Szekszárd lines up a season of bite-sized culture and art history in 2026, pairing sharp lectures with the city’s wine-soaked charm. Kultúrkortyok (Culture Sips), a popular series of public talks, returns to the Mihály Babits Cultural Center (Babits Mihály Kulturális Központ), while the Art History Free University takes over the House of Arts (Művészetek Háza). Dates are set, topics are provocative, and the organizers reserve the right to tweak times and programs if needed. The mood? Curious minds, deep dives, and a glass or two afterward across this famed wine region.
Culture Shots: Dates and Themes
Kickoff is January 13, 2026 with Kultúrkortyok Free University – The Disaster on the Don (A doni katasztrófa) in Szekszárd, revisiting the tragic Don River campaign and its haunting legacy. The next night, January 14, brings “Bare Eternity…” – The Roman School (Pőre örökkévalóság… – A római iskola), spotlighting the “Roman School,” a movement of Hungarian artists who gravitated toward Rome’s classicism and spiritual rigor.
On January 28, “At the Csárda, a Dwarf Poplar Grove…” – The Alföld Painters (A csárdánál törpe nyárfaerdő… – Az alföldiek) focuses on the painters of the Great Hungarian Plain and their raw, light-washed visions. February 11 turns to “In the Cross-Sections of Time…” – Szentendre (Az idő metszeteiben… – Szentendre), a tour through Szentendre’s layered time, its Serbian roots, baroque streets, and modernist art circles. February 25 serves “Clustered, Chained, Dancing, Dashing…” – The European School (Fürtös, láncos, táncos, nyalka… – Az Európai Iskola), tracking the postwar European School, its abstraction, existential energy, and the brief, blazing freedom it chased. March 11 closes with “Below: the Howl of Nightmares…” – Naïve Artists, Amateurs, Altered States… (Lent: a rémeknek harsogása… – Naivok, amatőrök, módosult tudatállapotok…), a vivid plunge into naïve art, outsider visions, and altered states that jolt the canon.
Stay in Style: Hotels in the Wine Capital
Hotel Merops**** is a wine hotel in downtown Szekszárd, next to the Mészáros Wine House and a short stroll from the city center. Calm small-town vibes meet vineyard rhythms: eight rooms and two apartments, distinctive interiors, a trained team, and tailored services. The Main Street Bistro in the Nádasdi House charms locals and visitors with a wide menu, while the cellar hosts tastings and atmospheric Szekszárd-style events, from birthdays and friendly dinners to company gatherings.
On the northern gateway by Route 6, Sió Motel spreads out over 2.5 hectares between the Szekszárd and Tolna wine regions, near the Gemenc Forest and Sárköz. Hotel Zodiaco***, the area’s only three-star hotel, banks on guest satisfaction with yearly innovations to keep business stays and weekend breaks smooth and modern.
Vineyards, Cellars, and Bold Pairings
Attila Birtok sits in Szekszárd’s Baranya Valley with 34.6 acres of vines. In the cellar: Kékfrankos, Kadarka, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Zweigelt. At Bodri, the kitchen leans into harmony, crafting dishes around Bodri wines under chef Norbert Makk. The focus is Hungarian cuisine—colorful, modernized, but proudly Hungarian at heart.
Bodri Winery (Bodri Pincészet) is a 247-acre estate and tourism center on Szekszárd’s southern edge: winery, events center, restaurant, show kitchen, and guesthouses. The main 19,375-square-foot cellar ripples under twelve domes; a 3,229-square-foot aging cellar opens on tours. The 15,069-square-foot rosé facility turns out larger runs at high quality. Up to 61 guests can stay across refined rooms. Comfort perks include a thermal-water underground domed Roman bath, Jacuzzi, and sauna. At the Optimus Restaurant, Hungarian classics get a gentle update.
Hands-On Wine Culture
Borfaragó Cellar (Borfaragó Pince) sits in the heart of the “upper town,” inside a former carpenter and woodcarver’s workshop, offering tastings, artisanal wines, and folk woodcarving masterpieces. It’s discreet yet easy to reach—ideal for friends or colleagues who want a tucked-away spot without hassle.
The Várdomb estate center puts Kékfrankos in the lead for its versatility, quality, and reliability, used solo and as a backbone for blends. Other carefully tended grapes include Rhine Riesling (Rajnai rizling), Cserszegi Fűszeres, Kadarka, Kékoportó (Blauer Portugieser), Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah.
Natural Methods, Experimental Blends
A local artisanal winery works mainly in the Porkoláb Valley, processing only estate-grown fruit. Their wines skip commercial yeasts, malolactic starters, enzymes, fining agents, colorants, and flavor, aroma, or acid-adjusting additives. No filtering, no sterilizing, no oxygen dosing, no heat treatment—and every wine is bottled.
Another Szekszárd cellar revels in experimentation, testing new blends and crafting rosés from nearly every red variety at hand—award-winners abroad. Reds remain a point of pride, leaning on local staples like Kékfrankos and Kadarka, complemented by global grapes: Merlot, Cabernet, Pinot Noir. For a reset, head to the vineyards, lean back, and let the wines do the talking.
Family Traditions, Modern Taste
The Eszterbauer family, with Swabian and Serbian roots, runs a tradition-rich family winery. Their showcase wine house and show cellar host tastings led by family members. Groups from 8 to 50 can book tastings with bites or multi-course dinners. Their webshop is stocked with prizewinning bottles.
One family estate farms 16.3 acres across four parts of the Szekszárd region, focused on Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Kékfrankos. And yes, dates and programs may be updated—so keep an eye out, then raise a glass when the lights go down and the slides come up in Szekszárd.
