Highland (South Slovakia) culinary adventure – Gastronomic tour Our Highland culinary adventure offers a taste of the gastronomic offerings and attractions of the villages of Svodín, Streko, Bátorove Kosihy, Búč, Kravany nad Dunajom and Mužla. I. Country house of Svodín, archaeological museum and farmers’ market. If you like to shop at farmers’ markets, where the vegetables are more genuine, the fruit more succulent and the sellers more friendly, we recommend the farmers’ market in Svodín as your first stop. Visitors are enchanted by Svodín’s traditional hospitality and rural lifestyle. The country house of Svodín and its surroundings are a complex, with a large courtyard, well, stables, outdoor oven, thatched summer kitchen and a separate archaeological museum. II. Strekov Wine Festival, roasted wheat germ Festival The village of Strekov is located in the south of Slovakia, one of the best wine producing regions in the Highlands. It is the host of 2 national gastronomic events, namely the Strekov Wine Festival and the roasted wheat germ Festival. Every year in July, in the middle of summer, thousands of participants enjoy two days of farmers’ wines and the beauty of the countryside. The Festival introduces visitors to traditional crafts and local customs. Guests can learn about the painstaking and unique work of winemakers and taste their special, treasured wines. As well as a rich and varied cultural programme, there is no shortage of crafts and gastronomic specialities. The roasted wheat germ Festival (Kőtés Fesztivál) is also a highlight of the village, promoting a gastronomic speciality. Also known as birch, chicken biscuit, sprout malt… the sweet Lenten dish with many names was once prepared by our ancestors in some regions of the Carpathian Basin. At the beginning of spring, it was a sweet made from wheat germ and water, flour and sugar added to it, and baked in an oven. The carefully selected wheat is first germinated and then ground. The other ingredients are added to the wheat and baked. Although it may sound simple, there is a real art to baking. And don’t forget the Paris Marshes nature reserve, which is home to a wealth of wildlife. III. Bátorové Kosihy is also famous for its renowned wineries, fine wines, culinary and cultural national event “Wine Festival of Bátorove Kosihy”. The wine festival is held every year in May in the local vineyards, in a beautiful setting next to the largest forest in the Danube lowlands. Visitors can enjoy a rich cultural programme, good wines, delicious food and a craft fair. Guests have the opportunity to taste the finest wines from nearly 40 local and regional winemakers. Bóna Winery is a winery located in the south of Slovakia, in Bátorove Kosihy. Just as they love our wine region at first sight, they understand our wines at first sip. Our range includes the popular Grünerveltelini, Riesling, Merlot, Cabernet franc in excellent quality, but also rarities such as Bóna Sekt, Inšpiration or even Intuition. For more information, please feel free to contact us, we will be happy to present our wines in detail! Info: owner +421905708083, winery +421908462915, Bertalan Bóna, owner IV. Wine degustation, Vintop KARKO For the highlights of our culinary offer, we present the Karkó winery, winery, tavern and restaurant ( Restaurant & Pension Vintop Karkó, Búč, Slovakia, +421 905 275 2622, https://vintop-karko.eu/hu/etterem/) In addition to producing grapes and fair wines, the Karkó winery also operates a main restaurant located above the winery. In summer they have a cosy terrace with a beautiful view over the landscape and the distant hills. The cuisine is based on popular Hungarian dishes, with a few international and Slovakian favourites. They serve Hortobágy pancakes, Jókai bean soup, liver mushroom soup, bear’s onion cream soup, noodles with sheep’s cheese, Brasov pork tenderloin, roast duck legs, goose liver stuffed pork loin, roast pike-perch and trout, to name a few of the half a hundred or so dishes. For dessert, in addition to the somlói we ordered, they also offer a ‘totyogós apple cottage cheese with vanilla sauce’ and pancakes. The wine list relies mainly on their own wines, which are not cathartic but enjoyable. We found the reds more convincing, especially the Merlot. They stock local craft beers and spirits. Worth mentioning is the fairytale kitchen of Vintop Karkó Camp Resort, which provides a fabulous environment for children’s cooking programmes with the possibility of using modern kitchen utensils, while in the field of home culture it takes us back to the atmosphere of the kitchens of the old times. A creative space connected to Vintop Karkó Camp Resort’s story kitchen afternoon still life at Karkó farm Museum of Dolls – Búč V. Kravany nad Dunajom Looking for a special experience in an intimate setting? The village Kravany nad Dunajom, situated along the Danube in Komárom district, will dazzle you with its unique natural surroundings, charming locations and hospitable people. From our gastronomic offer we now present you the Gastronomy of Ferenc Duka and Adrien Finta. In Kravany nad Dunajom, heading north from the village, you’ll take a bumpy road to the orchard and pumpkin patch. A vast expanse of apple orchards, with associated fields growing sweet peppers, tomatoes and oilseed rape. The apple orchard is kept busy by the blessed activity and foraging of the scampering mangalica pig. Shelled pumpkin seeds are a great crunch and a wonder food. They also produce apples, dried fruit, juices, peeled and shelled pumpkin seeds, peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins and speciality jams. Ferenc Duka and Adrien Finta The Danube has always played an important role in the life of Kravany nad Dunajom. At one time, the Vienna Road ran on both sides of the river. It is close to Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. Kravany nad Dunajom railway station was on the other side of the Danube, in Piszke (now part of Lábatlan). The Danube and the surrounding area can be admired from the imposing 16-metre-high lookout tower on the Danube Pass in Kravany nad Dunajom, and a cosy park has been built next to it for cyclists looking for a rest. Kravany nad Dunajom is a cyclist’s paradise: every year the Lábatlan-Kravany cycle tour and the international speed cycling meeting are organised. The EuroVelo 6 international cycling route runs alongside the Danube embankment, providing Kravany nad Dunajom with a complete infrastructure. When it’s hot, the Danube’s open beach is a must, the fine pebbles and shallow shore are a great place to swim, and the abundance of shells proves the water quality is excellent. In summer, a small boat runs on the Danube between Kravany and Lábatlan. VI. Muzsla a historic wine region in the geographical centre of the triangle enclosed by the rivers Hron and the Danube, 10 km west of Štúrovo and 40 km east of Komárno. The village is mainly known for its vineyards, so we invite you to visit the famous wineries of our culinary offer. ZALABA Winery – Artisanal winery located in the village of Muzsla in southern Slovakia, covering an area of 6.4 ha. As it is well known, the hills near rivers Hron and Danube have excellent conditions for growing grapes and producing good wines, mainly due to the excellent soil quality and climatic conditions. We welcome you, your friends or even your business partners to our winery, where good atmosphere and culinary experiences are guaranteed. Whether it is a family or a company wine tasting, we can organise the entire event, including delivery or even additional services such as live music or a delicious Hungarian goulash at the Zalaba winery. You can order a wine tasting at +421 908 496 010,sales@zalabawinery.com Árendás winery – Árendás Zsolt Our winery is located in the Highlands, in Muzsla, one of the flagship vineyards of the South Slovakian Wine Region. The Árendás Winery is dedicated to producing artisan wines with a unique, distinctive and recognizable style, in which the varietal, the terroir and most of all the winemaker’s personality can be found as a trademark. The wines are made in a natural way, avoiding harsh oenological interventions and integrating modern innovations with the traditions of the vineyard and the family. The range of wines is based on the trio of Green Veltelini, King’s Daughter, WelschRiesling, which are traditional in the wine region, complemented by Rhein Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Danube and Honey White varieties. Wine tastings: Main street 31/50, 943 52 Mužla, Slovakia, +421 910 602 212, +36 30 915 8731
