Hungary through the eyes of chefs: From Győr to Szigetköz with István Kovacsics “Koksza”

The first stop of the three-day program is Mosonmagyaróvár, where István would choose Malom Café for breakfast. From there, after sightseeing, he would head to the Futura Experience Center, which is a particularly good choice if you are coming with children. The four-story scientific playhouse, built in a 300-year-old historic granary, interactively presents the phenomena of the four elements – water, earth, air and fire – as well as the flora and fauna of Szigetköz. Visitors can also take part in an experimental and Tesla transformer demonstration, as well as a planetarium show, and there is a separate indoor playground for the little ones.

However, the day would be based on one of the most important features of Szigetköz, the water: from the Mosonmagyaróvár area, we can continue on the Moson-Danube by kayak or canoe, and gradually approach the inner branch systems of Szigetköz.

The chef himself regularly visits the area by water. He fishes, travels by motorboat, and recommends this perspective for exploring Szigetköz. The branch system around Ásványráró is a particularly good starting point: from here you can also get to the smaller branches on guided canoe tours, where rapids, fish ladders and completely different water routes alternate. Those who would rather stay on land can also explore the area by bicycle, but in István's recommendation, the water tour gets the main role.

An afternoon in Győr

Continuing from Szigetköz towards Győr, we can continue the day in the historic city center. The city center is easily accessible on foot, and the chef also highlights the Bishop's Castle among the classic attractions. The Bishop's Castle, located on the Káptalandomb, is the only medieval residence of the archbishop in Hungary, which is still the seat of the Győr bishopric today. 206 steps lead up to the lookout point of its nearly 40-meter-high tower, from where the historic city center, Radó Island, and the confluence of the rivers that define the character of Győr can be clearly seen.

From here it is worth heading towards the rivers, as the proximity of the Rába, Rábca, Mosoni-Duna and Marcal in Győr also determines the city's programs. One of his favorite stops is Radó Island, which is a few minutes' walk from the city center. For István, this is also an important location because it is also connected to gastronomy in several ways: a large-scale Beer & BBQ Gastroparade has already been organized on the island, which he himself participated in creating, and he regularly appears here with his barbecue dishes.

In the evening, the Szomszéd Koktélbár és Kávézó will be on the itinerary. The place on Kisfaludy Street has built a significant part of its character on cocktails: in addition to classic drinks, they work with their own signature creations, which are tested in domestic and international competitions. They also offer their own roasted, specialty-certified Red Lab coffee, and the drinks are accompanied by a bistro kitchen.

A little Texas at home

Of course, the Révész BBQ Saloon & Bistro cannot be left out of the gastronomic itinerary, but István does not simply recommend his own restaurant here either, but rather highlights a program to which he is personally strongly attached: the traditional Texas barbecue evenings. Barbecue has been a defining part of Révész's cuisine for years, the essence of the technology is long, low-temperature cooking. The chef works in a wood-fired offset smoker, where preparing a beef brisket can take up to the whole night. The genre has now become so intertwined with Révés that it represents an independent character in the restaurant, in addition to the fine bistro. The evenings focus on classic barbecue dishes, including brisket, and the meal is accompanied by music and other programs. According to István, guests are now also arriving from outside Győr specifically for these occasions: they travel to the city from Budapest, book accommodation in addition to the evening barbecue program, and build an entire weekend around it.

A day in Pannonhalma

The over a thousand-year-old Pannonhalma Abbey, easily accessible from Győr, is a program in itself that can take several hours: in the Benedictine monastery, which is still in operation today, you can visit the St. Martin Basilica consecrated in the 13th century, the crypt, the cloister and the Abbey Library. The classicist library building was completed in the first half of the 19th century, and its collection and the library room itself are one of the most important cultural assets of the monastery.

After the building complex, it is worth continuing your walk towards the arboretum and the herb garden. Herb cultivation has been part of the Benedictine tradition of Pannonhalma for centuries, and in the garden you can still find medicinal and spice plants related to the monastic culture, and the lavender distillery, which can be visited, also offers an insight into the processing process.

The cultural program can easily be continued from here in a gastronomic direction. István would also include the Abbey Winery and the surrounding vineyards in the day, and for dessert he recommends the Pausa Abbey Café. So it is really worth leaving a whole day for Pannonhalma, especially if we combine the abbey visit with a wine tasting. The chef recommends several wineries by name: in addition to the Abbey Winery, the Babarczi Vineyard and Winery, the Tar Winery, the Herold Winery and the Pécsinger Vineyard are also on his list. He considers the early autumn period to be a particularly good choice for such a wine tour.

By train or climbing equipment to Bakony

Heading south from Győr, you can also include a trip with a completely different atmosphere in your program. István recommends Vinye and the Cuha Valley in the Bakony, which can be connected by hiking and train. The railway line between Győr and Veszprém runs through the Cuha stream valley, through tunnels and viaducts, so the trip itself can be a good program, especially with the family.

For those looking for more active programs, Csesznek is the next stop. In addition to visiting the castle, you can also combine via ferrata or rock climbing, the latter being a real personal tip for the chef: he himself likes to go climbing in the area with his 17-year-old son. Bakony thus offers a variety of options, from a hiking family program to more serious rock climbing.

Among the Angus in the Sokorói Hills

In addition to the programs around Pannonhalma, István also recommends a less obvious gastronomic detour. Black Angus cattle are bred at Hét Tölgy Birtok in the Sokoró Hills; according to István, the herd numbers around 400–500 animals, and the farm is open to visitors as a model farm. On site, you can also gain insight into the processes of farming and animal husbandry, and the farm also has a meat processing plant, a model shop and accommodation. For István, the place is also personal from a professional perspective: he also contributed to the preparation of the farm's cookbook. That is why he is happy to recommend it to those who are interested in the origin of the ingredients that end up on your plate and the operation of the farm behind them.

The region's most popular season begins at the end of summer

The chef is also decisive in choosing the time of visit: he considers the end of August and September to be the best time to explore Győr and the Szigetköz. At this time, the Danube is still warm enough for water programs, while the movement of game animals becomes more active, and the deer bellowing season begins. István himself regularly sets out on the water at dawn by motorboat, and he particularly highlights the September dawns.

It's worth waiting for the sunset in Győr. You can also take a boat tour of the historic city center's waterfront, and István likes to do this best in early autumn, when the early sunset transforms the city center before the evening hours.

September is also full of gastronomic and wine-related events: the chef also mentions the Győr wine days, spritz days and beer days, and among the permanent summer events, he recommends the Baroque Wedding. The event, which has a history of over thirty years, brings the world of the 17th and 18th centuries to the historic city center of Győr for two days: parades in period costumes, baroque music and dance, and craft programs are accompanied by a spectacular wedding ceremony that revives contemporary traditions.