The transfiguration of the Valley of The Beautiful Woman (Szépasszonyvölgy)

The Bermuda Triangle of the Mátra-Eger-Bükk easily swallows us. The combination of mountains, battles at the borders, Turkish memories, Baroque splendour, Hungarian gulags, trout farms and gastronomic sanctuaries, but above all the thermal waters and wine regions, all combine to make this possible. There is no other area in the country where spas are lined up a few kilometres apart (Egerszalók, Demjén, Eger, Bogács, Mezőkövesd) to be connected by a virtually contiguous wine region (Mátraalja, Eger, Bükkalja). Maybe in Tuscany. The Tuscany comparison is particularly relevant concerning the cultic cellars of Eger - the largest in the country (it is no wonder that Petőfi, Vörösmarty and Márai wrote about it). The gastronomic and wine revolution has invaded the stubbornly resistant mass tourist centre, bringing a Mediterranean wine region atmosphere to the right of the cool refurbished park and open-air stage, with cool terraces, colourful wine bars, jazz and swing, and the necessary - otherwise excellent - bread and dripping and tepertős pogácsa (scone with greaves) with the help of a selection of quality hams and cheeses.

If we were writing all this ten years ago and the title of the article was Collected Retro Places, we would have offered a free time capsule to the 70s. We could have sat with it in an Ikarus, in a chorus of trade union confidants singing the cantata "Green is the, green is the" on arrival in the morning, and at the announcement of the results of the all-day, drinking alcohol and eating bread and dripping with red onion race in one of the chatty-named taverns with the names of Legényfogó (Get Husband), Nótafa (Ballad-singer tree), Kulacs (Flask), Ködmön (Surcoat), Butykos (Hip Flask). But don't miss the time travel either, let's start the walk on the left, in the world of the 600 forint/litre cellars, there is plenty to experience, especially visually. If the cellar isn't filled by a busload of tourists here, talk to the owner, who usually works here too, for great stories, tastings and small purchases. The world of colonial oak furniture design reminiscent of the 386-era of personal computer advertising graphics (except that the brand name is chalked up simple and honestly, as, for example in Marika's Nr.12 unit) is already broken by a few guerrilla units in this side.

Open every day for twenty-six years, Kiss Winery's Cellar Nr.14 renovated its terrace last year to celebrate the new songs of the new times. Inside, the traditional equipment was retained, based on target group segmentation. Istvánné Kiss, the owner, was not frightened by the pandemic, "those who have good wine have improved during the pandemic", she says. The best example of addressing old and newer needs is Hagymási Winery's cellars Nr.17 and Nr.19 (including the new-wave Wanda) Nr.17 is hiding a stone-carved cellar made from concrete and glass and it is very bold and modern, while the same winery also runs a real retro space two doors down to serve the widest possible clientele. It would be an important factor (and architecturally more than a prepared situation) if they could also get roof terraces authorised to increase capacity and atmosphere.

And the way back on the right is just like Tuscany melted into Provence in the old days. These places are already wine bars, the names are like downtown wine bistros, Sparhelt (Cook stove), Akna (Mine), Doboz (Box), but if they are just the name of the winemaker family, like Demeter, Juhász, Petrény and the rest, they still refer to a world of design furniture, lounging and chatting, good music, good food and top wine. There is, of course, a merry-go-round and a bouncy castle, and a colony of regular guests on the left bank, for reasons of price considerations and lifestyle habits, but that's fine, it's fitting for a twenty-first-century Kádár-era open-air museum. But let us hurry to see the exhibition, lest it close, because it foreshadows the future that the Association of the Hospitality of the Valley of the Beautiful Woman the creators of the Eger Wine Quarter, who have sworn to renew and revitalize the situation, now have fourteen members in the Valley.