Discover Gyula’s festive break: candlelit castle tours, Almásy Palace shows, Elixbeer tastings, family workshops, fencing demos, night swims, and more across the city center, Dec 27–30. Plan your winter adventure.
when: 2025.12.27., Saturday - 2025.12.30., Tuesday
where: 5700 Gyula,
Gyula rolls out a packed winter break between the holidays, with candlelit tours, hands-on workshops, tastings, and night swims. Organizers want locals and year-end visitors to dive into family-friendly experiences all over the city center, museums, and venues.
December 27
Nighttime splash at the AquaPalota. Candlelit castle tours at Gyula Castle (Gyulai Vár). Two showings of “Countly Passions – The Treasures of the Almásy Palace” (“Grófi passziók – Az Almásy-kastély kincsei”). “Corset and Revolution” (“Fűző és forradalom”) at the Almásy Palace. Brewery drop-in: Elixbeer tour and tasting. Creative House: Candle-making at the castle. Ladics House presents “The Empress’s Cup” (“Császárné csészéje”). Plus, “The Palace by Candlelight” (“A kastély gyertyafényben”) glows after dark.
December 27–30
At Almásy: “Play and Try Your Luck” (“Játssz és húzz a szerencsédért”) and the “Stefánia Circle” (“Stefánia-kör”).
December 28
Palace tour with Dönci the Dachshund (Tacskó Dönci). Fencing Yard at the castle. “Corset and Revolution” and “The Empress’s Cup.”
December 29
Fencing Yard returns at Gyula Castle.
December 30
Ladics House code-breaking game, Fencing Yard, Elixbeer tour and tasting, “Corset and Revolution,” Creative House Jewelry Workshop, “The Empress’s Cup,” and the Gyula Culture Club (GyulaKultKlub) pre–New Year’s jam session.
Organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs.
2025, adrienne
Pros
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Family-friendly lineup with candlelit castle tours, dachshund-led palace tour, workshops, and night swims that suit mixed-age groups
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Lots packed into a few days, so you can sample history, crafts, tastings, and music without long gaps
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Unique settings—medieval castle, Almásy Palace, and Ladics House—feel more special than generic holiday markets
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English-speakers can get by: many program titles are translated and staff at major sites in Hungary often handle basic English
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Easy enough to reach in-town venues on foot once you’re in Gyula; everything clusters around the center
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Good value compared to big-city European holiday events, with smaller crowds and more hands-on activities
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Nighttime swims and candlelit tours offer memorable, photogenic experiences you won’t find in most U.S. winter break events
Cons
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Gyula isn’t widely known internationally, so U.S. travelers may need extra research and planning
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Reaching Gyula is a bit of a trek: likely train or bus from Budapest plus local transit or car; winter driving can be icy
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Some tours, games, and talks may be primarily in Hungarian, so deeper context could be missed without a guide
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Compared to blockbuster European Christmas markets or theme-park winter festivals, it’s smaller-scale and dates can change last minute
