All you need is a good track and some wine in your bottle – KLND Gravel x Open Cellar Days 2025

Let's close our eyes. Let's imagine a group of adventurers! There are five or six of them, and they've been on the road for a day and a half. What are they like? Dirty, yes. And what else? Hungry. Thirsty. Not picky. Good-humored! Independent, they have a map. They are happy with an outhouse, but if there isn't one, that's fine too. They sit down anywhere and are happy to eat with their hands. They don't smoke. They love animals. They don't litter.

They might have a few drinks, but they won't get drunk. Soon they will move on. In many ways, they are a hospitality provider's dream.

Now let's imagine what makes an adventurous cyclist happy. It's when they can cycle in beautiful surroundings. Good weather doesn't hurt either. Bonus points if they get food. They like salty things, they like sweet things, but what really touches their sensitive heart and inflated ego is when they feel welcome and are offered something with pleasure.

What do they post on Instagram? Themselves. His bike. The scenery, his friends, but if that's not enough, then everything else too. If there are extra activities to complement the cycling, then definitely those as well. He is interested in the world, because he cycles because he loves to explore. At the end of the day, he shares his route and even writes a description.

Based on all this, it seems that his unusual demands can only be truly met by unspoiled, rural hospitality. All that remains is to match supply with demand, and the happy union is complete! Open Farm Days offer the opportunity for this union, and in a sustainable way at that. We have seen villages open their gates, with ten people showing up in the first year to take pictures of their wine glasses in the sunset, then the story takes a turn for the worse, and a few years later, everyone has to fence off the front of their house, otherwise three oversized cars will park there in a single day, angry lines will snake in front of the wine stand, and the tension will only increase as the dog with the ponytail peeks out of the shoulder bag.

The organizers of 'Open Cellar Days' took on a big but beautiful challenge: to change this. In the fall of 2025, approximately 150 family farms, cellars, and manufacturers in five regions of Hungary opened their doors to the general public with the suggestion that visitors travel between locations by bicycle if possible. The bike tours available on the website range from 10 to 50 kilometers and are currently all simpler, paved routes. Longer forest trails are currently more suited to adventurous pioneers, but the project is still in its infancy, considering that this was its first year. However, from the foothills of the Alps through the Mura Valley to South Zala, from the Little Hungarian Plain through the heart of Transdanubia to the Balaton Uplands, it was already possible to visit places that one might not necessarily find on one's own.

There is, for example, Kupriveczné Simán Csilla's weaving workshop on the vineyard hill in Lendvadedes. Who would have thought that while making weekly embroidery, Kupriveczné listens to rock music? Her scones are sweet, her sofa on the porch is comfortable, so those who can rest at her place after climbing are privileged. Then
it's worth a visit (and a few extra watts of effort) to the empire of stove collector Józsi Hancsik on the Slovenian side of the border, where visitors can enjoy pickled quail eggs and sweet corn porridge accompanied by philosophical musings.

If we are talking about crossing borders, then let's talk about the Iron Curtain. EuroVelo 13, or the Iron Curtain Cycle Route, follows the route of a "divided Europe" and, as such, passes from Sopron to Kőszeg, then along the Őrség, down to the Drava River Valley and beyond. It is a well-maintained, beautiful cycle route, which can be heartily recommended to anyone looking to combine it with visits to the open gates (advance booking is required for many places).

However, a more adventurous, off-road, gravel version is also possible, which includes the flawless gravel roads of the Kőszeg Mountains and the challenging bumps of the Zala Hills. With the sky above us, our bikes beneath us, and a map in our hands, we can easily reach the 7ed7 Winery in Gyöngyösfalu to taste "murci" (and fill our water bottles), then eat a side dish from the smoker. So, from a cyclist's point of view, it would be desirable to have more route recommendations that dare to dream bigger than the short, public road solutions.

The locals clearly wouldn't mind a little more activity in the forest, because it's rare to find a cyclist who also picks mushrooms. But these open days offer opportunities not only in terms of tourism and recreation, but also in terms of the survival of small communities. How many people can list what their neighbors and neighboring villages do, what they produce, and what traditions they preserve these days? Now it is certain that there are more, and not just from hearsay. And if even more people join the Porta Days, then everyone will take a step forward together.

In summary: cyclists go where there is a reason to go. And there is plenty to see, taste, and drink along the western border, and these can be best connected by bike. In an increasingly less utopian future, more and more people will realize that it is not only possible to cycle around one of our lakes with satisfactory infrastructure, surrounded by open restaurants and designated routes,
 but also elsewhere!

Photos and text: Lili Chripkó