Etyek

The community is known for its stunning landscape, excellent wine and sparkling wine (pezsgő) production. It also boasts a thriving crafts scene.

Lying on the right bank of the River Sajgó, the village's predecessor was established back in the Árpád Age around an ancient spring known as the Magyar Well (Magyar-kút). Located in the middle of the village, the well was once the sole water source for the settlement. Restored in 1996, it is a tourist sight today as are the remnants of a Roman settlement discovered on Calvary Hill (Kálvária-domb).

Due to the arrival of settlers in the 18th century the village became multiethnic: German and Hungarian. After World War II, 790 inhabitants were forced to migrate to Germany.

On the lands surrounding Etyek, viticulture grew considerably in the 1900's, also connected to the traditions of pezsgő (sparkling wine) production set by the Törley Pezsgő Factory. The climate here is characterised by sparce precipitation and plenty of sunshine which, together with the soil, provide the perfect conditions for the production of charcterful acidic wines.

Grapes are cultivated on over 800 hectares of land, some of which is still used as the raw material for Törley sparkling wines. However, the Etyek wines (Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc, Szürkebarát, Királyleányka, Rhenish Riesling) are also popular.

The Etyek Wine Region is Hungary's youngest viticultural area. Stretching from Bicske to Pákozd, the vineyards were granted wine region status in 1990 and it has been registered as the Etyek-Buda Wine Region since 1997.

A superb choir and several civil organisations operate here, coupled with a lively fine and folk arts scene.
The former village of Botpuszta was annexed to Etyek in 1927.

How to get there:
By public transpor, local coaches run to Etyek from Budapest. By car, look for the town on a side road west of Biatorbágy, on Route 1 next to Budapest.