Székesfehérvár rolls out a lively, food-and-folk-filled St. Martin’s Day program again this year, mixing tradition, new wine, and community buzz across multiple venues from November 7 to 16, 2025. The roots go back to the 4th century, when Saint Martin, the kindly bishop, tried to hide in a goose shed to dodge the bishop’s title—only for the geese to betray him with their honking. Today, the feast marks the close of the agricultural year with goose banquets and the first pour of new wine. Expect dancing, crafting, lanterns, and plenty of places to eat, drink, and stay the night in the city known as the “City of Kings.”
November 8: Dance House, Crafts, and Late-Night Folk
The St. Martin’s Day Dance House (Márton-napi táncház) on November 8 brings a full evening of hands-on tradition. The lineup: at 17:00, a craft session making St. Martin’s geese from fabric, guided by textile artist Anikó Tóthné Albrecht. At 18:00, “Száz liba egy sorba…” – a folk playtime for children led by Edit Bókáné Zemancsek. At 19:00, the Csikóbál with the ARTE ARAMI Junior group warms up the floor. At 20:00, Kalotaszeg dance instruction, part III, invites anyone to learn. From 21:00 to 01:00, it’s a full-on dance house party. Doors close at 01:00. Host: Gergő Németh. Music by the Galiba band. Venue: Székesfehérvár, various locations.
November 10: Lanterns, Geese, and a Polka in Felsőváros
On Monday, November 10, from 17:00, the Felsőváros Community House (Felsővárosi Közösségi Ház) lights up with music, dance, and crafty ideas. Make glass lanterns, goose-themed decorations, and autumn trinkets in the lantern-making playhouse. The Edelweiss Mór German National Dance Association arrives to lead a cheerful St. Martin’s dance house that welcomes everyone from beginners to seasoned polka fans. Location: Székesfehérvár, Felsőváros.
November 7–16: Goose Feasts at Öreghegy Bika Csárda
Across the entire festival window, the Bika Csárda in Öreghegy hosts St. Martin’s Days (Márton-napok), promising seasonal dishes, new wine, and the essential goose specialties associated with St. Martin’s Day. Settle in for rustic flavors and classic hospitality in Székesfehérvár’s Öreghegy district.
Stay the Night: Hotels for Every Style
Székesfehérvár’s hotel lineup is ready for long weekends and spontaneous escapes. In the city center, a four-star, lakefront hotel offers 86 sleek rooms, refined interiors, and a lavish breakfast concept built to exceed expectations. Peaceful design, carefully curated moods, and high-level services promise a smooth, harmonious stay.
Just 300 meters (about 984 feet) from the Baroque main street, Castrum Hotel**** Székesfehérvár sits at the edge of the historic downtown. Major sights are a short stroll away, and its broad services fit business travelers, tourists, and big families alike.
Hotel Magyar Király****, housed in a nearly 200-year-old heritage building, has reopened fully refreshed. In the historic center by the theater at the start of the pedestrian street, it suits leisure guests and business trips, and it doubles as a classy venue for conferences, weddings, and all kinds of events. Price noted: 7,090 HUF (about 19.60 USD).
A few minutes from downtown, another hotel offers 60 rooms—24 singles, 24 doubles, and 12 apartments—welcoming families, business guests, and passersby with flexible service.
Hotel Platán sits five minutes’ walk from the center, yet in a quiet green zone. Recently renovated, it puts guests first with calm comfort.
On Route 63, the nostalgically styled Szárcsa Hotel mixes variety and charm: each room and dining hall has its own mood, furnishings, and colors. Expect a restaurant, garden terrace, indoor and outdoor wellness with pools and saunas, a gym, kids’ play corner, and even an Xbox room. Dining spans four uniquely designed rooms.
Szent Gellért Hotel places you right in the historic downtown. Within minutes you can reach the city’s cultural highlights, museums, and a web of entertainment, relaxation, and shopping options.
Hotel Vadászkürt adds warm terracotta tones and free Wi‑Fi just 500 meters (about 1,640 feet) from the center.
Where to Eat and Sip: From Bistros to Wine Bars
For elevated gastronomy, a relaxed downtown restaurant blends modern flair with tradition-driven creative cuisine. Aranyalma Confectionery (Aranyalma Cukrászda), a local favorite since 2003, turns out custom cakes, gorgeous pastries, and gluten- and dairy-free treats.
Bányató Restaurant (Bányató Vendéglő) has welcomed guests in Öreghegy since March 1999, reviving the early-20th-century feel of this old excursion spot with good food and attentive service.
A local wine bar pours from a lineup of 150 wines, with more than 60 available to taste. You’ll also find craft beers, cheeses, coffees, and soft drinks. With a wine expert on hand, they host tastings and presentations in their wine bar (Borbár) or on location for corporate and friendly gatherings.
There’s also a modern bistro kitchen, steak shop, and delicatessen for hearty appetites. At Cafe Mandala, conversations over fine coffee or special teas double as soul therapy. CorvinCafe waits three minutes’ walk from the King’s Apple (Országalma) by the Flower Clock, nestled in greenery beside the theater.
In the downtown, Csendes-ülős cafe & deli serves coffee, cakes, snacks, and bright lemonades. Try the cocktails and the daily rotating sweets and sandwiches. They take orders for linzers, cookies, muffins, homemade cakes, and pies, and even craft table decorations, wreaths, and floral bowls.
A two-story restaurant accommodates 110 and 50 guests across air-conditioned rooms, with a standout Mediterranean garden seating 90. The warm interior suggests a comfortable bourgeois vibe. The menu is refreshed several times a year to showcase Hungarian specialties alongside European culinary gems.
At Grafit Bistro, breakfast goes executive with à la carte options, freshly squeezed juices, and Italian Varesina coffee, plus custom hot and cold plates. Lunch offers weekly changing pasta picks for Italy lovers. For dinner, grab a terrace table and let a Mediterranean French mood meet willows, wild ducks, and gentle sunshine by the softly rippling boating lake.
Plan Ahead
Organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs.
