Szekszárd’s cultural heart is beating loudly in 2026. The Babits Mihály Cultural Center and its partner venues at 7100 Szekszárd, Szent István Square (Szent István tér) 10 are rolling out a packed calendar of temporary exhibitions from sculptors, painters, and photographers, promising smart, slow-burn inspiration for anyone craving quality time with art in this wine-country city.
Where and when
From Saturday, 2026.02.07 to Saturday, 2026.05.09, the center anchors the season with multiple shows, then keeps the momentum going into early summer. The address is the same for all core programs: 7100 Szekszárd, Szent István Square (Szent István tér) 10.
Folk art front and center
The 18th National Folk Art Exhibition, South Transdanubian Showcase (XVIII. Országos Népművészeti Kiállítás Dél-dunántúli bemutatója) runs 2026.04.25–2026.05.17 in Szekszárd. Expect traditional craft at its finest, regional makers, and the kind of meticulous, hand-led design that never ages. It’s an annual pulse-check on living folk artistry from the southern reaches of Transdanubia—textiles, wood, ceramics, and objects that balance function with ornament and memory.
Sixty years of Bartina
The Bartina Folk Dance Association 60th Anniversary Exhibition (A Bartina Néptánc Közhasznú Egyesület 60 éves jubileumi kiállítása) runs 2026.04.15–2026.04.28. It celebrates six decades of costumes, choreography, community, and stagecraft from a beloved local ensemble. Think archival photos, garments, instruments, show posters, and decades of energy distilled into rooms of movement you can see, hear, and almost step into.
Color and character
My Colored Inks… – Visual Art Exhibition by Gyöngyi Nemessányi (Színes tintáim… – Nemessányi Gyöngyi képzőművészeti kiállítása) runs 2026.05.05–2026.05.31 in Szekszárd. There’s drawing, painting, and mixed media that revel in pigment and line, leaning into poetic moods as much as precise draftsmanship. If you’re into chromatic storytelling and artworks that read like letters never sent, this is a late-spring essential.
International energy
Unitas Libertas – Caffart International Art Residency Exhibition (Unitas Libertas – A Caffart Nemzetközi Művésztelep kiállítása) anchors the early season from 2026.02.07–2026.05.09. The residency’s group show ties together artists across borders and disciplines, folding sculpture, painting, and photography into a single, coherent current. It’s about shared studios, shared air, and a freedom-in-unity ethos that gives the title its bite.
Young hands, big ideas
Kovács Ferenc 55th Tolna County Children’s Drawing Contest and Exhibition (Kovács Ferenc 55. Tolna Vármegyei Gyermekrajz pályázat és kiállítás) arrives 2026.05.21–2026.06.19. It’s youthful imagination writ large—crayon, pencil, marker, watercolor—tests of perspective and fearless color from kids who treat white space like an adventure. Come for the originality; leave with optimism.
Stay inside the wine story
Hotel Merops**** sits downtown, just a short walk from the center and next to Mészáros Wine House. It’s a calm, design-forward wine hotel with tailored services and a staff that knows both hospitality and terroir. The vibe is small-town serenity layered with the Szekszárd wine region’s warmth—and that translates to restful rooms, curated programs, and an address that keeps you near the galleries and tastings.
Sió Motel holds the northern gate of Szekszárd by Route 6 on 2.5 hectares, right between the Szekszárd and Tolna wine regions, close to the Gemenc Forest and Sárköz. It’s practical, accessible, and a good launch point for day trips if you want quiet nights and a morning in the vines.
Hotel Zodiaco*** is the area’s only three-star hotel, mixing modern lines and a smooth, satisfaction-first philosophy—year-on-year upgrades for business stays or unhurried weekends. If your plan involves tight schedules plus a late gallery run, this address keeps the logistics easy.
Where the glass meets the plate
Attila Estate (Attila Birtok) in the Baranya Valley farms 14 hectares and works with Blaufränkisch (Kékfrankos), Kadarka, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zweigelt. Expect tastings that trace soil and slope into the glass.
Bodri Winery (Bodri Pincészet) is a 100-hectare estate and full-on visitor hub south of Szekszárd, tucked in a picturesque valley. There’s a 19,375-square-foot grand cellar crowned with 12 domes, a 3,229-square-foot aging cellar open on tours, and a 15,069-square-foot rosé facility tuned for quality at scale. Guests can bed down—61 people at once—in carefully styled rooms, then sink into a thermal-water underground domed Roman bath, jacuzzi, and sauna. Optimus Restaurant (Optimus Étterem) serves modernized Hungarian classics built for Bodri pairings, and the show kitchen adds theater to the flame.
Borfaragó Cellar (Borfaragó Pince), in the heart of the “upper town” (“fősőváros”), lives in a onetime joiner and woodcarver’s workshop. It’s intimate, a touch hidden, and perfect for tastings that blend artisan wine with folk woodcarving—ideal for birthdays, friendly dinners, or low-key company gatherings that still feel special.
Várdomb is home base for another cellar focused on Blaufränkisch (Kékfrankos) as the lead in both single-varietal bottlings and blends, with dedicated attention to Riesling, Cserszegi Fűszeres, Kadarka, Portugaizer (Kékoportó), Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah. The hand-crafted mindset extends across the portfolio.
A natural-leaning, small-scale producer in the Porkoláb Valley works only with estate-grown fruit and avoids industrial yeasts, malolactic starters, enzymes, fining agents, colorants, flavor/aroma/acidity adjusters, filtration, sterilization, oxygen dosing, and heat treatments. Every wine is bottled; every bottle speaks vineyard-first logic.
Elsewhere on the hill, a cellar balances local character with international grapes: Blaufränkisch (Kékfrankos) and Kadarka at the core, rounded by Merlot, Cabernet, and Pinot Noir. There’s a playful streak—new blends, rosés from nearly every red variety, and international competition cred to back it up. The invitation is simple: switch off, sit back on the vine-striped slope, and drink what the landscape offers.
Eszterbauer is a family winery with Swabian and Serbian roots, welcoming guests for tastings in a showcase wine house and a see-through cellar. Think 8–50 people, from snack boards to multi-course dinners, all framed by award-winning bottles you can also order via their web shop.
Another family operation farms 6.6 hectares across four Szekszárd sites, leaning into Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Blaufränkisch (Kékfrankos). It’s focused, site-sensitive, and tuned to the region’s signature reds.
Make a weekend of it: walk the galleries by day, pair your evenings with Blaufränkisch (Kékfrankos) and lights across Szent István Square (Szent István tér), and let Szekszárd’s 2026 art season turn slow time into a habit.
