Hegymagas sits in the Tapolca Basin at the foot of Szent György Hill (Szent György-hegy), just 3.1 miles from Lake Balaton. The village’s crowd swells from spring to autumn thanks to the lake’s pull, but winter and early spring bring their own rhythm: weekly markets, cozy cellars, and slow, vineyard-laced weekends. If you’re hunting for small-scale wine culture, local flavors, and old-school traditions with a volcanic twist, this is your corner of the Balaton Uplands.
Weekly Hegymagas Market
– 2026.01.10. Hegymagas Market (Hegymagas Piac)
– 2026.01.17. Hegymagas Market (Hegymagas Piac)
– 2026.01.24. Hegymagas Market (Hegymagas Piac)
– 2026.01.31. Hegymagas Market (Hegymagas Piac)
– 2026.02.07. Hegymagas Market (Hegymagas Piac)
Location: Hegymagas, multiple venues
Discover the tastes of the Badacsony region and shop straight from local producers at the Hegymagas Market. It’s a reliable Saturday ritual: fresh pantry staples, small-batch treats, seasonal produce, and winemakers pouring what they bottled on the hillside above. The village layout spreads stalls across several spots, so wandering is half the fun. Come early for the widest selection and linger for a glass or two—locals do.
Summer Headliner: Szent György Hill Until Dawn (Szent György-hegy hajnalig)
– 2026.06.06. – 2026.06.07.
Szent György Hill Until Dawn (Szent György-hegy hajnalig) is the summer showpiece, a nocturnal slope-hopping celebration where vineyards and cellars open their doors until the small hours. Expect tastings under basalt cliffs, pop-up bites, music, and long conversations between rows of vines. It’s the event that turns the hill into a glowing necklace of terraces from dusk to dawn—book your bed early and your tastings even earlier.
Stay: Kovács Guesthouse
Kovács Guesthouse (Kovács Vendégház) in Hegymagas welcomes guests year-round. Think vineyard mornings and quiet evenings within quick reach of tastings and the market. It’s a straightforward, local base: walkable to village life, a short drive to Lake Balaton’s shoreline, and perfectly positioned for an early start on Szent György Hill. Availability tightens during spring-to-autumn weekends, so plan ahead, especially around June’s all-night festival.
Winery Spotlight: Small Plots, Big Personality
On Szent György Hill, one boutique winery cultivates a compact 8.9 acres (approximately 3.6 hectares) of vines—small by design. The name nods to its tiny footprint, which lets the team fuss over every row and aim for the absolute best from each harvest. Unusually for the region, they spotlight reds: volcanic soils, low yields, and time-intensive cellar work. Book ahead for cellar visits. The tasting lineup features six standout wines from the estate and runs about two hours, long enough to dig into the hill’s minerality and the cellar’s craft.
Family Wine and Agritourism on the Southern Slopes
Another family-run estate manages 49.4 acres (20 hectares) across Szent György Hill’s sunny south side, pairing viticulture with agritourism. Stay on-site in guesthouses and wake up in the vines, then taste your way through whites and blends shaped by basalt-rich soils. It’s the kind of setup that rewards slow travel: walk the terraces, grab a table with a view, and let the day take its time.
The Hill’s Smallest Cellar, Big on Craft
Possibly the smallest winery on Szent György Hill focuses on artisanal, delicate wines from the hill’s notable varieties. Tastings are crafted for mood as much as flavor—a little theater, a lot of memory-making. If you collect experiences as much as bottles, this is your stop: minimalist scale, maximal personality, and a tasting room that leans into the hill’s hush.
Gilvesy: Volcanic Wines Since 2012
Founded by Róbert Gilvesy in 2012, this producer has carved out a clean, mineral-driven style from the volcano’s flanks. The wine shop (Vinotéka) is open daily during posted hours for purchases; order ahead for pickup or arrange delivery if you’re stocking up. Tastings are organized by appointment—great for tailoring flights and getting a feel for the cellar’s direction. Expect sharp-edged whites, textural sparklers, and a steady nod to the terroir’s basalt backbone.
Classic Varieties, Local Roots
Hegymagas also shelters a family cellar anchored in regional grapes: Welschriesling (olaszrizling), Müller Thurgau (rizlingszilváni), Zengő, Traminer (tramini), Rhine Riesling (rajnai rizling), Chardonnay, and Rózsakő. It’s a lineup that maps the Badacsony tradition, from aromatic whites to structured, age-worthy bottlings. Drop in for a snapshot of the hill’s classic flavors and the kind of hospitality that comes with knowing every vine by heart.
Horváth Cellar (Horváth Pince): Since 1996
Horváth Cellar (Horváth Pince) has been welcoming wine lovers on Szent György Hill’s southern side since 1996, now farming 44.5 acres (18 hectares). While the cellar uses modern processing tech, some wines spend extended time in wooden barrels, building depth and spice. Tasting flights here tell a story of evolution: thoughtful updates in the winery, old-school patience in the cellar, and a steady thread of volcanic character through the range.
Nyári Cellar (Nyári Pince): Views and Versatility
Just 656 feet from the historic Tarányi Cellar and the pretty Lengyel Chapel, Nyári Cellar (Nyári Pince) pairs standout wines with one of the hill’s best panoramas. Choose from wine on tap or bottled selections; book ahead for tastings. It’s an easy add to a chapel-and-cellar stroll and a guaranteed golden-hour stop when the south face is bathed in light.
Open Year-Round: Wine Shop and Viridárium
The Szent György Hill estate’s wine shop (vinotéka) is open every day, all year. From spring to autumn, the renewed estate center also hosts the Viridárium kitchen, welcoming food-and-wine travelers with seasonal plates designed for the wines they pour. If you’re chasing a one-stop tasting-and-dining plan, pin this spot on your map.
The organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs.
