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Rooms are fairly spartan in design and like in many European lodgings the beds are quite small. But the common areas are clean and well appointed, and the service friendly. A sauna is available at an extra charge, and a masseuse can come to the hotel to give you a rubdown after a day of horse riding or exploring the countryside.

The hotel has a restaurant off the lobby area and a banquet room can be used for private meals or business affairs. But the Szalajka Fogado isn't a corporate meeting facility: this romantic hotel is best suited for couples looking to disappear from the world for a while and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

Dessert was somloi galuska, a dumpling of sorts stuffed with cocoa, raisins, nuts and other fillings, then topped with a chocolate rum sauce. Later variations on this dessert at other restaurants featured crepes rather than a "dumpling," but this particular serving of somloi galuska was noteworthy.

Most guests take a simple one hour guided tour along well lit paved walkways. The cavernous rooms are quite large and folks won't feel claustrophobic with so much elbow room. But the more adventurous cave explorers in your group may want to sign up for the seven hour trip that winds through a large section of the cave system. It's unpaved and muddy, and can be a might tighter squeeze in some parts of the journey. Each individual is equipped with their own light source as you travel well beyond the guide rail and foot lighted paved asphalt path.

One of the interesting features of the cave is that is features a large concert hall about a half mile deep into the cave. The acoustics are wild and echoing, and the unusual environment must make for a truly one of a kind musical event. There used to be underground boat rides as well, but the subterranean river has dried up in recent years, leaving the unused boats piled up along the cave wall.

The Aggtelek Caves have provided shelter for man for over 7000 years, and with the World Heritage site designation it will hopefully be preserved for thousands more. This unique activity / attraction is quite a bit away from the tourist friendly Budapest, but well worth venturing out to for the adventurous in spirit.

The Tokaj region is known for its dessert wine, sweetened with the popular aszu "berries." A unique fungus results in hyper sweet grapes with an unusual concentration of sugar. The more of these rotted grapes that are added to the wine the sweeter it will become. Unusual fruity flavors are also derived from this process, resulting in a special wine that is hailed all over the world by wine connoisseurs.

Our tour was made particularly interesting by a wine tasting held deep within the wine cellar. Navigating a maze of moldy subterranean hallways we arrived at octagonal chamber furnished with wooden benches and fine porcelain jars. Our informative and patient guide plied with us with multiple quality wines to sample in a truly unique setting. Except for a little unwanted mold stuck in my hair it was a great deal of fun to explore this vast wine cellar and its many rooms and twisting passageways.

The highlight of my visit to the Tokaj Disznoko estate was climbing the high hill that overlooks the winery's land and the surrounding area. The wind had picked up and it was freezing cold, but for our few minutes up there it was quite pleasant to look out across the countryside and its gently rolling hills.

A nice restaurant, the Sarga Borhaz Etteren, is on the winery's property and makes for a nice stop in between wine tasting at the various cellars of the region.