Hegymagas, tucked into the Tapolca Basin at the foot of Szent György Hill (Szent György-hegy) and just 3 miles from Lake Balaton, rolls out a year-round lineup of markets, tastings, and slow-travel moments. From spring to fall, the village population multiplies as wine lovers, hikers, and foodies drift in for volcanic-terroir wines, panoramic sunsets, and old-world hospitality. The winter calendar stays lively too, anchored by local markets that turn a chilly Saturday into a neighborhood ritual. Dates and programs may change, so always double-check before heading out.
Dates to Circle
– 2025.12.27. (Saturday): Hegymagas Market, multiple locations across the village. Expect small producers, seasonal bites, bottles to take home, and neighbors catching up over steaming cups.
– 2026.01.03.: Hegymagas Market returns to kick off the new year, same warm scene in the heart of winter.
– 2026.06.06.–06.07.: Szent György Hill Until Dawn (Szent György-hegy hajnalig) takes over the slopes in early summer, when cellars open late, music drifts over basalt ridges, and tastings stretch into the night.
Where to Stay
Kovács Guesthouse keeps its doors open all year, a go-to base for anyone plotting a long weekend or an unhurried week of walking, tasting, and dipping in and out of Lake Balaton’s lakeside towns. Simple, local, and positioned for vineyard wanderings, it fits the Hegymagas rhythm: slow mornings, cellar afternoons, starry-night walks back up the lane.
Cellars and Vineyards: The Essentials
On Szent György Hill (Szent György-hegy), estates run from tiny and experimental to family-run and sprawling. One boutique winery cultivates a compact 2×2 hectares, embracing the small-scale model as a promise of total attention to the vines and the cellar. Unusually for the Badacsony region, their focus leans red. Book in advance for a cellar visit; the six-wine tasting flight features the estate’s top bottles and runs about two hours—enough time to settle into the volcanic story in the glass.
Another family operation farms 20 hectares on the hill’s sunny southern slopes, blending winemaking with agritourism. Rustic guesthouses are available for those who want to wake up amid the vines, watch mist lift off Lake Balaton, and stroll to the nearest cellar for a late-morning pour.
The smallest winery on Szent György Hill prides itself on handcrafted, delicate bottlings from distinctive local varieties. Here, tasting is not just a pour—it’s a mood. Expect a personal, intimate session you’ll remember long after the labels blur into one shared memory of basalt, smoke, and peach-skin aromatics.
Gilvesy Winery, founded by Róbert Gilvesy in 2012, showcases the raw mineral character of volcanic soils. The vinothèque is open during posted hours and by appointment; they also offer delivery. Tasting programs are arranged on request—ideal if you’re planning a group visit or want to tailor the lineup to white-focused classics or experimental bottlings.
Hegymagas also shelters a classic family cellar with a lineup that reads like a love letter to Central European varieties: Welschriesling (olaszrizling), Müller-Thurgau (rizlingszilváni), Zengő (zengő), Traminer (tramini), Riesling (rajnai rizling), Chardonnay (chardonnay), and Rózsakő (rózsakő). It’s the place to trace the precise, floral, citrus-drenched profile that made this hill famous for whites.
Heritage Names and Big Views
Horváth Cellar (Horváth Pince) has welcomed wine fans since 1996 on the southern face of Szent György Hill. They farm 44.5 acres and balance modern winemaking with patient barrel aging for select wines, giving depth and spice to the region’s signature varieties.
Nyári Cellar (Nyári Pince) perches just 220 yards from the historic Tarányi Cellar (Tarányi pince) and the Lengyel Chapel (Lengyel-kápolna), serving wines by the glass and bottled selections to go—plus a view that steals the show. Book tastings in advance to catch the hill turning gold and violet at sunset.
The Szent György Hill estate vinothèque stays open every day, all year—a rare constant in a seasonal region. From spring to fall, the Viridárium kitchen pops up at the renewed estate center, drawing in gastro and wine travelers for pairings that make the most of the hill’s mineral kick—think fresh herbs, orchard fruit, and smoke-salted finishes against crisp whites and structured reds.
How to Navigate
– Book ahead for cellar tours and tastings. Small producers set limited slots, especially on weekends and during Szent György Hill Until Dawn (Szent György-hegy hajnalig).
– Plan for walking. The best views demand a bit of uphill. Bring layers; winds whip across volcanic plateaus even in summer.
– Think seasonally. Spring through fall is peak, but winter markets keep the village busy and the cellars cozy.
Hegymagas moves at a vineyard pace—unhurried, generous, grounded in basalt and tradition. Come for the markets, stay for the wines, and leave with the rhythm of the hill in your head and a couple of bottles tucked under your arm. Organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs.
