Lake Balaton is not only the largest lake in Europe, but also the most popular travel destination in Hungary. If you feel like hiking for half or all day, there are countless cities around the lake worth visiting. From our hotel in Siófok, mainly the southern shore of Lake Balaton and the eastern basin, which can be reached in a shorter journey. During a longer vacation, however, it is worth visiting the rest of Lake Balaton, as all its points are full of excitement. Last but not least, unparalleled panoramas await you around the Hungarian Sea, from wherever we admire the view of the lake.
You can even go on a trip directly by boat, but you can also visit Tihany by car after a composition. Its best-known attraction is the Benedictine Abbey, from where the view is breathtaking, but it is also worth visiting the Inner Lake, the Ancient Lavender on the side of the Peak Hill.
Like Tihany, you can easily visit Balatonfüred with a composition, either by boat or by car, but it is also worth traveling here on the eastern shores of Lake Balaton. The most popular part is the nearly one-kilometer-long Tagore promenade and its surroundings.
Akarattyai Magaspart, also known as Kisfaludy promenade, is one of the most beautiful and natural lookout points in the eastern basin of Lake Balaton. In the immediate vicinity of the main road 71, from Akarattyai High Beach, you can enjoy a stunning view of the 1 km walk, where you can see the Kenese coast, Fűzfői Bay, Almádi, Káptalanfüred, Aliga, Valos High Coast and Siófok hotels from a height of 50-60 meters.
Kőröshegy Lavender Farm was founded in 2012 on the southern shore of Lake Balaton, in Kőröshegy. I would like to share the flowers of their lavender bushes and the wonderful panorama of Lake Balaton with everyone on the farm! We look forward to welcoming all lavender lovers, flower lovers, explorers, holidaymakers, hikers, and those who would decorate their homes with their own hand-harvested lavender from Lake Balaton! The estate can be visited during the tulip and daffodil blooms in spring and during the lavender blooms in summer!
Balatonföldvár is one of the treasure boxes of the southern shore. In its port, it is definitely worth taking a walk and visiting the Pigeon Island here. The 1,200-meter Kvassay promenade starts and runs along the shore of Lake Balaton from the building of the boat station, which Balatonföldvár can rightly be proud of, as it is almost unique among the settlements on Lake Balaton. We can also visit here on the hotter days of summer, as we can walk along the shores of Lake Balaton under huge sycamore trees, which is not a daily experience and sight.
Balatonföldvár is the city where we can admire Lake Balaton not only up close but also from a distance. Take a walk along the Celtic promenade and also look at the big lake and its surroundings from a little bird’s eye view. If that weren't enough, the Maritime History Visitor Center is still located here, a special, ship-shaped building, the mast of which is the highest built lookout tower on Lake Balaton. From the 25-meter tower on a 40-45 meter high bank, topped by 166 steps, we can look around from a height of 70 meters, which we admit is stunning. After all this movement, it is reassuring that we can roam the decks of the boats on Lake Balaton and the lookouts at the exhibitions in the visitor center - with the help of a computer - without having to take a single step.
The Gömbkilátó is the symbol of Balatonboglár. A lookout from which it is not possible to look properly. The Spherical Lookout Tower in Balatonboglár is not necessarily worth visiting for the view, but for the special architectural solution. The structure looks like a space center. The 15-meter-diameter, 240-triangular-plate lookout tower was fitted with decorative lighting that could be easily discovered even from the north shore.
If we spend several days in Siófok and a larger excursion can fit in, it is worth traveling to the center of the western basin of Lake Balaton, Keszthely. In addition to the port and the shores of Lake Balaton, here is the most visited castle in the country, the Festetics Castle in Keszthely, which functions as a museum and event center.
During a longer trip we can get to Szigliget, where the most popular attraction is Szigliget Castle. One of Hungary's most visited and deservedly popular castles, Szigliget Castle, on the northern shore of Lake Balaton, has a 750-year history. In the south it is washed by the shores of Lake Balaton, and in the north it is bordered by the peat fields and mountains of Tapolca. Wherever we approach Szigliget, the old castle unfolds before us from everywhere.
If you like wine, if not, traveling to Lake Balaton is definitely worth a visit to Badacsony. Badacsony is the highest witness mountain in the Tapolca Basin, wedged between two bays of Lake Balaton. The circumference of the almost round mountain is 11 km, its highest point is 437.4 m above sea level. Due to the proximity of Lake Balaton, the southern slopes can also enjoy the sunlight reflected from the water surface, so a very favorable microclimate has developed, which makes it possible to make natural delicacies. Walking up the mountain, you can choose from numerous wineries and wine terraces up to a stop. Not every day has a daily panorama of the mountain, from where we can see Fonyód and its surroundings on the southern shore.
If you don’t want to get in a car or get on a boat, you can hop on a bike. A 203-kilometer-long cycle path around Lake Balaton awaits both beginners and professionals. Some people aim for the fastest possible performance and will run around Lake in one day. On the other hand, for those who also want to watch or cut with children, it is important to see what interesting sights they find along the way, where there is a good beach, what alternative routes to choose. In addition to wrapping the whole of Lake Balaton, it is worth embarking on a shorter route, or even for hobby cyclists.