Balaton

Between Balatonakarattya and Keszthely, the two end poles of the elongated lake's Northern shore, there are approximately 25 lakeside resorts surrounded by hills. The innumerable sights in villages and towns away from the lake offer memorable outings for a cloudy day.

As you can expect, many settlements along the shores of Lake Balaton have a name that starts with Balaton, then something is added to it. Balatonalmádi has the longest beach on the northern shore. Its Chapel of the Holy Right Hand is ornate with gold mosaic from Venice. On the 4-mile path called "Red Sandstone", signposts indicate the interesting sights of the Balaton Highlands National Park.

Not far from Balatonalmadi is the equally beautiful tourist Paradise of Balatonfured, with a huge Marina for sailboats, sandy beaches, comfortable hotels and freshly baked crisp rolls and crescents for breakfast (I tried it!) Balatonfured has been important to social life from the 18th century, even before bathing and swimming took off as a mass pastime a hundred years later(and still going strong today). This is the place where the first Balaton steamship started its trips. The first Yachtsmen's Association began here. Here were built the villas of 19th-century Hungarian celebrities, suchs as the villa (now a memorial museum) of the great romantic novelist and poet, Mór Jókai. The town is still the center of festivities. The annual Anna Ball, with the coronation of the Queen of the Ball for girls turned 18, has been organized in the town theater for 170 years, on the last Saturday of July. Start-of-sailing parties are held each May in the Rose Garden.

On this picture you can see the view from the top lookout point on the Tihany peninsula, in the city of Tihany with its Abbey. The peninsula, inhabited almost a thousand years, is of volcanic origin, and has a profusion of rare plants and animals. The crypt of King András I (Andras = Andrew in Hungarian) founded in 1055, survived the turbulent past and still stands in its original form. it harbors the grave of the King and a museum in the basement. The present church was built over the crypt in the 18th century in Baroque style and has many precious wood carvings. In the Museum of the Benedictine Abbey, you can find an exhibition about ancient times. There are frequent organ concerts in the abbey church in summertime. On a nice sunny day, tired after the walking and exploring the area, you may enjoy the wide variety of cool refreshments (including ice-cream, pastry, Irish Coffee, etc.) offered in the cafe house right behind the Abbey, with its huge stone built terrace overlooking the lake. Sipping on your drink under the protective umbrella, you may feel like a bird, ready to fly over the cool blue waves and leave behind your worries.

A boat excursion could be next on your plan, either to Siofok on the other coast - or other destinations. A ferry from one of the prettiest ports on Lake Balaton takes you from Tihany for Szántód (the shorter name of Balatonszantod), one mile from here, on the southern shore. You may choose from small sight seeing boats (called a water-bus here) to large cruise ships and disco boats that stay out for hours at night, depending on your needs. If sailing is what you like, there are plenty of opportunities to rent a sail boat, almost everywhere.

If you are interested in Ornithology or birds in general, from the natural lookouts of the Tihany peninsula the "Kiserdõ top" and the "Golden House", the most beautiful among more than a hundred geyser cones offers an unforgettable panorama over the the Inner Lake, so loved by anglers, and the Outer Lake where tens of thousands of birds nest. The Open-air Ethnographic Museum, the rural houses of the old village and the Potter's House offer a glance into the history and the life of local fishermen.

The so-called Kál Basin region is famous for the medieval ruins of palaces and churches, as well as peculiar geological formations. Extinguished volcanoes surround the villages there. The mineral water source on the outskirts of Kékkút produces the famous bottled water, Theodora, and it was known to the Romans who once settled in this country naming it Pannonia. The clusters of basalt columns and small crater lakes, like Lake Kornyi of Mount Hegyestû [pronounced hedieshtoo], the basalt columns of the Fekete-hegy [Black Mountain], and the wind-eroded stones of bizarre shapes that are world-wide rarities and stand at Szentbékkálla [pronunced: Saint-beak-calla], Kõvágóörs [pronounced: Koe-voahgo-ursh] and Salföld, {pronounced: Shawl-foeld] are really special. This basin is a very popular place for folklore tourism because of its old peasant houses, and the quiet life of the countryside.

Keszthely [pronounced: Quest-hey] is the largest and oldest settlement as well as the capitol of Somogy [pronounced: Show-modi] county at Lake Balaton. The beautiful Festetics [pronounced: Fesh-te-tich] Mansion, built by the aristocratic family of Count Festetics, with 101 rooms surrounded by an English park, is the third largest chateau in the country.

The Helikon Library contains 86 thousand books. In its Museum, decorative arms and the trophy collection of the Austrian Duke of Windischgrätz are exhibited. Weekly concerts are organized in the music hall of mirrors.

The Georgikon Agriculture Museum and the Balaton Museum display the flora and fauna of the Balaton Region. Remnants of the castrum (fortress) of the 2-4th century Roman town of Valcum can be seen at Fenékpuszta [pronounced: Phe-nake-poohsta].

Velvety sands cover the 70-kilometre beach on the southern shore from Balatonaliga through Balatonszentgyörgy. The beach is an uninterrupted line of large and small resorts teeming with bustling life, a paradise for worshippers of sun and water, particularly families with small children.

Siófok

Siófok is the largest town on the southern side of Lake Balaton. Its port serves every boat route on the lake. Cruise boats also start from here. The hotels of the Golden and Silver Beaches are very much in demand. The pleasant parks are ornamented with statues. The Lutheran church has a remarkable style. The composer of the internationally renowned operettas, Imre Kálmán (1882-1953), is the famous son of this city. His piano and many personal belongings can be seen in his museum. The Water Management Museum covers the history of shipping and fishery on Lake Balaton, while a huge collection of minerals is exhibited in the Museum of Minerals.

Balatonföldvár, Köröshegy

We find a row of villas mellowed with age in the popular resort of Balatonföldvár [pronounced: Balaton-foeld-war where fold is spoil or earthen, and var is burg or castle], founded in 1872. The lookout tower offers a 360 degree panorama. Organ concerts are held at Köröshegy [pronounced: Koe-rosh-hedi], in the 15th-century Church.

Balatonboglár

Balatonboglár is the finish line for the popular Balaton-crossing swimming competitions which start at Révfülöp, on the opposite side (end of July). The local history collection at the Fischl House, the exhibitions at Kápolna Hill and the round panorama view on Fortress Hill are worth visiting.

Fonyód

The best view of the Balaton highland can be seen from the Berzsenyi Lookout at Fonyód. Here is the longest pier on Lake Balaton. The hundred-year old Cellar Restaurant, famous for its 22-meter long cellar, is near the medieval palisade fortress.

When you visit Lake Balaton, it makes sense not to limit your visit to the towns directly on the shore. After all, the region beyond the lake has plenty of natural beauty, history, and culture to explore.

Nagyvázsony

A wonderful panorama can be seen from the tower of the castle of Kinizsi Pál (15th century), at Nagyvázsony [pronounced: Nadi-waah-jean]. The history and archaeological finds are shown in the Fortress Museum. The ruins of the Pauline church and monastery, and the interior of St. Stephen's church are reminiscent of the 15th century. The Zichy [pronounced zee-tchy] Palace is a hotel today with a functioning riding school. The garden, a protected area, is the venue for the current Nagyvázsony Horsemen Festivals. Exhibitions invite the visitor at the Post Office Museum and at the thatched Schumacher House.

Tapolca

The area of Tapolca has a splendid landscape: basalt hills covered with vineyards encircle the small town. You can have a great experience paddling a boat on a lake within the 2.3 mile-long Tavas Cave [pronounced: Ta-wash]. The 200-year-old watermill on the shore of the picturesque Malom [Mill] Lake is now a hotel. One of the oldest elementary school buildings in Central Europe contains the town's library and museum.

Hévíz ['Hot Water'] is extremely fortunate to have its Thermal Bath which has been attracting visitors for more than two centuries. The Lake is covered with water-lilies and extends over an area of approximately 30 square-miles, with a depth of 118 feet at the center. It is the second largest hot-water lake in