Traveling around Hungary

Balaton is the second, most visited place in Hungary, after Budapest. Located 80 km southwest of the Hungarian capital, it is the largest lake in Central Europe. It proudly bears the nickname “Hungarian Sea”. Its shorelines are lined with fine sand, it offers all kinds of water attractions, numerous festivals and it is an ideal vacation spot for all ages.

Lake Balaton is suitable for swimming – it has clean waters and a water temperature of about 20C. It is one of the shallowest lakes in the world, with an average depth of 3.2 meters. It is home to numerous plants and animals, from rare bird species to unique aquatic plants. Numerous thermal springs pass under the lake, whose waters are considered healing and contribute to the complete relaxation and rejuvenation of Balaton’s visitors.

Balaton is also considered the ice cream capital of Hungary, with the towns around the lake boasting a large number of ice cream shops, and visitors find it difficult to decide which is better – ice cream or the view of the lake.

All these facts caught my attention and I decided to celebrate my birthday there, starting the tour around Balaton from the town of Zumeg, which is 20 km north of the lake. Hotel Capitani won my heart – undoubtedly, this is one of the best hotels I have ever been to.  Located at the foot of Zümeg Castle, which our room overlooked, all its employees were dressed in mediaeval clothes, which added to the fabulous atmosphere. The food was excellent, as well as the service, and the spa center really impressed us. There were pools on different floors – so they were not overflowing with people and you can sincerely enjoy and relax in the pleasant warm water. My children especially liked the outdoor pools, which had a slide in the form of a castle, standing out against the background of the real castle. In the indoor pools there was also a water slide and a view of the castle.

My fabulous birthday began with a rich buffet table in the hotel restaurant, where employees in mediaeval clothes served us with smiles. The food was very tasty, and there were homemade meats and cheeses from the local farm. On the occasion of my holiday, a bottle of excellent red wine had been left in my hotel room, which we left for the evening, and in the morning we headed to the arena next to the hotel, where we watched a unique performance of a knight’s tournament and a show with Mongolian horses. As guests of the hotel, we were accommodated in the VIP lounge. There were amazing stunts and the atmosphere took us back to the Middle Ages.

The walk in the past continued, as there was a medieval playground next to the arena, we visited the stables and the small zoo with domestic animals, but what impressed us the most was, of course, the Zümeg Castle itself. A rocky wide alley, with an amazing view of the town of Zümeg, took us straight to the castle, which had many attractions for children. The different rooms in the castle showed the different livelihoods in the Middle Ages, and in the courtyard visitors could ride a horse, get on a wooden horse and aim dragons with a spear, catch wooden fish, play bowling with a tied flying ball and many more games, combined with a museum exposition that really immersed us in the medieval atmosphere. In the castle itself, we treated ourselves to local sweets and ice cream, and at its very foot there were many restaurants.

Blissfully, in the spa center of the hotel, my celebration continued, and we did not stop admiring the beautiful fairytale castle, which in the evening was lighted and acquired the color of the moon.

The next day we continued the fabulous walk, heading to the lavish Festetics Palace. On the way, we stopped at Lake Hévíz, whose waters are considered healing and cure rheumatic and other diseases. This is the largest medical lake in the world, in whose waters people can dive and relax. However, it turned out that it is not suitable for young children and the separate children’s part works only at certain hours and days. Therefore, instead of going to the lake, we prepared for a new palace walk.

The Baroque Festetic Palace fascinated us with its wonderful gardens and richly decorated rooms. It was built in the middle of the 18th century thanks to one of the richest and most noble families of Hungary – the Festetics. Christoph Festetic founded a hospital in the city, Pál Festetic founded a school, and in 1797 Count György Festetic opened an agricultural college, which was the first of its kind in Europe and still functions today as a faculty of the Pannonian University. The wing of the palace’s library was built by Count Georgie Festetic in 1799-1801, and university students could safely use it. It was huge – from the ground to the ceiling with over 80 thousand books, most of them in the interesting and sonorous Hungarian language, which has nothing in common with the other languages of Central Europe. During our vacation in Balaton, I noticed that very few people here spoke English, but they all spoke German. Apparently, this language was left over from the past greatness of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Festetic Palace is the third largest castle in Hungary and has 101 rooms, some more lavishly decorated. Especially beautiful is the dining room with gold cutlery and porcelain. The red room is called the Salon of Maria Theresa, and on the wall there was a portrait of this famous Hungarian queen. Paul Festetic was the Queen’s personal lawyer and adviser. The blue room was the color of the royal family and also revealed exquisite luxury, with blue vases made of rare porcelain decorated with birds and animals. The furniture was made in France.

After walking through the luxurious rooms, we were also fascinated by the magnificent park, in which fountains, an artificial lake and greenhouses with even more flowers and plants are erected among beautiful alleys. There is also a separate small zoo with a wide variety of feathered representatives.

At the other end of the park is the Hunting Museum with many stuffed animals from all over the world, as well as the Museum of Carriages – located in the building of the stables. Here is undoubtedly one of the most significant collections of carriages and sleighs in Europe.

Stunned by the beauty of the Festetic Palace, we decided to go straight to Lake Balaton, instead of deviating for 18 km to the other castle Szigliget, which was famous for the most beautiful panorama of Balaton.

We stayed at the Villa Plattensee Hotel***, which was right next to the lake. We were separated only by a short road and an alley for cyclists. It turned out that a wonderful 200-kilometer road for cyclists winds around the lake, which made the lake especially pleasant for active holidays. Our holiday started on Vonyarcvashegy beach, which is an excellent place to relax, especially for families with children. There are many playgrounds, some of which have awnings for free play even in strong sun. There is a water slide and many benches, umbrellas and places to relax. There are also a variety of restaurants, and the fish are uniquely tasty.

Slightly brownish, but very clear waters of Balaton invited us to swim in it. The calmness that breathed from everywhere made us enjoy complete relaxation. I noticed that the Hungarians are quieter people and even their children could not be heard, unlike my children, whom I easily located by their sonorous laughter.

We really enjoyed the day at the beach, and in the evening we walked to the nearby Szoborpark park, with numerous wooden figures of Hungarian rulers and a place to play. The days for beach and rest quickly flew by, and on the way back we decided to go around the lake from its other shore. We stopped in Siófok, which has a wonderful promenade and a large Ferris wheel.

The sea atmosphere was all over the “Hungarian sea” and Balaton definitely impressed me with its wonderful places for a fruitful family vacation. There were also many festivals that attracted young people to party performances, but I was personally won over by the calm waters of the lake, whose tranquility spread along the shores.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT BALATON:

Location: Lake Balaton is located in central Hungary, 80 km southwest of Budapest.
Area: 598 sq.m, spreading over 77 km at the foot of Mount Bakoni, and its widest part is 14 km.
Depth: the average depth of the lake is 3.3 m, with the greatest depth being 12.2 m
Altitude: 105 m
Climate: temperate continental climate
Time zone: UTC+1
Currency: forint (HUF)
Additional information: www.balatontourist.hu

TRIP TIPS FOR LAKE BALATON:

How to get here: we chose to rent a car from Budapest Airport, but you can safely get here by train from Budapest Deli and Budapest Keleti. The nearest airport is Heviz Balaton in Sarmellek (SOB), which is 20 km from Keszthely and Balatonmariafurdo, where there are regular flights from/to Germany.
Map of Balaton: The lake offers something for all ages. Here is a map of some of the most beautiful places there.