Intoxicating herbal tours across the country

The name of the “Bükk herbalist”, Uncle Gyuri Szabó, has already become a concept among herbalists. In Bükkszentkereszt, you can take part in one or three-day, family or group guided herbal tours organized by Györgytea, where expert guides introduce the typical medicinal plants of the region. During the tour, you can also visit the late Uncle Gyuri’s herbal garden, where you can learn about the cultivation and processing of plants. You also have the opportunity to learn the tricks of collecting, drying and using herbs. At the end of the programme, you can taste the locally made tea blends in the Györgytea sample shop located in the garden’s reception building.

Hello Hungary tip: If you are in Bükkszentkereszt, it is definitely worth stopping by the Bükki Ízek Vendégasztal, where the Telekes family awaits visitors with excellent home-made dishes. The weekend menu is different every week, but sztrapacska and home-made meat-broth are almost constant items on the menu. The portions are generous, the prices are friendly, and the view and hospitality are exceptional!

If you want to get to know the herbs of the Hungarian countryside while immersed in nature, guided by an experienced phytotherapist, then the Herbal Tours of EzerJóFű are for you. These programmes combine natural science, folk medicine and modern phytotherapy knowledge, while you can discover the treasures directly in the fields and forests. The tours are not only educational: there is also the opportunity to make your own herbal products, be it creams, teas or tinctures.

Organized by the Duna-Ipoly National Park, the “In the Grass and in the Trees” herbal tours start in the Ócsa Landscape Protection Area in spring and autumn, where you can discover the wild herbs currently found in the area under the guidance of an expert. During the 4-kilometre walks, you can learn about the uses and effects of each plant, and you can get help in identifying and recognizing the species you see from the phytotherapist tour guide Ildikó Komsa. Thanks to the rich botanical diversity of the area, you can also see rare herbs that are unlikely to be found anywhere else. The tour is of an educational nature, and it is not possible to collect plants from protected natural areas during participation!

The Benedictines of Pannonhalma have been cultivating and processing herbs since the abbey was founded in 996. The herb garden of the Archabbey is a meeting point of monastic traditions and modern phytotherapy, where nowadays you can learn about the cultivated plants on guided tours and you can taste the abbey's own teas and liqueurs. Visitors can also get an insight into the traditions of monastic medicine and learn about the secrets of the monastery's herbal culture.

Hello Hungary tip: While exploring the Arboretum and Medicinal Plant Garden of the Pannonhalma Archabbey, it is also worth visiting the Scent Museum. All senses play a role in the unique collection: visitors can not only smell, but also touch and observe the exhibited objects. Among other things, you can see such special items as the handwritten recipe collection of the Benedictine pharmacist Brother Elek Reisch, who lived in the 1700s. Based on the descriptions, the herbal products of the Abbey are still made today, such as herbal teas, essential oils, creams and soaps. The exhibition provides an insight into the working conditions of traditional perfumers: on the table you can find many tools and ingredients that were used to produce perfumes in the 18th and 19th centuries.