Hello travellers,
Yes, I know that Hungary has no exit to the sea since 1919, when the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed, but instead it has Lake Balaton, which according to the place is called "the sea of Hungary".
We have visited Hungary many times, but we have never been to Balaton, so together with our friends we decided to make a weekend trip to Balaton and its surroundings.
Today I take you with me to a destination that attracts more and more tourists every year, being an ideal place for families just right for a road trip.
We set off early in the morning because the distance there is about 400km which I would normally cover in 4 hours, the road there was easy, and in order to use the highways in Hungary you have to pay a toll of 70lei/14euro.
Even though as we know the pandemic situation around the world is a bit worrying, we have not encountered any problems on the territory of Hungary or when leaving Hungary.
My opinion is that this would be the best time to organize even weekend vacations because in our case, considering that Lake Balaton was visited annually by many tourists from all over the world as well as Hungarian tourists, today we walk quietly on the waterfront, where there were many sailboats without the crowds, bustle and bustle. I loved that I could quietly enjoy all the sights around the lake.
This time we chose the location - Siofok - a beautiful and quaint little port town and quiet resort filled on the lake side with guesthouses and hotels.
Location:
Lake Balaton - is located about 150 km west of Budapest, Somogy and Veszprem counties. It is at an altitude of 104 m above sea level and is the largest freshwater lake in Central Europe. It is nicknamed the "Sea of Hungary". Average depth 3-4 m, the deepest, 11,5 - 12,4 m, near the Tihany peninsula.As I wrote above the distance between my home and Balaton is about 400 km.
Climate:
The weather here is beautiful with temperatures over 20 degrees from May until October and you can enjoy beautiful weather in the off-season, just like we did when we visited the lake in October.
Activities: Anyone can have a great holiday here, with all sorts of activities on offer, from cycling (with dozens of kilometers of cycle paths), water sports enthusiasts can go windsurfing, kitesurfing, scuba diving and more. The lake has numerous beaches where you can spend a good part of the day sunbathing and recharging your batteries, parks, and a generous boardwalk.
The show over Lake Balaton had my full attention, and I could sit for hours watching the free show of ducks and swans.
I couldnt't take my eyes from the sea. It is perfectly magical.
No comments.
Some tourist attractions nearby (I warmly recommend them because I visited them too):
-Castle at Szigliget
Castle panorama.
-Balatonibob Szabadidőpark
-Folly Arboretum and Winery
- Lake Cave Tapolca (about this location I will make a special blog because it is a unique location)
Hungarian cuisine:
Let's not forget the Hungarian cuisine which is sensational with spicy food, I can say that goulash the traditional Hungarian food wherever you eat on Hungarian territory is wow. We also tried two Hungarian specialties at a local restaurant in the Tihany area, goulash and chili con carne, two sensational dishes.
Conclusions:
The great truth speaks from the mouth of the one who says that the Balaton, with its geothermal waters in the east of the country, attracts the whole of Europe. Although we visited Lake Balaton in the off-season, I can say that the weather was beautiful at some point the wind started to blow and yet the area is lovely, you get to walk along the lakeshore, on the cliff among the dozens of sailboats, you really charge your batteries even if the evening awaits you a 4 hour drive home.
The text you just read is mine and the pictures are also taken by me with a Huawei Mate 20 Pro.
I hope you enjoyed this post.
See you in next time.
Cheers!