One of the reasons we love Nyitott Balaton so much is that the organizers think the same way about Balaton in the fall as we do: just because you cannot go to the beach, it would be a shame to be devastated by the desolate shore and the empty restaurants. It’s true that the area is not swarming with visitors like in the summertime, but genuinely great places and entertaining events are not hard to come by at all. The upcoming two weekends have a diverse program in store: a half marathon in Tihany, old villas in Balatonalmádi, a jazz festival on the south shore, cool restaurants and more.

In search of ancient villas - Balatonalmádi

We’ve already featured Liget Café in our recent confectionery roundup, pointing out that its architecture is a lot different from Hotel Ramada, for example, and the same goes for many of the buildings in Balatonalmádi. Embark on an hour-and-a-half walk organized by the local tourist association to explore and learn about the history of the town’s most prominent villas.

Open Gastronomy

You can’t say Balaton gastronomy switches to hibernation mode at the end of August: last week we told you about 10 awesome restaurants that are still going strong, we have a couple more recommendations coming up this week, and if you’re in Gyenesdiás on September 26th, you can drop by the wine dinner of Tamás Trombitás.

Another 11 restaurants have joined the initiative of Nyitott Balaton to put together fall appropriate menus made from seasonal ingredients. For example, Kistücsök’s selection will include a soup, a main dish and a dessert, all incorporating either squash, chestnut or apple brought to the Balaton shore by the winds of fall. Check out the website of Nyitott Balaton for a complete list of the participating eateries.

Stamp collecting quests - Tihany and Badacsony

Truly diligent visitors will have a gift to look forward to on the two Nyitott Balaton weekends. In Badacsony, participants are challenged to collect four stamps – one each from a winery, a hotel, a restaurant and a tourist attraction. Once you have all four, you can go to the local Tourinform office to pick up your prize, a bottle of tasty wine. Tihany has a different strategy, wanting to urge people to visit some of the local sights: by collecting five stamps from any of the ten stops on the route, you’ll become eligible for the gift of the town’s Tourinform Office.

Moonlight tour and ghost hunt - Balatongyörök, Gyenesdiás

Roaming study trails and getting lost in nature just for the sake of it are good options this time of the year: the Balaton Uplands National Park is always there for the outdoorsy folk. On the first weekend of Nyitott Balaton, Gyenesdiás awaits with a werewolf-free, moonlit tour, while a week later, the tourism association of Balatongyörök will offer an event with probably the catchiest name ever: their ghost hunt sounds like a hit, the only problem is that none of the ghosts we know like to come out between 9am and 3pm.

Jazz Cuvée Festival - Kéthely

AX Wine (e)motion endeavors to extend the Balaton season with a two-day jazz festival – a daring, but also innovative venture, especially as jazz has belonged more to the north shore up until now. The lineup is very impressive, including Boggie, who’s known for her song “Nouveau Parfum” and for representing Hungary in the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest.  

On Saturday, veteran Valley of Arts performer Veronika Harcsa will take the stage with Bálint Gyémánt. Balaton is a familiar region for both of them, especially since last summer when they shot a stunning scene for Balaton Method atop the Szántód ferry. This one will be a totally regular concert with pure jazz and savory delights; what’s more, a tasting with three of the wines produced by Ax Wine (e)motion is also included in the ticket price.

Half marathon in Tihany - PIAC Placc

We know from ARTplacc and the other permanent events held here that Tihany’s market aspires to be more than a collection of antique tableware from our great-great-grandmas’ time, and goat cheese and elder honey made by our grannies. The latest thing they’ve come up with is a half marathon without a standard time or any kind of time recording for that matter. The aim is to get as many people involved as possible: participants have to complete a 12.2 km route on the peninsula, running via the bike path, Lake Belső and the abbey, of course. The race will start and end at the ferry where PIAC Placc is also located. Those who are willing to go the extra mile can combine the half marathon and the above-mentioned stamp collection quest, and pop into the Tourinform office for their prize on their way to the finish line.

Boating and free yacht rides - Siófok, Keszthely, Balatonfüred