Szigliget, the North Balaton village with instant holiday vibes, lines up a full slate of culture year-round. The castle is the heart of it: summer concerts and theater thrill locals and vacationers, while guided tours turn the fortress itself into a headline act. Beyond the walls, the hills and lakefront serve up hikes and rambles inside and outside the village borders. Winter stays busy too, with family theater, an ice rink by the castle courtyard, playful folk tales, and a bracing New Year’s dip in Lake Balaton.
December Highlights
On December 24, the village plants a Christmas tree in Lake Balaton. Yes, in the water. It’s a beloved Szigliget tradition that sets a festive tone right by the shoreline.
December 28 brings interactive folk theater for kids twice in one day. First up: The Salt, a reimagined Hungarian folk tale about temper and second chances, told through games designed for preschoolers and early elementary kids. Performed by Bernadett Nyáry and Sándor Tűzkő, it turns big feelings into wise choices with plenty of audience play. Later that day comes The Round Stone, where a poor fisherman brings home a large, round stone instead of fish to his hungry family—and somehow everything still turns out right, even with a greedy brother in the picture. Expect Hungarian folk songs, wooden spoon puppets, rhythm games, dancing, and giggles for the same young age group, also with Nyáry and Tűzkő on stage.
Winter Break Theater
From December 28 to January 4, Interactive Folk Tales takes over the Szigliget Castle Courtyard (Várudvar), inside the Castle Restaurant’s (Várvendéglő) grand hall, literally next to the ice rink. Sanyi, Én és a Gyerekek Produkció brings familiar Hungarian folk stories to life with puppets, dancing, and heaps of mischief—tailor-made for school holidays.
On December 29 and again on December 31, The Hedgehog scampers in: a laugh-heavy folk-tale adventure with giant baker’s peels, pancake pans, sack puppets, and brave kid volunteers. A shopkeeper, a king, and a poor man get lost in the forest, and someone leads them out—just not for free. It’s interactive play best for ages 3–9, performed by Nyáry and Tűzkő.
Ringing In the New Year
New Year’s Eve reprises The Salt for more family fun on December 30–31, again with Nyáry and Tűzkő guiding the crowd through games and gentle moral turns.
On January 1, the New Year’s Splash hits the lake. Bold souls run, jump, or stride into Balaton’s icy water, a jolt of fresh-start energy to kick off 2026 in classic Szigliget fashion.
January Encore
January 1–3 brings The Round Stone back for more songs, spoon puppets, rhythm play, dancing, and laughter for little ones, with Nyáry and Tűzkő returning. January 3–4, The Hedgehog closes its winter run. And on January 4, The Salt bows once more, wrapping the holiday series with inclusive, game-filled storytelling.
Skate Beside the Castle
From December 12 to January 11, the Szigliget ice rink is open, setting a postcard scene beside the Castle Courtyard (Várudvar). Linger for a show, lace up for a glide, and let the lake-and-castle backdrop do the rest.
