We arrived in Eger, Hungary, at eleven o’clock on a Thursday morning in early October, after a drive of about an hour and a half from Budapest. The apartment was ready for a short rest and a refreshing shower, and by noon we were walking into the town centre to see the castle, the basilica and the minaret. We stayed four nights, and we used the town the way we would use it again: as a calm place to sleep, eat and recover between two long walks in the Bükk. If you are wondering whether Eger is worth your time, and what a trip built around hiking, wine and rest looks like, this is our honest account.
Eger, Hungary at a glance
- Where we stayed: Egria Apartments, four nights (Thursday to Monday)
- Drive from Budapest: about 1.5 hours (our own drive)
- Arrival: Thursday, 11:00
- Seen on day one: Eger Castle, the basilica, the Ottoman minaret (seen, not climbed)
- Hikes from here: Szalajka Valley (about 30 minutes by car), Lillafüred Green Loop (about 1.5 hours by car)
- Eating: Szépasszonyvölgy (Valley of the Beautiful Women), several lunches and dinners on Saturday and Sunday
- Recovery: the cave bath in Miskolctapolca (Friday, after the Szalajka hike; 45–60 min by car) and a Thai massage in Hatvan (Sunday)
- When: early October, great weather
Our first day: castle, basilica and minaret
We saw all three of Eger’s headline sights in one day, and that is the first thing worth knowing: they fit comfortably into a single afternoon, so you do not need a long stay to see the town centre. The castle was the highlight for us. We found it a wonderful place to visit for understanding the local history, including the Ottoman era, and the entrance was affordable. The basilica came next. It was beautiful, as so many religious buildings in Hungary are,.
The minaret was the stop that surprised us most. It is a minaret from the Ottoman era that has survived all these years, and that alone made it fascinating to see. We did not climb it. It is not a touristy attraction, and for us the climb did not feel worth the money, so we looked at it from the ground and moved on. That is our own call, and your own choice might differ, but it is a good example of how little you need to do in the centre to feel you have seen it.
Eger as a base for hikes in the Bükk
The real reason we chose to stay four nights is the walking. From Eger we did two very different hikes. On Friday we drove to Szilvásvárad, about half an hour away, rode the little forest train up the valley and walked back down, which you can read about in our Szalajka Valley hike report. On Saturday we drove to Lillafüred, about an hour and a half from Eger, and walked the 19 km Green Loop through the Bükk forest, described in our Lillafüred hike report. Both times we came back to the same apartment and the same town, and that is what makes Eger work as a base: you drive out in the morning, hike, and return to somewhere comfortable.
The two days were not alike. The Szalajka Valley was a gentle half day that ended with trout for lunch, while the Lillafüred loop was a full day of dense forest that left us with sore legs for two days. If you want to plan the same pairing, we did the shorter walk first and the long one the day after. For navigation on both walks we used the Hiiker app; if you are choosing an app, see our best hiking apps guide.
Wine, food and rest
Between the hikes we kept things simple, and we mean that as a compliment to the town. After the Szalajka walk on Friday we went to the cave bath in Miskolctapolca, and for the rest of the day we ate in Eger and rested. On Saturday and Sunday we went to Szépasszonyvölgy, the Valley of the Beautiful Women, and had several lunches and dinners there. Besides the castle, the basilica and the minaret, we also saw Dobó Square and the Lyceum in Eger. We did not visit the thermal bath in town or other places on the usual lists, so we cannot tell you anything about those; this is a report on how we actually spent our time.
On Sunday we also drove about an hour to Hatvan for a Thai massage at twelve o’clock, which we very much needed after the Lillafüred loop. Massage prices in Hungary were much lower than at home. If you are building a trip around long walks, plan a day like this one on purpose; after Lillafüred we had wanted a massage on the same day but could not get one, so a free day afterwards turned out to be the right plan.
Is Eger worth it? Our verdict
We would recommend Eger if you like wine: the town has a lot of tastings, and the Valley of the Beautiful Women is a relaxed place to sit and eat. We would also recommend it as a base if you want to walk. The Bükk offers several walking routes within reach, and we did two of them from the same bed. Our one caution is the one we gave for the minaret: you can see the three central sights in a day, so if you want a lot of town sightseeing, Eger is more a place to rest in than a place to fill days.
One more thing deserves its own mention. On Friday, the day of the Szalajka hike, we went on to the cave bath in Miskolctapolca, a thermal bath set in a cave. Our trip notes put it 45 to 60 minutes by car from Eger. We think it is well worth the trip, and it fits neatly after a morning walk. We did not take photos there, so we cannot show it here.
Getting to Eger: with and without your own car
We drove our own car from Budapest, which took about an hour and a half, and it let us reach both trailheads easily. If you are travelling without a car, you could fly into Budapest and rent a car there, which would let you reach the same places. This is a tip for you, not something we did: we did not fly or rent a car for this trip. If you want to compare flights, Aviasales is one place to search, and Auto Europe is one place to compare car hire. These are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Eger, Hungary
- Count on one afternoon for the castle, basilica and minaret.
- Use Eger as a base: Szalajka Valley is about 30 minutes by car, Lillafüred about 1.5 hours.
- Do the shorter hike first, and keep a free day after a long one.
- Leave time for Szépasszonyvölgy, and for the cave bath in Miskolctapolca (45–60 minutes by car).
FAQ
Is Eger, Hungary worth visiting?
For us, yes: it was a calm base for hiking, wine and rest. If you mainly want a long list of sights, note that we saw the castle, basilica and minaret in a single day.
How far is Eger from Budapest?
About 1.5 hours by car, as we drove it.
How many days do you need in Eger?
We stayed four nights. The town centre takes an afternoon; the rest of the time went to two hikes, meals and rest.
Is the Eger minaret worth climbing?
We did not think so. It is not a touristy attraction, and the climb did not feel worth the money to us, but it is fascinating to see from the ground.
Can you hike from Eger?
Yes. We did the Szalajka Valley (about 30 minutes by car) and the Lillafüred Green Loop (about 1.5 hours by car) from our apartment in Eger.
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