Human impact on the landscape in the Tokaj foothill region, Hungary

Abstract

Despite Hungary’s small size, there are currently 22 wine districts. Although large amounts of wine are produced in regions located in the southern part of the country, the most famous and the most fashionable wines come from the north. The Tokaj foothills (Tokaj-Hegyalja), one of the world’s great historical wine-producing regions, lies in the close proximity of the northernmost climatic limit of wine production. It is an area with strong viticulture traditions, which have survived for over 1000 years. The formation of the strongly marked features of the cultural landscape (the Tokaj-Hegyalja terroir, as designated today), started in the 16^th century in the wake of intensifying commercial contacts. The innovative processes significantly transformed the landscape. The development of the area and its ability to sustain population has continuously changed throughout the past centuries and the region reached the peak of its development in the 18^th century. A royal decree in 1737 declared Tokaj to be a closed wine region, thus ensuring the conservation of its unique values. In 2002 UNESCO included it on its World Cultural Heritage list as a region of outstanding cultural significance.