In our tour guide series we ask locally or countrywide known Balaton-experts to recommend anything that is a must-see, must-eat, or a must-drink at Balaton. Our first counselor is Bálint Havasi, director of the Balaton Museum whom we asked to recommend places of interest to people visiting the western corner of the Lake, Keszthely, Hévíz, or Balatongyörök around the time of December. The commentary is ours.
To eat, to drink
Tompos Restaurant – The brand new building of the Tompos Restaurant is situated in a suburban area at the end of Keszthely which is closer to Gyenesdiás, near the malls, the sailboat portsand the Libás Beach. Traditional cuisine, wide variety of dishes, lots of fish, paleo and vegan dishes as well.
Gyöngyösi Betyár Csárda – The grave of betyárs near the almost 300-year-old building signals that being a highwayman used to be a bloody serious business around here. The betyárcsárda that stands a few kilometres from Keszthely, beside the road to Rezi and Sümeg still keeps wild east traditions alive. Here, everything is betyár-themed from the names of dishes to bullwhip shows.
Part Café & Grill – Urban breakfast spot in Keszthely with Italy inspired sandwiches and fresh fruit juices. As opposed to its name, Part Café & Grill is not on the shore, but it is neighbour to the Georgikon Farm Museum--just the right place if you wish to fill up before a day of culture.
To see
Balaton Museum – Beside the permanent, interactive exhbition about the history of Balaton, there are other temporary exhibitions and childrens' programmes for entertaining education as well. For example, children can make Christmas decorations and gingerbread figures in the frame of a Christmas workshop at the museum on Saturday, 14 December.
The grave of an Avar chieftain – Which nation reached Lake Balaton before Hungarians did? The Avars. These mounted nomads used to rule the entire region at a certain point of time, still they did not leave as many traces behind as the Romans. So the Pásztorház in Gyenesdiás is lucky enough to exhibit the treasures from the grave of an Avar chieftain who lived thereabouts. The exhbition is open to visitors until 1 May, but do not forget to register beforehand.
Helikon Taverna Museum – We already informed you about the Bock Bistro Balaton that is about to open in the Zenit Hotel in Vonyarcvashegy. If you are interested in tasting the dishes of the Bock at Balaton and visit the hilltop complex, you should not to omit the listed Festetics Cellar either. The cellar was renovated in 2013 and it houses an exhibition about local winemaking, and you can also see the scale model of the cellar itself, built of LEGO,
Tátika Castle – Climbing up to the castle of Tátika near Zalaszántó is not an easy task, especially not on cold weather. The walk in the beech forest, the recently renovated wall remainsand the view from above all make it worth.
Fontana Cinema – Instead of a sterile multiplex, choose the winter version of low cost open-air cinemas and visit the Fontana Cinema in Hévíz. Watch the freshest movie releases from a fold-up cinema chair that has been worn shiny. How about Hobbit Pt. 2 from 12 December?
