Hungary - Eastern Europe - page 356

5 The Lake Balaton Region
Lake Balaton may not be the Mediterranean, but don't tell that to Hungarians. Some-
how, over the years, Hungarians have managed to create their own central European
version of a Mediterranean culture along the shores of their long, shallow, milky-white
lake. Throughout the long summer, swimmers, windsurfers, sailors, kayakers, and
cruisers fill the warm and silky smooth lake, Europe's largest at 80km (50 miles) long
and 15km (10 miles) wide at its broadest point. Around the lake's 197km (315 miles)
of shoreline, vacationers cast their reels for pike; play tennis, soccer, and volleyball;
ride horses; and hike in the hills.
First settled in the Iron Age, the Balaton region has been a recreation spot since at
least Roman times. From the 18th century onward, the upper classes erected spas and
villas along the shoreline. Not until the post-World War II Communist era did the
lake open up to a wider tourist base. Many large hotels along the lake are former trade
union resorts built under the previous regime.
Lake Balaton seems to have something for everyone. Teenagers, students, and
young travelers tend to congregate in the hedonistic towns on the south shore, where
the land is as flat as it is in Pest. Here, huge 1970s-style beachside hotels are filled to
capacity all summer long, and disco music pulsates into the early morning hours.
From these resorts, you can walk for 10 minutes and find yourself deep in farm coun-
try. The air here is still and quiet; in summer the sun hangs heavily in the sky.
Adult travelers and families tend to spend more time on the hillier, more graceful,
north shore. There, little villages are neatly tucked away in the rolling countryside,
where the grapes of the popular Balaton wines ripen in the strong southern sun. If
you're coming from Budapest, the northern shore of the lake at first appears every bit
as built up and crowded as the southern shore. Beyond Balatonfüred, however, this
impression begins to fade. You'll discover the Tihany Peninsula, a protected area whose
12 sq. km (4 3 ⁄ 4 sq. miles) jut out into the lake like a knob. Moving westward along the
coast, passing from one lakeside settlement to the next, you can make forays inland
into the rolling hills of the Balaton wine country. Stop for a swim—or for the night—
in a small town like Szigliget. The city of Keszthely, sitting at the lake's western edge,
marks the end of the northern shore area. All towns on the lake are within 1 1 ⁄ 2 to 4
hours from Budapest by an InterCity, a gyors (fast) train, or a much longer journey on
a személy (local) train (see below).
Since the summer of 2000, a cultural event called “The Valley of Arts” has been
held on the northern side of the lake, near Kapolcs, attracting thousands of local and
international artists and travelers. It was started as a local project by a handful of Hun-
garian contemporary artists who settled down in Kapolcs, the center of six little adja-
cent villages in the gorgeous Káli valley. The 10-day-long arts event includes film,
music, theater, visual art exhibits, and literature readings, and is held at the end of July,
running through the beginning of August. Visit www.kapolcs.hu for information on
exact dates. For general information on programs and services of just about any area
of Balaton, see www.balaton-tourism.hu.
EXPLORING THE LAKE BALATON REGION
GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND
BY TRAIN From Budapest, trains to the various towns along the lake depart from
Déli Station. The local (személy) trains are interminably slow, stopping at each village
along the lake. Unless you're going to a tiny village (sometimes a good idea), try to get