Best Tourist Places to Visit in Balaton, Hungary, Europe

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Balaton, Hungary, Europe

Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe located in the Transdanubian region of Hungary between 46°50′ N latitude and 17°44′ E longitude. It draws water from the Zala River as largest inflow and the only outflow of the lake is the channelized Sio. The major cities located on the shore of Balaton are Keszthely, Siofok, and Balatonfured.

Balaton is visited by a large number of tourists from different regions of the world for large clubs, festival celebrations other than natural attractions. Balaton is situated 135 km southwest of Budapest, the capital of Hungary.

Geography of Balaton:

A freshwater Lake Balaton is one of the top tourist destinations in Hungary covering a surface area of 592 sq. km. The lake measures a surface elevation of 104.8 meters, length of 77 km, width of 14 km and catchment area 5,174 sq. km.

How to reach Balaton?

Lake Balaton is served by Hévíz-Balaton Airport situated west of the lake, around 1 km away from the village Sármellék in Zala County.

There are regular trains leaving Budapest Déli and Budapest Keleti to surrounding settlements (Siófok, Balatonföldvár and Fonyód) of the Lake Balaton, taking around 3 hours and costing around €19.

Lake Balaton is also reachable by bus from Budapest, served by both public and private bus companies. During the peak season many renowned tour operators offer package tours from most of the major cities of the country to lake with food service.

Food and shopping around Balaton:

There are plenty of both traditional and modern shops around the lake and tourists can try local wine and typical local dish langos.

Some major restaurants around the lake include:

Karolina Kavehaz es Koktelbar
Romai Pince
Mala Garden
Vig Molnar Csarda

What to do in Balaton?

Hiking
Kite surfing
Swimming
Kiliti Skydive Balaton
Brazay-KalandPart
Nauticat Sailing at Lake Balaton
Cross-Balaton Swim Contest

Places to see around Balaton:

Hévíz Spa:

Hévíz Spa is a number one thermal spa in Hungary situated in the city of Hévíz on the shore of the Lake Balaton covering an area of 8.31 km².

Balaton Uplands National Park:

Situated north of Balaton Lake, the Balaton Uplands National Park is home to wide variety of flora and fauna. It can be reachable by private vehicles.

Festetics Palace:

Festetics Palace is a historical palace constructed in the Baroque architectural style in the 18^th century. It is situated in the town of Keszthely west of Balaton Lake. The garden in front of the lake and Helikon Castle Museum are the prime attractions of the lake.

List of other places of interest around Balaton include:

Lake Cave
Herend Porcelanium
Burg Szigliget
Veszprem Zoo
Castle Hill
Benedictine Abbey and Museum
Siofok Water Tower
Bishop’s Palace
Csodabogyos Cave
Balaton Museum
Kohegyi Kilato
Michael’s Cathedral
Varosi Strand
Gizella Chapel
Laczko Dezso Museum
Historical Waxworks and Pirate museum

Ideal time to visit Balaton:

Rothenburg can be visited throughout the year, especially between June and August is the best time to trip Lake Balaton.

Where to stay in Balaton?

Hotels are abundance around the lake and most of them offer advance booking facility for tourist’s convenience. The prominent hotels with superior facilities and services around Balaton Lake include: