Gastronomic festivals all year round at Lake Balaton

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 02. 03. 10:01

The vice president of the Balaton Tourism Association, Tamás Fekete, emphasized in his press release that tens of thousands of people come to the Balaton area every year to participate in the spring, autumn and winter gastronomic festivals. Although these guests often do not appear in the accommodation booking statistics, their consumption significantly contributes to the fact that local service providers can stay open all year round. Winter pig slaughter festivals are becoming increasingly popular, and many settlements are getting involved in organizing the events.

Culinary experiences in hotels

Recognizing the demand for gastronomic tourism, hotels around Balaton are also organizing special programs. For example, the Hotel Laroba in Alsóörs offers its guests a “wellness pig slaughter”. Antal Bernadett, the hotel’s sales manager, said that the February program was held due to the success of the previous event in January, where they had to purchase additional pigs due to oversubscription.

According to Péter Éskovács, consultant of the Balaton Tourism Association, hotel services are no longer limited to one-night stays. Guests are now looking for unique experiences that make their stay memorable. That is why accommodation offers combined with culinary programs have become popular.

Top 3 traditional pig slaughter programs in the Balaton area

1. Pig Tour in Ábrahámhegy (February 1, 2025)

The traditional pig slaughter event of the Ábrahámhegyi Pig Tour will start at 7 am in the local Cultural Center. The programs include a sausage stuffing competition, folk dance performances, concerts and DJ performances. Guests can enjoy freshly baked pig slaughter dishes, such as liverwurst, sausages and stuffed cabbage.

2. Jellies and Pork Belly Festival in Balatonalmádi (February 8-9, 2025)

The Balatonalmádi Jellies and Pork Belly Festival will be held at Wesselényi Strand. During the festival, guests can not only taste jellies and pork belly dishes, but also get to know local wines, pálinkas and foreign drinks.

3. Badacsonytördemic Jellies Beauty Contest (February 15, 2025)

The Jellies Beauty Contest will be held in Badacsonytördemic for the eighteenth time this year. The jury will evaluate traditional, vegetarian and fish jellies not only for their taste, but also for their appearance and creativity. During the event, visitors can also taste special dishes.