3 Best Sights in Villány, Hungary

One of Villány's most celebrated wine producers, the Bock family has been in business here for more than 200 years. Today, they produce more than a million bottles a year to sell all over the world. A visit here is a chance to sample Bock's selection of spectacular (mostly red) wines, from award-winning classics to untraveled vintages, during one of the twice-daily tastings. Visitors can also get a glimpse behind (or rather under) the scenes with a tour of the atmospheric wine cellar every day at 2 pm and 5 pm. The main feature of the cellar is an extraordinary central vault (known as the "Bock Chapel") that looks like a Turkish baths and has some bizarre acoustics: stand in the middle to have your own voice reflected back at you, or talk to a friend across the room with just a whisper. As well as welcoming day-trippers, Bock Pince also has 33 comfortable and stylish bedrooms—unusually, the standard rooms are nicer than the deluxe ones—with prices starting from 38,000 HUF a night.

Situated 13 km (8 miles) west of Villány—though still within the famous Villány-Siklós wine region—this enormous 13th-century castle is well worth a half-day detour. First mentioned in 1294, when it was the property of the Soklyosi family, the castle now stands at the southernmost point of Hungary, just 10 km (6 miles) from the Croatian border. A ticket gets you into all the castle's exhibitions, including the prison and torture chamber, the medieval weapons exhibition, and the wine museum.

If you wish to learn about the local wine before imbibing, stop in at this fascinating museum. Set within a former grape press-house, the museum details the history of the Villány-Siklós region’s viticulture over the last 2,000 years, with exhibits ranging from Roman artifacts to 19th-century coopers' tools. The impressively deep cellar is a great place to cool off on a hot day.