Hajdúszoboszló throws open the gates to autumn with the Wine and Gastro Festival from Friday to Sunday, September 18–20, 2026, turning Saint Stephen Park (Szent István Park) into a three-day feast of flavors, music, and late-night energy. Entry is free, and the promise is simple: great food, standout wines from Hungary’s regions, and entertainment that keeps all ages smiling—right up to the evening DJ parties.
Where and when
The festival base is Saint Stephen Park (Szent István Park), 4200 Hajdúszoboszló. It runs September 18–20, 2026, with a packed schedule of stage performances, cultural programs, concerts, and dance shows. The setup is designed so families, groups of friends, and solo visitors all find their groove.
What to expect on the plate and in the glass
Expect a wide spread of Hungarian and regional street food, hearty classics, and sweet bites, paired with a curated selection of wines from the country’s top wine regions. White, red, rosé, and sparkling show up strong, with plenty of options by the glass so you can taste your way through styles. Between sips, check out live cooking stations and dessert counters that lean into seasonal favorites.
Live stages and late nights
The main stage runs a rotating bill of bands, singers, and dance acts by day, before DJs take over with evening party sets. Cultural showcases slot in between concerts, adding folk accents and city flair to the program. Bring comfortable shoes—you’ll likely end up dancing.
Staying near the festivities
Accommodation seekers are spoiled for choice, from spa hotels to family-run apartments minutes from the baths and festival grounds.
Hotel Friendship (Hotel Barátság)*** towers over the hotel promenade in a leafy part of town, offering panoramic views and an in-house spa. Guests can rotate between thermal and alternating-temperature pools, a hot tub, saunas, an infrared sauna, and a steam bath. It’s a one-stop spot for lodging, wellness, and events—ideal for a decompression session between tastings.
Several apartment houses sit a five-minute walk—about 400 meters—from the beach and the famed thermal complex. Upstairs units come with separate entrances: options typically include two double apartments, one for four, and one that fits five, open all year. If you crave quiet, there are garden-district guesthouses prized for peace and easy access to the Spa (Gyógyfürdő) and Peace Baths (Béke Fürdő), just a few minutes on foot.
Prefer to be in the thick of it? A centrally located pension sits by the small airport, just 100 meters from the beach and 400 meters from both the Aquapark and the new Extreme Slide Park. Next door are the Árpád Pool and the Hungarospa therapy building, where visitors can book medical treatments if needed.
Alice Apartment (Alice Apartman) has a homely vibe in a calm neighborhood near the beach, the thermal baths, and, naturally, the Aqua-Palace—a solid pick since opening in 2010. Other apartments in the resort quarter are an easy five-minute stroll from the world-famous baths, keeping things quiet but close.
On Kölcsey and Major streets, newly built apartments sit just 100 to 200 meters from the beach entrance, with restaurants, a market, and grocery stores nearby. Another apartment house opened in June 2009 in the resort hub circling Hungary’s largest medical and beach spa—200 meters from the beach and only 150 meters from the bus station, perfect if you’re arriving by coach.
Looking for a tucked-away sleep? Some guesthouses hide at the end of cul-de-sacs, far from through traffic. Expect free on-site parking and a shared breakfast kitchen. Many places stay open year-round, and several sit right in the heart of Hajdúszoboszló, a few minutes’ walk from the medical baths.
Eat, drink, repeat
Between festival bites, dip into local restaurants with serious character. U-Pub Bar keeps spirits high with friendly prices and a wild lineup of distractions—an escape room, bowling, billiards, darts, air hockey, and foosball—all at one address.
A local hotel-restaurant sits inside eastern Hungary’s tourism triangle, just 300 meters from the Spa (Gyógyfürdő) and 500 meters from the city center, spotlighting the city’s famous therapeutic waters used for both bathing cures and drinking cures.
Kemencés Csárda revisits tradition with a modern hand. Inspired by the old roadside inns of the Great Hungarian Plain, its menu and interiors celebrate heritage while courting contemporary tastes.
If you want views, a romantic dining complex near the medical baths offers a covered terrace for 150 and a panoramic upper terrace for 80. Major Pension and Restaurant (Major Panzió és Étterem) and its apartments land in the spa zone’s calmer corner, an eight-minute walk from the winter entrance and just two minutes from the summer entrance.
Family-friendly hotels in the resort district bring scale—think 107 rooms ranging from classic doubles and triples to 2+2 family apartments, family rooms with bunk beds, and suites. Expect color TVs, minibars, phones, in-room safes, and en-suite bathrooms, with some rooms air-conditioned and with balconies. Many properties also feature their own wellness and medical sections.
Mirage Restaurant has been revamped with an exclusive setting, a mood-lit pálinka wall, a seasonal menu, and service geared for regulars and newcomers alike. Another boutique spot blends a cozy restaurant with a pastry shop and 13 individually styled rooms—some with bathtubs, others with showers—crafted with polished elegance for business travelers, couples, families, and anyone young at heart.
No. 8 is an easygoing pick in the spa district for classics and standout grills, with summer and winter terraces operating from April through November. A nearly 80-seat pavilion turns into one of the city’s liveliest hangouts with cocktails and warming sips for evening strollers.
For a quick fix, a snack spot sits one minute from the Hungarospa entrance. Load up on savory and sweet crêpes, then cool down or perk up with lemonades, cocktails, specialty coffees, and small-batch ice creams.
Three days, one park, no entrance fee, and a city that knows how to host—Hajdúszoboszló’s Wine and Gastro Festival is set to be the season’s tastiest weekend.
