The girls are still a bit squeamish about it, but the boys are rushing without second thought into the 18°C Lake Balaton, and the evening is just warm enough to have a bottle of wine on the beach. You can start dusting the summer homes, the corn-on-the-knob vendors are warming up, bees are gathering at the cotton candy stands, and the waiters at Mauro are practising scales. The season will start soon.
Nyitott Balaton (1-11 May)
Nothing says approaching summer better than the Nyitott Balaton event series with its bike tours, the Balatonfüred Art Festival, and the Balaton laser show. On top of it all, this weekend the Ice Cream of Balaton will also be revealed!
Running, hiking and cycling - all things sport
Káli Run (16 May) - Kővágóörs
Thr 7th Káli Run starts from Kővágóörs. Participants can compete on three distances, where the half-marathon comes with the pleasure of admiring all the hamlets of the Káli Basin from Kővágóörs to Szentbékkálla.
Family bike tour in the footsteps of Romans (23 May) - Hévíz
A while back, we discussed what the Romans did for us, and now you can check out numerous Roman Age memories in the frame of a bike tour that starts out from Hévíz and touches Keszthely and Fenékpuszta as well.
Ultrabalaton (29-31 May) - Balatonaliga
Those who are not satisfied with the half-marathon in Keszthely, can now register for a hardcore Balaton running race called Ultrabalaton. Be warned, those who enter the race starting from Balatonaliga undertake to run or cycle around the entire Balaton, which is a distance of 212 kilometres.
Wine dinners and wine tours
Válibor wine dinner (9 May) - Badacsonyörs
In the frame of the Badacsony Wineventures series, Badacsony and its environs offer a wine dinner for each week.On 9 May, for instance, the family winery Válibor will await guests with a dinner of oven-baked specialities made of local producers' ingredients and the wines of the house.
Wine dinner at the Szegedy Róza House (16 May) – Badacsony
Enjoy a night revolving around architecture, literature and wine culture at Badacsony's Szegedy Róza House. Wash down the Hungarian-style wine dinner with the wines of the Borbély Family Winery, the Istvándy Winery, the Málik Wine Cellar and the Fata Cellar.
Pinot gris tour (9-10 May)- Badacsonytomaj
It seems that those who plan to go on a wine-themed adventure near Balaton on the second weekend of May can do no better than heading straight to Badacsony. In the frame of this stop of the Wine Triathlon, you can taste the Pinot gris creations of Badacsonytomaj's cellars.
Sights to see
Concours d’Elegance (16-17 May) – Balatonfüred, Vitorlás tér
Under the patronage of Kati Zoób and linked to the Sail-setting Ceremony, the Concours d’Elegance classic car race is held in Balatonfüred on 16 and 17 May. There will be 30 original or restored cars parading about Vitorlás Square, providing a great opportunity for a Jaguar/Rolls-Royce/Aston Martin selfie.
Festivals
Gisella Days (5-10 May) – Veszprém
The Gisella Days in Veszprém are already under way. The 5-day art festival in honour of the one-time Hungarian queen will end with a huge Hősök koncert in Saturday
5th Pentecost Pálinka Festival (23-24 May) – Tihany
Artisan fair, culture programmes, and - in accordance with the festival's name - loads of different pálinkas await the visitors of Tihany's Visszhang-domb on the Pentecost weekend.
Szigliget Castle Festival (23-25 May) – Szigliget
Hawking and heritage shows, plus music-and-dance programmes revive the Castle of Szigliget over the long Pentescost weekend, thanks to the favourite annual event of locals, the Szigliget Castle Festival.
Concerts
Amorf Ördögök (8 May) – Veszprém, Expresszó Klub
After 8 years of hiatus, the Amorf Ördögök is now resurrected for a few concerts, bringing together Szabolcs Tariska, Ambrus Tövisházi and Bori Péterfy on the same stage. A week before the already sold-out concert on A38, they will warm-up at Veszprém's Expresszó Klub.
Balatonfüred Classical Music Nights (10 May - 28 Nov) – Balatonfüred
Balatonfüred's new classical music series features acclaimed performers such as Kossuth Prize winners Tamás Vásáry, Endre Hegedűs, and Ilona Tokody, as well as the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra of Veszprém and János Figula.
Brains (15 May) – Veszprém, Expresszó Klub
Veszprém's Expresszó Club is warming up for the summer season with a smashing string of May concerts. IN the middle of May, a major band of the Hungarian electronic music scene, Brains will entertain the guests of the club, the next night will see Wellhello perform, while a week later (on 22 May) Irie Maffia and DJ Elf will take the stage followed by Mary Popkids a day later.
