The weekly market in Hódmezővásárhely is gearing up for a festive run at 96 Szabadság Square (Szabadság tér 96.), drawing big crowds with its lively stalls and local flavor. Opening hours suit early birds and after-work shoppers: Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday from 6:00 to 12:00, and Thursday and Saturday from 13:00 to 18:00. The year-end calendar is stacked with multiple market dates: December 18–21 and 23, December 25–28, December 30, and January 1–4, all in Hódmezővásárhely.
Where to Stay: From Homely to Polished
Tucked into a quiet street, Hotel Fáma offers a friendly, family vibe within a 20-minute walk of the city center and the thermal bath. Rooms come with a minibar, TV, and private bathroom; there’s a pleasant restaurant with a terrace for dinners, secure gated parking, and pets are welcome.
If you’d rather wake up in an artist’s refuge, the Alkotóház—renovated in 2016—has five double rooms and a studio that’s hosted photographers, painters, and artisans. Each room is named for artists connected to the house. Set in a protected historic area near downtown, it includes five rooms, a lounge, a studio, and a well-equipped kitchen, plus a charming garden. Bedrooms are mostly furnished with period-style pieces, keeping the creative energy front and center.
On the refined end, Hotel Ginkgo**** leans into heritage and eco-conscious hospitality without fuss: a clean, contemporary four-star stay where staff aim to make every moment easy and comfortable. It’s the kind of place built with your comfort in mind, and it shows in the details.
Kenguru Panzió keeps things flexible with comfortable rooms, plus both pension and apartment-style options available 24/7 to suit different needs. Right next door, Kenguru Csárda serves hearty regional dishes that promise a little culinary adventure.
For an escape into nature, the Centaur Equestrian Guesthouse and Recreation Park (Kentaur Lovaspanzió és Pihenőpark) sits just outside town on the Szentes road between the 47–48 km markers, right off the main highway. It’s quiet, calm, and made for proper downtime. The guesthouse has eight en suite rooms and 23 beds in total, with Wi‑Fi, secure parking, a garden, TV in every room, a dining area, a conference room, breakfast, and main meals available.
If you’re just passing through or traveling on a budget, the Hódmezővásárhely Vocational Training Center dormitory sits in the very heart of the city, offering beds not only to students but to any visitor needing a central base.
Eat and Drink: Old-School Flavor, New Favorites
Bagolyvár Restaurant (Bagolyvár Étterem) channels the turn-of-the-century bourgeois home vibe with furnishings and decor to match. In warm weather, there’s a garden terrace paved like a wine cellar courtyard; when it’s cold, the restaurant interior is ideal for lingering lunches and dinners, with discreetly attentive service. The kitchen brings back long-forgotten flavors, and that’s the point.
A local family-run winery cultivates vineyards on the border of Csongrád and Bokros, growing Blaufränkisch (Kékfrankos), Zweigelt, Cabernet Franc, Kadarka, Kövidinka, and Pölöskei Muscat (Pölöskei muskotály). Grapes are processed in Hódmezővásárhely and wines are stored in a traditional cellar room inside a 150-year-old adobe house. There’s a tasting room that welcomes groups for corporate or family events; tastings typically run Friday and Saturday evenings and host up to 20 guests. New this season: a show cellar on University Street (Egyetem utca) in Szeged, where they pour for groups of 30–40.
Bandula Inn (Bandula Kisvendéglő) is a cozy, small-town-style spot with quick, friendly service and a notable wine list. The specialties are unapologetically generous: köcsögleves, a massive Viennese cutlet marinated in garlic oil, grandma’s classic breaded chicken thigh fillet, and a crisp Kishomok salad.
Elsewhere in town, an elegantly designed bistro with classic vibes opens onto a terrace that seats up to 80—perfect for lazy afternoons. Expect country-style comfort food, daily menus, and flexibility: dine in, takeaway, or home delivery, with special orders happily accommodated. If variety is your thing, another local kitchen emphasizes range and seasonality, with a cozy outdoor area for warm days.
Sólyom Bistro (Sólyom Bisztró) sits inside the college restaurant on Petőfi Street (Petőfi utca), serving daily changing menus and bistro specials with homestyle flavors. It’s casual, reliable, and very Hódmezővásárhely.
Wine Country, City Style
Hódmezővásárhely belongs to the Csongrád wine region, and quality wine has been part of life in the Sóshalom area for centuries. Vásárhelyi Róna Ltd. (Vásárhelyi Róna Kft.) coordinates nearly 250 acres of vineyards in Sóshalom, growing chasselas, kövidinka, olaszrizling, grüner veltliner, blaufränkisch, and cabernet franc. The processing plant and cellar were built at the end of the 1960s and have been expanded and modernized repeatedly. There’s an on-site wine shop where visitors can taste and buy, and groups can book in advance for tastings with optional one-pot meals.
A Grand Stage for Celebrations
Where a 19th-century inn once stood, a beautifully restored building now houses an Event House and Café (Rendezvényház és Kávéház). Elegant balls, concerts, and events still light up the upstairs. The ballroom, open during café hours, is Central Europe’s second-largest column-free hall and can host 400 guests. From engagements and weddings to class reunions, balls, conferences, and business meetings, the venue provides the setting and support to make it work.
Organizers reserve the right to change dates and programs.
