Lake Balaton: the back story

About Lake Balaton: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Budapest Editorial Team

Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe, and for landlocked Hungary it is the sea: a long, shallow lake of warm water, with beaches on the south shore and hills, vineyards and old towns on the north.

The Hungarian sea

Lake Balaton stretches for about 77 kilometres south-west of Budapest. Its south shore is lined with sandy, shallow beaches, perfect for families, while the north shore is hillier, with vineyards, old villages and spa towns.

Tihany

On the Tihany peninsula, a Benedictine abbey founded in 1055 looks down on the lake. Its founding charter contains some of the oldest written words in the Hungarian language.

For landlocked Hungary, Lake Balaton is the sea.

Keszthely and Hévíz

At the western end, the town of Keszthely is crowned by the baroque Festetics Palace and its library. Nearby, Hévíz has one of the largest thermal lakes in the world where you can swim, warm even in winter.

Wine

The north shore is volcanic wine country, with the vineyards of Badacsony on the slopes of a basalt hill above the lake.

Our advice: trains run from Budapest to towns on both shores in around two hours, and the drive takes about the same. Go in summer for swimming, or in spring and autumn for walks, wine and the thermal waters of Hévíz.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Lake Balaton: the back story before you go.