).
After turning right, we crossed Rácváros street (Rácváros utca) and next to the new cemetery we returned to our starting point which was the parking lot in front of the ruined church.
After the beautiful tour and with great new experiences, we collected our car and continued our journey to the next destination.

The walking tour had its effect on us, and we couldn’t wait to taste some delicious food. This unique restaurant was called Primas Pince Restaurant and Wine Tunnel and was situated under the hill of the Basilica in Esztergom.
As we walked in, we found ourselves in a historical old cellar. The staff were very friendly and the menu was welcoming to us with a wide range of food and wines.
After looking through the menu, I choose the hen soup, the roast duck liver with spicy cherries and potatoes with parsley as the main, and finally the poppy seed paste with vanilla custard as the dessert. Of course, I also tried one of the wine specialities called Bolyki Indián Nyár Cuvée.
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 10:00 - 21:00
You can book a table via this link.

After the delicious dinner, it was time to check into the hotel. The room was beautiful and spacious. We got ready for tomorrow and then head to the bar to enjoy a relaxing evening. Our journey will continue tomorrow. Until then, have a great rest.