On the first Saturday in June at Szent György-hegy, you can tour wine cellars and secret gardens, enjoy live jazz, dance to DJ sets and explore vineyards for the whole night under starry skies.

Szent György-hegy has a one-of-a-kind atmosphere that makes people yearn to return. As well as its natural geological wonders such as the basalt organs, the essence of Szent György-hegy can be found in the people who live here, its movers and shakers. Szent György-hegy Until Dawn is an event all about them.

It takes place on the first Saturday of June, and runs all night. The focus is on fire, which means campfires as well as fiery wines, and even some fire jugglers. The official schedule kicks off at 4pm, but other events will be held earlier, like brunch on the hillside, and an exhibit on dragons.

According to organiser Dóra Budavári, there’s some kind of magic here that won’t let you go. There are tales of wine, of wanderers who found their home here, and of the vineyards that are essential to local everyday life – all in a picturesque setting.

24 destinations to explore

The organisers have already revealed some of the things you can do at this year’s event: the revered garden at Csaba Török’s 2HA wine estate will have the most unique red wines of the immediate vicinity, a Mediterranean mood, a new champagne, a DJ set and culinary delights; A bit further up on the hill, on the terrace of PAP Wines, you can sample vegetarian food while a DJ mixes music from Copenhagen’s clubs.

Boksay Cellar will be open, offering volcanic wines. Bencze Birtok’s MURCI, the country’s first natural wine bar, will have sulphur-free wines from all over the world. You can eat grilled trout while music will be provided by Vittoria Waxxmann+Jaffaz.

Bálint Földi of Sabar Winery has his own vineyards on Szent György-hegy, and will open the gates of his 200-year-old press house for the night to help visitors understand the secret of the Szent György-hegy appeal.

New places, new faces

Hoffmann Cellar, halfway up to the summit, is one of the new venues, where Gyula Szarka will provide the music. According to him, one of his best ever decisions was to purchase the press house on Szent György-hegy, an island of beauty, creation and tranquillity.

Ferenc Kövecses and his family arrived at Szent György-hegy from Szolnok – they welcome everyone with an abundance of local wines at 4K Guesthouse. The romantic little garden at Killer Cellar also opens this year, offering homemade cordials, delicious bites and fresh pancakes through the night.

Important things to know:

  • To enter participating venues, you have to purchase a tasting glass bearing the event’s logo for 2,000 forints.
  • You can also purchase blankets, lamps and a bag. These, along with the glasses, will be available at two main locations: one at Hóbor Cellar, at the foot of the mountain, and one at Tarányi Press House. The cellars will also have reserve glasses. You can only consume wine at participating venues from the event’s own glasses during this night.
  • Buses will leave Badacsonytomaj for Szent György-hegy and back every hour during the event.

Participants: