Lake Balaton Travel Guide

Lake Balaton

The City

Lake Balaton offers 200km of shoreline dotted with family resorts on the southern side and welcoming vineyards to the north. With its green and silky water, the lake is Hungary’s favourite summer retreat. However, there’s much more to do all year around than just lounge around at the lakeside. Each waterfront town has its own unique character, from the cultural centre of Keszthely at the western tip to the elegant spa resort of Balatonfüred. Situated a little over 120 kilometres southwest of Budapest, Lake Balaton stretches out diagonally from the capital as a kind of lumpy oblong for 77km. The most interesting statistic of the lake is its depth, or rather lack of it. The average depth is 3.3m and you have to paddle out a long, long way before the water comes up to your knees. For this reason, the lake is extremely popular with families with young children. Lake Balaton also offers a surprising range of entertainment possibilities. While Siófok on the southern coast attracts the young, party-loving disco crowd and also offers all around family fun at the annual Coca Cola Beach House, the north bank around Balatonfüred is a little more sedate. The northern shore is populated with artist colonies, the craggy outcrops of Badacsony are covered with vineyards and the healing waters are good both for drinking (Kékkuti) and wallowing (Hévíz).