Gyula is packing the calendar with hands-on history, candlelit tours, craft markets, and late-night wellness. From January 23 through March 8, the town’s castle, museums, cafés, and theaters deliver a rolling lineup of guaranteed programs, immersive shows, and one-off experiences that lean into both romance season and winter vibes.
Castles, Candles, and Combat
Gyula Castle (Gyulai Vár) goes big on atmosphere with candlelit castle tours (Gyertyafényes vártúrák) and guided visits to its old jail (Börtönlátogatás) on multiple dates including January 24 and 31. History buffs can join the siege walk (Ostromséta) and a weapons-room review (Fegyvertári szemle), watch live sabre-fighting demos with instruction (Szablyavívás), and see a working blacksmith shop in action (Működő kovácsműhely). Falconers swoop in for falconry shows (Solymászbemutató), while The Field of Fate – Mohács (A végzet mezeje – Mohács) dives into the battle that shaped a nation. Guaranteed programs at the castle run January 23–25, January 30–February 1, February 6–8, February 13–15, February 20–22, and February 27–March 1.
Almásy Castle After Dark
Almásy Castle (Almásy-kastély) invites guests to Candlelit Evenings at the Castle (A kastély gyertyafényben), which ramp up across January and February, alongside the exhibition Corset and Revolution (Fűző és forradalom), running repeatedly through March 3. Special collection tours rotate: Speaking Flowers (Beszédes virágok), Countly Passions (Grófi passziók), Cellar Exhibition (Pincetárlat), Women’s Salon (Női szalon), and a Valentine’s Day program on February 14. The family-friendly Castle Tour with Dönci the Dachshund (Kastélytúra Tacskó Döncivel) returns Sundays, led by a dachshund mascot.
Step Into Time at the Ladics House
At the Ladics House, a bourgeois time capsule, visitors crack clues in a Code-Breaking Game (Kódfejtő játék), time-travel with VR glasses (Időutazás VR-szemüvegekkel), and gather around The Empress’s Teacup (Császárné csészéje), a recurring program centered on an empress’s teacup and the stories it pours out.
Wellness, Coffee, and Craft Beer
The Gyula Castle Spa (Gyulai Várfürdő) opens late with Nighttime Wellness (Éjszakai wellness) on January 24, January 31, and February 7. La Sposa Caffè sets the tone with an exclusive kick-off brunch in January and returns with a Valentine’s wine dinner (Bálint-napi borvacsora), plus an up-close talk, From the Körös to the Wide World (A Köröstől a Nagyvilágba), with Ambassador Dr. Adrien Müller. The Elixbeer brewery hosts drop-in brewery tours and tastings (Sörházi beugró) in late January and throughout February.
Markets, Music, and Theater
The Portéka Market (Portéka vásár) brings a craft and producers’ market to the World Clock on January 24 and 31. The Máriás House (Máriás-ház) stages a Swabian pig feast (Németvárosi sváb disznótor) on January 31. Concert-dinner nights arrive at Romantika Bistro with melodies from Tibi Sztojka. On stage: Gyulakult lines up GANGSTER POP (Bonnie, Clyde, Ganxsta), Somewhere in America / Bon Bon 30 musical (Valahol Amerika / Bon Bon 30), Loose Ends (Elvarratlan szálak) with Dr. Kitti Almási, Jókai Mór’s The Count of Fools (A bolondok grófja) by the Déryné Troupe (Déryné Társulat), Abigél, and Clauságok, Liptai Claudia’s solo evening. The Castle Theatre (Várszínház) presents Forced March (Erőltetett menet; Radnóti Miklós’s last days) and Deep Breath (Mély levegő) by Rita Halász (Halász Rita). Dumaszínház brings András Somogyi (Somogyi András) with Borrowed Faces (Kölcsön Arcok).
Library and Museum Deep Dives
At the Mogyoróssy János City Library (Mogyoróssy János Városi Könyvtár), meet the well-traveled locals in World-Wandering People of Gyula (Világjáró gyulaiak), discover Chestnut Street Tales (Gesztenye úti mesék) at a book launch, and explore Trampler at a later author event. The Museum Free University lectures unpack Magical Tools and Techniques in the Roman World (Varázseszközök és mágikus technikák a római világban) and later Herod, Jesus, and the Holy City (Heródes, Jézus és a Szent Város).
See the City
Downtown Wanderer city walks (Belvárosi barangoló) map Gyula’s heart on January 26 and 30, with more guaranteed weekends throughout February. Whether it’s sabres, candlelight, or spa nights, winter in Gyula is anything but quiet.
