Tapolca’s renewed Market and Hall is throwing its doors wide open with lively programs, local flavors, and a friendly community vibe. Market days run every Tuesday and Friday from 6:00–12:00, while the hall’s shops are open Monday to Friday 6:00–17:00, and Saturday 8:00–12:00. There’s also a dedicated local producers’ market every Saturday 7:00–13:00. Upcoming dates: 2025.12.26, 2025.12.30, 2026.01.02, 2026.01.06, all in Tapolca. Organizers reserve the right to change times and programs.
Where and when
– Shops and hall: Monday–Friday 6:00–17:00; Saturday 8:00–12:00
– Market days: Tuesday, Friday 6:00–12:00
– Local producers’ market: Saturday 7:00–13:00
Location: 8300 Tapolca, Market and Hall (Piac és Vásárcsarnok).
Stay by the mill pond or in a park
Right on the shore of the Mill Pond (Malom-tó), an old watermill-turned-hotel offers beds for 48 guests and hosts family and corporate events with ease. In the city center, the Hunguest Hotel Pelion sits in a leafy 10-acre park above the famous healing cave, reached via a covered corridor from the hotel. The karst cave beneath has a special microclimate that has soothed asthma, allergies, and other respiratory issues for decades; the quiet, half-light, and cave air are both healing and calming.
Guesthouses and apartments
A tastefully furnished apartment house at 15 Tavasz Street in the city’s western district has four apartments and five rooms. Mónika Guesthouse, close to the center in a peaceful spot, includes a three-room unit with a large living room, kitchenette, and two bathrooms, plus two double rooms and a separate apartment, comfortably housing 12+3 guests.
Step into history, lend a hand
An 18th-century listed manor with a granary, farm buildings, and a servants’ house sits in a large garden with a small pond. Both professionals and volunteers are restoring it. Helpers without specialist skills get accommodation and meals in exchange, working at an easy pace. It’s all about time well spent: Balaton, Bakony, wine. If you show up idle, you still get accommodation but chip in for meals. Tasks are announced as they arise; the granary is ready.
Bites, beers, and sweet memories
At Borostyán, childhood dreams taste like fluffy creams, birthday cakes, churned ice cream, and homemade strudel, all under shady trees. La Pergola Pizzeria in Tapolca fires up a wood oven for 60 kinds of specialty pizzas alongside Hungarian classics, international dishes, and standout Italian pastas. There’s a garden terrace and private rooms for group dining and events. The Hunguest Hotel Pelion’s Orchidea Restaurant, a wood-domed, 300-seat dining room, turns out weekly culinary specials from its seasoned head chef.
Local flavors and lakefront views
On the Balaton Uplands, Stari, the region’s first craft brewery, has nearly three decades of premium small-batch brewing under its belt. Expect crisp lagers, darks, wheat beers, red ales, trendy IPAs, plus 30% real-fruit beers: tart sour cherry, sweet strawberry, dusky plum, tangy blackcurrant, and an orange–grapefruit wheat. Since 2021, there’s Stari 0.0 for a full beer experience without alcohol. The Lakefront Restaurant (Tópart Étterem), right on Tapolca’s lakefront, serves quality dishes and drinks in a cozy, picturesque setting with a family feel.
Wine and animals, in one quiet place
A family organic estate in the Badacsony wine region keeps it artisanal and as natural as possible, building on more than 20 years of know-how. The new wine terrace pours with a panoramic view, and there’s a rare combo here: vineyards paired with animal husbandry. Guests can meet the livestock. It’s a complete, calm, noise-free experience for the whole family. Book ahead for estate tours and tastings.
