Places

Once you have explored your holiday destination, there are many other possibilities for activities and excursions on Lake Balaton. We show you the most beautiful sights.

• The Festetic Castle

One of the most beautiful towns of Lake Balaton is Keszthely, situated on the north-western side. It is famous mainly for its castle and library. The Festetic Castle is one of the largest and most magnificent baroque castles in Hungary. Concerts and other events are regularly held here in the summer months. You can explore the castle on your own or with a guided tour. Worth seeing is also the castle park, one of the most beautiful parks at Lake Balaton. But also the beautiful city centre of Keszthely with its numerous cafés and shops invite you to visit.

• Sweater Market

A real legend on Lake Balaton is the weekly market in Fonyód, known as the “Pullover Market”. The market takes place every Wednesday and Saturday and attracts not only tourists but also many locals. On the one hand traditional Hungarian food like paprika, salami but also fruit, vegetables or bakery products are offered. Very interesting are also the many antiques at the sweater market. Here one can still get one or two bargains. Tip: Leave early to avoid traffic jams. In Fonyód there is not only a big beach but also a harbour from where you can take a boat trip in all directions. Also recommended is the unforgettable view of 500m height, which you can enjoy from Fonyód mountain.

• A Historical Castle

Sümeg is a small town about 25 kilometres north of Lake Balaton. It is especially famous for its castle of the same name, which stands on a conical hill above the town. Sümeg Castle was first mentioned in a document in 1301. However, at that time it was still quite small and consisted only of a tower as well as the cistern and some small adjoining rooms. Until the 16th century the castle was gradually extended and developed and played an important role during the Turkish war. Until 1726 it was besieged, conquered and set on fire several times. Only after 1989 was Sümeg Castle awakened from its Sleeping Beauty slumber and restored for tourist purposes. Today, the famous Sümeg Knights’ Games are held there several times a year and have become an institution in the region. As a visitor, you can also take part in many other programs around the castle, for example, medieval dinners are regularly organized.

• The Cave Lake

The small town of Tapolca, surrounded by a landscape worth seeing, is situated about 10 kilometres north of Lake Balaton. In the past, many mineral resources were discovered and mined in the area, later Tapolca developed into a well-known health resort in Hungary.  The caves of Tapolca made a significant contribution to the rise of the town to a thermal spa. Visitors can explore them on foot for only a few metres, but the guided boat tours through the cave are really interesting. The underground part of the cave extends hundreds of metres under the city. The cave itself was only discovered at the beginning of the 20th century. It was discovered that respiratory diseases can be treated very well because of the particularly good air. A short time later, the spa clinic was established above the cave pond, specialising in the treatment of asthma and similar diseases.