Lake Balaton has been one of the most popular holiday destinations in Central Europe for many years due to warm climate and reasonable prices. We invite you to take a look at our guide to Balaton, which will allow you to discover tourist attractions and visit places that you have never known before.
Hungarian Sea or Hungarian Tuscany – this is one of the many nicknames for Lake Balaton, which is located on the Pannonian Plain and only 80 km from the capital – Budapest.
The lake is of volcanic origin and is the largest in Central Europe. The coastline is over 200 kilometers, and the silt-covered bottom makes Balaton a muddy lake. It warms up quickly in the summer, because its average depth is just over 3 meters. However, its attractiveness is evidenced primarily by resorts and small towns scattered along the entire coastline, vineyards, aquaparks and spas with swimming pools and healing baths.
In the communist era it was the preferred holiday destination for wealthiest dignitaries and well-deserved party members from neighboring countries. Nowadays it attracts German-speaking elderly pensioners and families with small children as well as young adults looking for fun under reasonable prices. The place attracts with a mild climate, good accommodation and tourist infrastructure and the possibility of active leisure. Water sports of all kinds, SPAs, parks with slides, places for anglers, endless bicycle routes are just the beginning of the list of attractions that await at Lake Balaton.
What else can we find there?
Curious travelers will also find monuments and remnants of ancient culture. Even if the day happens to be cloudy, Balaton offers an endless variety of activities.
Let’s check out the details – Balaton for the whole family
If you are planning a family holiday with children, the best option will be the southern part of the lake, and this is due to an abundance of mainly grassy beaches. The lake is uniformly shallow there, reaching waist depth only a few meters from the shoreline. Local towns are rather calm, catering to sunbathing and rest-oriented tourists.
Children can enjoy playgrounds, inflatable castles and many other attractions prepared specifically for them. In this part of the you can also find a small nature reserve, some small museums in nearby towns, and several viewpoints. Much more attractions can be found in the northern part of Lake Balaton. However, the water here is deeper and it is better for children to master the art of swimming first. There is much to see in the area, because there are many places of cultural and historical importance to the Hungarians. Additionally, the proximity of nature and national parks allows close encounters with the wild life.
Let’s see where to spend your holidays around Balaton!
1. The Tihany Peninsula
Due to the local cultivation of lavender, this place is called the Hungarian Provence. The town of Tihany itself is extremely charming, with a Benedictine abbey founded in 1055 by Andreas I, who is now buried there in a crypt. You can visit the museum dedicated to the cultivation of lavender (Lavender Haz), as well as the geological history of the Tihany Peninsula. You can go for a walk, along the marked tourist trail, towards the volcanic lakes, where the first Hungarian National Park (Balaton-felvideki Nemzeti Park) is located.
In the village there are several shops selling lavender products and spices in the form of various varieties of peppers.
If you a planning a trip to Balaton you absolutely must see this video:
2.Vineyards and castle ruins
The region of the Tihany peninsula is famous for its good agricultural conditions. Numerous vineyards tempt with their own products. It is worth visiting at least one to taste the excellent wine. Interestingly, the flavors of wine from the northern and southern shores of Lake Balaton vary due to different soil conditions. The most-visited vineyard is Badacsony, located in the north and known mainly for its Risling wine. A few kilometers away from it is the village of Szigliget, where you can visit the Wine Museum. The town itself is also known for the ruins of a medieval castle, which were partially reconstructed. The castle itself is located on a hill, offering beautiful viewing conditions, a playground for children, a small souvenir shop and a restaurant.
While in Szigliget, it is worth seeing the Esterhazy Palace and its garden, the whole complex built by the famous magnate family from the 19th century. The town itself is also charmingly picturesque and has baroque houses in the very center.
Another well-known area for wine production is the Balatonfured-Csopak village located at Lake Balaton. Excellent conditions for growing wine grapes allow for the creation of light wines. The varieties grown there include Rheinische Riesling, Chardonnay and Olaszrizling.
3. Balatonfured – where everything started
It is here in Balatonfured that the tradition of healing baths was born in the 17th century. The resort grew with the increase of the arriving spa visitors. The first theater in the whole region was also opened in Balatonfured. You can visit the house / museum of the Hungarian poet Mór Jókai.
Another local atraction is also a marina and promenades where numerous pubs and restaurants are located. There is an aquapark, an aquarium and a lookout point. However, the most noteworthy attraction of Balatonfured is the Loczy Cave about 5 km from the port. Visiting the 120-meter corridor takes place under the guidance of a guide, in groups of 25 people. You can admire lime rosettes, dripstone formations and slate layers here.
4. Historic Veszprem
The town is located on the northern shore of Lake Balaton. It is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary. Its biggest attraction is undoubtedly the castle hill, where the Archbishop’s Palace is located along with the Chapel of Queen Gizella and the nearby Cathedral of St. Michael. However, the most popular place in Veszprem is the town zoo, a must-see especially for families with children.
5. Siofok – summer capital of Hungary
Siofok is a perfect place for lovers of parties and nightlife. In addition to the 17 kilometer long beach where you can engage in all kinds of water sports, there is also a tower serving as a vantage point and tourist information center, as well as two small museums (of minerals, and of operetta creator Kalman Imre) . It is where operetta performances, organ concerts and many other events and festivals are held in the summer. You can take a break from the hustle and bustle in nearby Torek, which is under protection (a nature reserve).
Another video depicting the beauty of Lake Balaton:
6. Keszthely – town of museums at Lake Balaton
Keszthely is the largest and oldest city in the region of Lake Balaton. You can visit there many museums on various topics – including the Balaton Museum, the marzipan museum, the doll museum, the museum of kitsch (Nosztalgia Muzeum), the Cadillac museum, or the Panoptikum erotic museum. However, the castle of the Festetics family with its park complex is the most impressive. Third largest palace in Hungary delights with baroque towers, library that has eight meters high bookshelves full of books and a mirror room, where concerts are organized in the summer. The garden itself was designed in the English style and is open to visitors free of charge. You need to however pay for visiting the interior of the palace itself, as well as the entrance to the tower and the palm house. In the southern part of the town of Keszthely you can see the remains of a Roman fortress from the 4th century, when the area was a part of the Roman Empire.
7. Bath in the largest thermal lake in Europe
The thermal lake is located in Heviz (a few kilometers from Lake Balaton) and is naturally warm. The prices are higher than in other places around Balaton, but nevertheless it is worth visiting for the bath in mineral-rich water. The lake is pretty deep (almost two meters right from the edge) so it is worth taking a mattress or a lifebuoy with you. Even an inflatable pink flamingo will do. Otherwise you would have to swim without any breaks. The water temperature can range from 24 degrees in winter and 36 degrees Celsius in summer. Special bath pavilions and footbridges are built on the lake to help enter the water. From the bottom of Lake Heviz peat and mud are also mined for medicinal purposes, e.g. as compresses, etc.
8. Underground lake by boat
In Tapolca – a town slightly further from Lake Balaton (15 km from the north-west coast) you can visit an underground lake by boat, which is an extraordinary attraction. A three-kilometer-long route is available for the visitors. With high calcium content in the rock walls and constant temperature, visiting the cave helps in respiratory diseases. The cave itself is located about 15-20 meters below the surface of the town. Water flows into it from two sources and has a constant depth (4 meters) and temperature (about 20 degrees). It takes about 20-30 minutes to cross the shared route, the whole of which is nicely illuminated, so you can admire the rock formations. You can also see in Tapolca the Mill Pond (Malom-tó) with charming buildings, the old town and the parish church from the 13th century.
If you want to learn more, visit the official website of Hungarian tourism where you will be provided complete information about Lake Balaton and the attractions related to it.
Lake Balaton and its map
Below you will find a detailed map of Lake Balaton, which will allow you to locate the most interesting places in our article and plan your holidays in this charming place with children and your whole family! Let us know what other interesting places did you visit and see at Lake Balaton!
Have a nice holiday vacation! Let us know about your impressions and opinions about Lake Balaton.