Erdőbénye is a small village of around 1,600 people tucked into a valley in the Zemplén hills, about 20 km north of Tokaj, deep in the Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region. Vineyards cover the surrounding slopes and wine cellars honeycomb the hillsides — this is one of the production centres for the region's celebrated wines, and you can taste them at several cellars in the village itself.
What makes Erdőbénye genuinely unusual is its coopers. Barrel-making has a long tradition here, bound up with the wine trade, and the coopers of Erdőbénye are said to be the only craftspeople in the world who still perform the traditional Cooper's Dance — passed down from father to son for generations. They perform it each summer at the Festival of Coopers, which draws visitors from across the region.
The surroundings reward walkers and cyclists. The Aranyosi valley, in the nature conservation area just outside the village, is a good base for excursions into the Zemplén forests. The air here is clean enough that the area has been designated a climatic health resort. Within easy reach are several medieval castles and ruins — Boldogkőváralja, Füzér, and Regéc among them — as well as Sárospatak, one of the most historically significant towns in northeastern Hungary. The Bodrog and Tisza rivers converge nearby, offering canoeing and water sports, and the Zemplén forests attract hunters in season.
Cultural life runs through the Calvinist church: concerts from the Zemplén Arts Festival (Zempléni Művészeti Napok) are held here each year, bringing classical and folk music into this otherwise quiet valley.