On a crisp Saturday in November, the Hegymagas Market throws open its stalls and invites you to dive face-first into the flavors of the Badacsony region. This is not a supermarket run; it’s a community ritual with baskets, banter, and more homemade goodness than you can carry. Along Szigliget Road (Szigligeti út), on the edge of the village, growers and makers gather with seasonal, chemical-free produce, artisan cheeses, smoked meats, breads warm from the oven, and jars of syrup and jam that taste like someone’s grandmother still runs the kitchen. There’s gluten-free, diabetic-friendly, and vegan bakery, too, plus honey, gingerbread, and additive-free cosmetics for those who want to shop with conscience as much as appetite. If you arrive hungry, there’s a surprise breakfast waiting. Doors open at 7:30 a.m., dogs are welcome, kids get their own corner, and you can pay by card. Simple. Joyful. Local.
The market is built and run by locals who care as much about the conversation as the consumption. People don’t just shop here; they swap recipes, compare harvests, trade tips, and linger. It’s easy to get to by car, bike, or bus, and it’s as friendly as it sounds. The rhythm is set: if it’s Saturday, it’s market day in Hegymagas.
New Faces, Familiar Flavor
There’s fresh energy this season, with new producers joining the regular lineup. Hegymagas Marhaságok brings fine smoked meats, while Lavender Farm (Levendula Porta) offers standout cheeses that pair dangerously well with the region’s wines. The vibe is refreshingly unfussy: the best stuff, from the people who make it, without the middleman. You taste, you buy, you chat. Anyone who likes the clink of jars and the smell of bread will feel right at home.
Mark These Saturdays
It’s a November-to-December run with multiple chances to fill your bags and your pantry. Dates to circle: November 15, November 22, November 29, and December 6, all in Hegymagas. And if you’re planning a backyard overhaul, November 22 includes fruit tree saplings in the lineup. Yes, you can shop the market and plant an orchard in one outing.
Stay, Sip, Repeat
If the market is your gateway, the region’s vineyards are your weekend. From guesthouses to tasting rooms, Saint George Hill (Szent György-hegy) is a serious playground for people who take wine and views seriously. Kovács Guesthouse (Kovács Vendégház), right in Hegymagas, takes bookings year-round—ideal if you want to make a proper trip of it and go from market coffee to a twilight pour without hitting the highway.
Small Plots, Big Ambition
One local winery farms what it calls 2×2 hectares on Saint George Hill (Szent György-hegy), a name that nods to the boutique scale that lets them give every vine full attention. The twist? They’re bucking regional tradition by emphasizing reds in a landscape known for whites. Book a cellar visit in advance and you’ll get a six-wine flight featuring the estate’s top bottles, with tastings running two hours. It’s intimate, hands-on, and the kind of deep dive that makes you taste the basalt under your feet.
Family Roots, Volcanic Fruits
There’s agritourism with heft here, too: a family-run operation cultivating twenty hectares on the southern slopes of Saint George Hill (Szent György-hegy), complete with guesthouses you can book. Another boutique project, possibly the hill’s smallest winery, focuses on delicate, handcrafted bottles made from the area’s distinctive varieties—an experience they promise you’ll actually remember, not just post about.
Then there’s the volcanic flagship launched by owner Róbert Gilvesy in 2012. You can buy in the vinotheque during opening hours or by arrangement, and they deliver. Tasting programs are set up on request—think flexible, not fussy.
White Wine Heaven (With a View)
Some family cellars keep the faith with a classic white lineup: Welschriesling (olaszrizling), Müller-Thurgau (rizlingszilváni), Zengő, Traminer (tramini), Rhine Riesling (rajnai rizling), Chardonnay (chardonnay), and Rózsakő. Horváth Cellar (Horváth Pince) has been welcoming wine lovers since 1996, now farming 18 hectares. They mix modern processing with time in oak for select bottles—Old World patience meets New World polish.
Nyári Cellar (Nyári Pince) sits on the southern side of Saint George Hill (Szent György-hegy), just 220 yards from the Tarányi Cellar (Tarányi pince) and the Lengyel Chapel (Lengyel-kápolna), pouring both on-tap and bottled wines. Tastings are by appointment, and the view does at least half the talking.
Open Doors, Full Glasses
One vinotheque on the hill keeps the lights on all year, every day. From spring to autumn, the refreshed estate center also hosts the Viridárium kitchen, turning a wine stop into a full-scale culinary pilgrimage. Between the market, the hills, and the cellars, this is a corner of Hungary that knows how to feed you, hydrate you, and send you home with two bags more than you planned. And a tree, if you time it right.
Hegymagas Market isn’t reinventing anything. It’s just doing real food, real producers, and real community—with a side of volcanic wine and a friendly dog at your feet. Show up early, wander slowly, leave happy.
