If you are planning a trip to Badacsonytomaj, you can focus it on three distinct themes: cultural history, nature education and wine. The Szegedy-Róza House, built in 1790, the twin-towered Church of Saint Imre and the offerings at the Folly Arboretum provide concrete starting points.
Cultural history in a house and a church
The Szegedy-Róza House is a building in the peasant Baroque style. Today it serves as a museum and preserves a remarkable fireplace: the poet wrote his stories by its fire. The combination of architectural history and literature gives the house a distinctive cultural focus.
The Roman Catholic parish church of Saint Imre offers a different perspective. It was built in 1931–1932 to designs by Fábián Gáspár and is regarded as the only church in Central Europe built of basalt. While the Szegedy-Róza House points to the year 1790 and the peasant Baroque style, the church is defined by its 20th-century construction, its two towers and its basalt structure. The former home of Egry József near the harbor has also been renovated and serves as a museum.
Garden and nature education
The plant collection at the Folly Arboretum in Badacsonyörs, a district of Badacsonytomaj, covers 3.6 hectares. It consists mainly of evergreen plants. Guided garden walks take place there regularly throughout the year; they are among the arboretum’s recurring and popular programs.
The Badacsony Geological and Botanical Nature Trail offers a different perspective. Its bilingual information panels present the area’s geological, geomorphological, botanical and zoological natural features. They also cover the traditional, nature-friendly forms of land use typical of the area. The nature trail therefore focuses on both natural relationships and the use of the landscape. A guided tour with an expert from the Balaton Uplands National Park Directorate can be arranged on request. In the wider Lake Balaton – North travel region, Hegyestű lies between Zánka and Monoszló. The 337-meter-high mountain reveals the inner structure of a basalt volcano that was active around eight million years ago.
Wine experiences by prior arrangement
In the wider Lake Balaton – North travel region, special grapes grow on the slopes of Badacsony and are used to produce Badacsony wine. In Badacsonytomaj, the Viticulture and Oenology Research Institute of the Agricultural Sciences Centre of the University of Pannonia offers a specific connection to the subject: it is a stop on the Badacsony Wine Route. Vineyard and cellar tours, as well as wine tastings, are available there by prior arrangement.
Hableány also offers guided winery tours and wine tastings by prior arrangement. The offerings can be distinguished by their focus: the research institute offers vineyard and cellar visits, while Hableány offers a guided winery tour. Both include wine tastings. Check the contact arrangements before your trip and book in advance.
These differences can help you choose what to explore in Badacsonytomaj based on your own travel interests.
Discover more destinations: Mindszentkálla, Tapolca, Kisapáti, Gyulakeszi, Hegymagas, Káptalantóti, Balatonederics, Lesencetomaj.
Back to the wider travel guide: Tapolcai.
