Around Keszthely and Hévíz
Apart from the beaches and the paddle boats, the western corner of Lake Balaton has everything a tourist could desire: castles, palaces, baths, wild swamps, wines, hills, an arboretum and a wakeboard course. The renowned Hungarian thermal bath, Hévíz is located here and Festetics-kastély, one of the biggest palaces of Hungary is in the area as well.If you leave behind the beach of Gyenesdiás or Vonyarcvashegy, you can find a Roman fortress in Fenékpuszta, the castles of Rezi, Tátika and Sümeg, and the mansion of the "Wise Man of The Nation", Ferenc Deák in Kehida. Drop by the Afrika Múzeum in Balatonederics if you're interested in a glimpse of Africa, and you'll see both living animals and trophies there. Keszthely is not only famous for its palace; the city is full of different museums, from an erotic museum to the agricultural adventure park.If you're after an active holiday, because you're bored with going in and out of museums, hit the road to the swamps and protected birds of Kis-Balaton, the cliffs of Keszthelyi-hegység, the Balaton Bike Ring, the Szépkilátó lookout in Balatongyörök, the Arborétum in Cserszegtomaj, the Zala wine region, the wakeboard course of Vonyarcvashegy or the golf course in Balatongyörök. If you want to take a rest between your journeys, just soak yourself in the thermal baths of Hévíz, Kehidakustány or Zalakaros.
From Káli-medence to Badacsony
No matter which shore you are on, the view will be amazing for sure: you can take a look at the South Shore, but the view of the North Shore is even more spectacular. A bit east of the lake, extinct volcanoes, highlands, hills with small villages, castles and church ruins surround the mythical Káli-medence. The well-known wines of Badacsony, the folk artists and the art festival in Kapolcs are all here in the neighbourhood. Tavasbarlang cave in Tapolca and the communist landmark, the former pioneer camp in Zánka, are both nearby.This part of Balaton-felvidék is definitely worth a long visit. You can wander around on foot or by bike in the woods or on the hills. Travel around Káli-medence, climb the Kab-hegy, Szent György-hegy, Hegyestű or Badacsony. Look for Kőtenger with its magnetic powers in Mindszentkálla when you're fed up with climbing.Visit the castle of the legendary knight, Pál Kinizsi in Nagyvázsony, the castle ruins in Szigliget, the church ruins that the Ottoman occupation left behind, the heart-shaped tombstones in Balatonudvari, the water mill in Örvényes or the relics of socialism: the giant former pioneer camp and the military exhibition in Zánka or the Soviet nuclear bunker close to Nagyvázsony.You can paddle underground in Tapolca's Tavasbarlang cave and not only on Balaton. Sporting activities are available for everyone: you can play golf in Balatonudvari and polo in Szentbékkálla, should cycling, sailing a yacht or hiking be too ordinary for you.
Around Balatonfüred and Veszprém
Staying in the area of Balatonfüred and Veszprém is always fun; even if you just hang out in the cities. There are plenty of historical sites in Tihany, Balatonfüred and - a bit to the east from Balaton - in Veszprém, so spending a couple of days might not be enough to reveal all the secrets.The view is worth a visit in the castle of Veszprém, at Tihany Abbey, in the historical center and Tagore sétány of Balatonfüred. There are always festivals, exhibitions and different programmes going on at these locations.This region is a haunt for sailors, because there are many ports and sailing clubs along the coast. You can go hiking or ride your bike if you prefer to spend your time on the land instead of the waves. Getting lost on Tihanyi-félsziget is fun, because you'll either run into a great secret beach at Sajkod, a cool tea place called Teázó az erdő mélyén, or the geyser cones near Belső-tó. You can ride a bike on the hills by the shore to get to Veszprém if you want to make yourself sweat for the experience. It is also possible to perform extreme bike tricks: check out the bike park in Balatonfüred.The area of Tihany and Balatonfüred has been calling itself Balaton's Riviera lately. It may sound like an overstatement, but you’ll change your mind if you drive along the eastern side of Tihanyi-félsziget. Take a look at the view from the balconies of Jásdi Pince or Szent Donát, or from Csúcs-hegy near the Sajkod beach and you'll have no doubt about the similarities between the Riviera and Balaton.
Siófok and Balatonföldvár region
Siófok used to be considered the party capital of Lake Balaton. We don't know if this is still true, but finding castle ruins and old abbeys may turn out to be a mission impossible there. You will, however, get lucky with dbo beaches, shallow water, nightclubs or Balaton Sound Festival, one of the biggest music festivals of Europe.Cultural experiences that go well beyond discotheques are also waiting for you here. The memorial house of the well-known operetta author, Emmerich Kálmán proves that popular music has always played an important part in the life of Siófok. In case glamorous operettas are not your cup of tea, pay a visit to the unique lace museum in Balatonendréd, or the military park full of rusty old tanks on the outskirts of Zamárdi. The hundreds of years old manor in Szántódpuszta offers everything you can imagine with its romantic chapel, livestock and a flea market.Fitness maniacs should ride their bikes up to the high coast near Balatonvilágos. Sit down here for a while at Panoráma lookout point to enjoy the view of Balaton's eastern basin then roll back to the shore. After the bike trip, the dbo beaches of Siófok or Zamárdi could be the perfect place for a run. You can try windsurfing or sailing a catamaran in Balatonföldvár or Siófok, and the adventure park of Zamárdi is the coolest playground for adults, where you can act like Tarzan.
Around Fonyód and Balatonboglár
At first sight it seems like there's nothing to find here, but summer homes, beaches, and long streets lined by trees. This area is undoubtedly famous for these, but keep your eyes open, because you might bump into surprises.Pay a visit to the wineries of Kishegy in Balatonlelle or Szőlőskislak on the outskirts of Balatonboglár if you can't think of anything else than Badacsony and Csopak when the wines of Balaton topic comes up. Majthényi Présház in Kishegy, Konyári pincészet and Kislaki Borkert will prove that amazing panorama and good wines are true phenoms and they really exist on the South Shore. The highlights of Balaton's gastronomy are also found here: Kistücsök in Balatonszemes and the gourmet restaurant of the palace hotel, Chateau Visz near Visz are must-see places for any culinary expert.After a couple of days of lying on the beach, you can look for adventures close to the shore in Somogy county as well. The enormous forests and the magnificent hills are the Mecca of hunters and off-road fans. There is calm and peace to be found too, near these adrenaline sources. So if you are interested in good karma, check out the bio farms and the holy cows of Krisna-völgy in Somogyvámos.It is worthwhile to get lost in in the hills of Somogy as well, if you are looking for more of culture: the manor of the legendary painter of Russian emperors, Mihály Zichy is in Zala county and the Town Hall of Mesztegnyő offers an exciting collection of antiquities.
