Vingardium Borliget
Join laughing locals at this laid-back wine festival set amid the tree-shaded Erzsébetliget parkland in outer Pest, beginning today and lasting through the first Saturday of September. Vingardium Borliget welcomes everyone with no entry fee and dozens of wooden booths offering a wide array of Hungarian wines, along with a gastro corner for feasting on street-food favourites such as burgers and lángos fried-dough snacks. This family-friendly jamboree features plenty of activities for kids, as well as an area for all ages to try slackline-walking or rocking on a big wooden seesaw. Cool concerts fill two stages – on Friday evening the music-mixers of Random Trip get grooving, while Budapest Bár play 21st-century versions of classic Magyar melodies on Saturday.
When: August 31-September 1
Where: District XVI, Erzsébetliget, Hunyadvár utca 43C. A vintage bus shuttles festivalgoers from Örs vezér tere, at the Pest terminus of the M2 metro line.
Admission: There is no charge to enter the festival grounds, but for guests to taste wines and participate in certain attractions, a wristband must be purchased for 1,600 forints.
More details (in Hungarian)
Budafok Champagne and Wine Festival
On the riverfront of south Buda, the small community of Budafok is ordinarily a sleepy suburb – but during the annual Budafok Champagne and Wine Festival, this is the scene of a boisterous weekend-long street party where revellers enjoy countless glassfuls of local libations. As Budafok is home to Törley – Hungary’s leading producer of sparkling wine – there is plenty of bubbly to tip back while touring this manufacturer’s labyrinthine cellars, and the company’s distribution yard is transformed into a buzzing venue for sipping and listening to live music. An entire terrace is dedicated to fans of fröccs – Hungary’s unique spritzer-style drinks created with different proportions of wine and soda water to suit every imbiber’s desired level of inebriation.
When: September 1-2
Where: District XXII, central Budafok. Take bus 33 from Móricz Zsigmond körtér and disembark at the Leányka utcai lakótelep stop to reach the main festival zone.
Admission: There is no charge to enter the festival area. Independent vendors sell wine, food and merchandise on an individual basis.
More details (in Hungarian)
Etyeki Piknik
Experience life amid rustic Hungarian wine country found just a short journey from downtown Budapest by visiting Etyek, a village located a few kilometres southwest of city limits. Vineyards cover the rolling hills of this treasured terroir where locals have produced fine wines for generations, so the community’s seasonal picnic events are always a spirited occasion – almost everyone in town takes part in the festivities. Small-scale winemakers welcome the public into their private cellars and pour from their best bottles, while neighbours serve homemade delicacies in their front yards. Wherever you wander around the Etyeki Piknik, open-air attractions like live music performances, sports matches and kids’ craft-making activities await.
When: September 1-2
Where: Etyek. Take Volánbusz bus 760 or 763 from Buda’s Kelenföld transport hub (accessible by M4 metro) and disembark at the Etyek stop to reach the village centre.
Admission: There is no charge to enter the village festivities. Independent vendors sell wine, food and merchandise on an individual basis.
More details
Budapest Wine Festival
Hungary’s grandest wine gala takes place in Budapest’s most majestic location: on the cobblestoned terraces surrounding the Castle District’s Royal Palace, providing thousands of vino aficionados with heady views over the entire city. The nation’s top winemakers join esteemed international estates to offer all types of good libations at scores of booths, where visitors try local specialities ranging from bold red Egri Bikavér to sweet golden Tokaji Aszú – and often the vintners personally fill guests’ glasses while happily sharing details about their liquid lifework. Highlights of the four-day Budapest Wine Festival include the day-long Harvest Parade on Saturday featuring folk music and dancers, and an impressive daily schedule of concerts on multiple stages.
When: September 6-9
Where: District I, Szent György tér 2. Take the Buda Castle Hill Funicular from Clark Ádám tér directly to the festival entrance, or take bus 16 from downtown Deák Ferenc tér and disembark at the Dísz tér stop in the Castle District, and walk about five minutes towards the Royal Palace to reach the festival entrance.
Admission: Adult daily passes cost 3,400 forints at the entrance or 6,200 forints for a four-day pass. Both types include a tasting glass and entry to the permanent exhibitions of the Budapest History Museum. All transactions within the festival are conducted with a Festipay Card system.
More details
September wine tastings and dinners
In addition to the diverse wine festivals happening around Budapest in September, several esteemed eateries and unique venues are celebrating harvest season with delicious wine dinners citywide, while some special wine-tasting events will welcome the public to try a range of top-notch tipples. Here are a few of the most eagerly anticipated occasions among local connoisseurs.
- DropShop Portfolio Tasting: One of the city’s hippest wine bars welcomes everyone to try sips from their entire range of over 200 types of Hungarian and international libations, served alongside savory snacks. September 5th, 5pm at DropShop (District V, Balassi Bálint utca 27). More details
- In Vino Lidia Wine Evening: Before views of Vajdahunyad Castle, Városliget Café hosts a unique feast where guests compare Hungarian wines with similar libations from around the world. September 7th, 6:30pm at Városliget Café (District XIV, Olof Palme sétány 5). More details
- Wine Evening at Stefánia Palace: Step inside a sumptuously designed neo-Baroque mansion in Budapest’s Zugló district to sample tipples from the Fülöp winery in Hungary’s historic town of Nyergesújfalu. September 14th, 6pm at the Stefánia Palota (District XIV, Stefánia út 34-36). More details
- Eszterházy Wine Dinner: Join accomplished Magyar vintner Ádám Hegyi to savour a variety of vino from Hungary’s renowned Eger region paired with regional delights such as paprika catfish and deer ragout with forest mushrooms. Sept. 14th, 6:30pm at 8Trend Fine Bistro & Wine Bar (District VIII, Krúdy Gyula utca 6). More details
- Garamvári-Lenkey Wine Duet Dinner: Try delightful glassfuls from two esteemed Hungarian estates – Garamvári and Lenkey – while devouring a six-course meal created by distinguished Hungarian chef Áron Barka. September 20th, 7pm at ARAZ Restaurant (District VII, Dohány utca 42-44). More details
