Kisapáti at Szent György Hill

Kisapáti lies at the foot of Szent György Hill, a protected natural area of national significance. The village brings together mountain landscapes, religious buildings, winemaking traditions and a regional sweet specialty. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay in Kisapáti, you can choose what to focus on according to your trip: nature on the mountain, local history, or culinary and festive traditions.

Landscape and flora on Szent György Hill

Along with Badacsony, Szent György Hill is one of the most significant witness hills of the Balaton Uplands. Large basalt columns rise along its slopes. A circular trail passes the basalt organ pipes and leads to the 414-metre summit. From there, the panorama stretches from the Keszthely Mountains and the witness hills of the Balaton Uplands to Somló. The flora is also remarkable: the mountain is the only site in Hungary where the Tschelling fern grows; the rare scale fern and Lumnitzer's carnation are also found there.

Chapel and church: two historic landmarks

The Szent Kereszt Chapel stands above the current cemetery and was built in 1244. The restored chapel houses a late-medieval altar and fragments of medieval painted frescoes. It welcomes tourists and other interested visitors. Another landmark in the village's history is the Roman Catholic Szent Kereszt Church in Kisapáti, built in 1875 in honour of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Together, the chapel and church trace the area's religious architecture from a medieval foundation to a 19th-century church.

Winemaking traditions, festivals and regional cuisine

Kisapáti traditionally holds a wine harvest festival every year in the second week of September. A few years ago, the village also joined the Szent György Hill Wine Route. The Szent György Hill Days are another fixture on the region's event calendar, taking place every year in April. The programme includes a wine competition and concludes with a goulash-cooking competition among the communities of Szent György Hill. The events therefore take place in April and during the second week of September.

Another local specialty is Szent György Hill pancakes. This sweet dish is made with walnuts and meringue and is often served by local women at family celebrations and gatherings with friends. The wine harvest festival, wine route and pancakes offer different facets of the culinary theme: a recurring village event, a connection with a wine route, and a dish associated with shared occasions.

The Kaán Károly key house is open all year round to day-trippers and hikers.

More highlights in the wider destination of Northern Balaton

The wider destination of Northern Balaton also includes places with their own natural and cultural heritage. In Tapolca, visitors can take boat trips in the Tapolcai-tavasbarlang, and there is also a guided exhibition called “Csodálatos karszt” (“Wonderful Karst”). The cave is part of an underground cave system beneath the town, which has so far been explored over a length of 14.6 kilometres. Badacsony is also part of the wider destination of Northern Balaton: a volcanic mountain with hiking trails and panoramic views. Distinctive grapes grow on its slopes and are used to produce Badacsony wine.

Discover more destinations: Hegymagas, Nemesvita, Mindszentkálla, Szentbékkálla, Szigliget, Tapolca, Ábrahámhegy, Révfülöp

Back to the wider travel overview: Tapolcai.