Hegymagas, a tiny village tucked into the Tapolca Basin at the foot of St. George’s Hill (Szent György-hegy) and just 3 miles from Lake Balaton, is ready to swell with visitors again. From spring to autumn, the population multiplies several times over, drawn by hiking, volcanic vistas, and a rich culture of wine, food, and living traditions. This winter, the village leans into that energy with weekly open-air markets and cellar doors flung open for tastings, before rolling toward a blockbuster early-summer festival in 2026.
Markets Every Saturday
The Hegymagas Market anchors December with three consecutive Saturdays—December 13, December 20, and December 27, 2025—followed by a bonus first-of-the-year market on January 3, 2026. Expect stalls scattered across multiple sites around the village. Fresh produce, artisanal foods, and local makers draw both regulars and weekenders from Balaton’s winter calm, with vendors and wineries linking up to move the party from square to cellar as the day goes on.
Stay Local, Stay Year-Round
Kovács Guesthouse in Hegymagas is open year-round and keeps returning guests loyal with an easy base for walks and tastings. It’s a practical choice if you’re planning to market-hop on Saturday mornings and pivot to sunset pours on St. George’s Hill (Szent György-hegy) in the afternoon. Rooms are straightforward, the welcome is warm, and the location means you’re never far from the next glass of Welschriesling (olaszrizling) or the trail up the hillside.
Cellars on Volcanic Stone
St. George’s Hill (Szent György-hegy) sits inside the Badacsony wine region, where basalt soils give wines a signature mineral edge. Several small estates here craft wines with a focus that ranges from crisp whites to increasingly serious reds.
– One tiny estate farms two plots of 2 hectares each with methodical care, underscoring small as a philosophy, not a limitation. The cellar emphasizes reds—a rarity in this area—offering a six-wine tasting flight built around the best cuvées. Tastings take around two hours and require booking in advance. It’s intimate, hands-on, and a bit of a secret for those chasing structured, volcanic reds.
– A family-run winery manages roughly 49 acres on the southern slopes and pairs its cellar life with agritourism. Bookable guesthouses dot the property, creating an immersive vineyard stay. Expect a range of whites and blends that lean into the region’s strengths—think racy acidity, generous stone fruit, and that volcanic spine—plus a growing curiosity for skin contact and barrel time depending on the vintage.
– Another micro-winery, likely the smallest on the hill, commits to handcrafted, delicate wines from the area’s characterful varieties. The pitch is simple: unique grapes, artisan methods, and a tasting setup designed to lodge in memory. It’s the kind of place where the winemaker talks you through the plot line vine by vine, then pours something new from a single barrel.
– Gilvesy’s project, founded by owner Róbert Gilvesy in 2012, champions the “volcanic wines” ethos with precision. The wine shop (Vinotéka) is open during posted hours and by appointment; the team also ships bottles. Tasting programs run by arrangement, with a cool, contemporary vibe that doesn’t blot out the hill’s rustic charm.
– Hegymagas also keeps it family-first with a cellar that grows Welschriesling (olaszrizling), Müller-Thurgau (rizlingszilváni), Zengo (zengő), Traminer (tramini), Rhine Riesling (rajnai rizling), Chardonnay (chardonnay), and Rózsakő (rózsakő). It’s a lineup that covers the classic aromatic set and regional favorites, ideal for tasters who want to compare varieties side by side and pin down what this hill actually tastes like across grapes and styles.
– Horváth Cellar (Horváth Pince) has welcomed wine lovers since 1996 on the southern side of St. George’s Hill (Szent György-hegy) and now farms about 44.5 acres. The winery mixes modern processing with long wood aging for selected bottles, rounding out some of the region’s most elegant, age-worthy whites, while giving texture and depth to blends that thrive in barrel.
– Nyári Cellar (Nyári Pince) sits 650 feet from Tarányi Cellar (Tarányi Pince) and Lengyel Chapel (Lengyel-kápolna), and wins hearts with outstanding views over Balaton. The winery offers both draft and bottled wines; tastings run by reservation. On a clear day, the panorama can steal the show—until the next pour arrives.
– The St. George’s Hill (Szent György-hegy) Estate Wine Shop (Vinotéka) keeps the lights on every day, all year. From spring to autumn, the revamped estate center hosts the Viridárium kitchen, a proper landing spot for gastro- and wine tourists who like their tastings with serious plates. Come winter, the bottle shop becomes the steady beacon between hikes and markets.
Festival to Watch: Szent György-hegy hajnalig
Circle June 6–7, 2026, for Szent György-hegy hajnalig—literally, “until dawn.” It’s the hill’s signature all-nighter, when cellars open late, music drifts between terraces, and the basalt backdrop turns into a stage. Tickets, routes, and cellar lineups typically drop closer to spring, and the event rewards early planning: accommodations around Hegymagas and the nearby Badacsony shore fill fast.
Practical Notes
– Location: Hegymagas (8265), multiple venues around the village.
– Market dates: December 13, 20, 27, 2025; January 3, 2026.
– Tastings: Most wineries require advance booking for guided tastings and cellar tours. Standard tastings can run around two hours for six wines, with some estates offering custom flights.
– Dining: The Viridárium kitchen operates spring through autumn at the estate center. Off-season, plan around wine shop (Vinotéka) hours and book tastings with bites where available.
– Flexibility: Organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs. Check event pages or call ahead, especially in winter when weather and staffing can shift schedules.
Hegymagas in winter is low-key magic: markets for stocking up, cellars that open like little theaters, and a hill that keeps pouring character. Come for a Saturday, stay for a weekend, and mark your calendar for dawn on the hill next summer.
