Do you have a problem finding the right gift? Let us help! We collected everything Balaton-related, here from wines, jams, and dinner sets, through tablet cases and board games to wellness weekends, summer houses and Hummers. Prices and distributors included.

1/16

Wine and Champagne

8681 Látrány, hrsz. 087/1/A
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The jolly joker of gifts: perfect both as a standalone or a complementary gift, and you can always buy one to drink with the Christmas dinner. The Balaton wineries offer bottles for any occassion in every category. Choose a quality wine at a reasonable price by Ikon, Légli, Figula, Jásdi or Laposa - thee available at supermarkets as well. From the palette of bio and hands-on wines, we recommend a bottle by Trombitás, Kislaki, or Endre Szászi. If you want something exclusive, go for the Konyári Loliense, 2HA's Tabunello, or an extra dry Vincent champagne by Vencel Garamvári.
Price: wines from 1500 HUF, Vincent champagnes from 2950 HUF

2/16

Pálinka

Yearning for something stronger than wine? Say no more: your best option is the Zimek Pálinka Manufacture in Zamárdi. Quince, sour cherry, Irsai Olivér, apricot, or coffee–whatever taste or strength you desire, Zimek is sure to have it. It's best to choose and buy on spot in Zamárdi, so you'll know all your options. The master of pálinka, Gábor Pach will surely have you taste at least 6 or 7 varieties. Those who stick to the north shore will find similar quality and range of offer in the Renaissance Pálinka House at Badacsönyörs.
Price: from 4200 HUF

3/16

Pottery

Don't go for useless souvenirs; there is huge potential in pottery! The range of pottery items covers almost all kitchen utensils apart from cutlery and microwave ovens, and you can even gift a stove. (We do not recommend buying anyone an urn as a Christmas present, understandably.) For your pottery needs, check out the Légli Manufacture in Balatonboglár-Szőlőskislak. Attila Légli has been behind the potter's wheel for over 30 years, so expect top-notch works from him. Your mom will be smitten with the Ferrari-red Gastroangel series or the elegant dinner sets.
Price: from 3000 HUF

4/16

Balaton Retro 2014 wall calendar

Something practical? Something retro? Something funny and cool? The 2014 edition of the popular Balaton retro wall calendar of the Százszorkép Kiadó will surely draw jealous sighs from your guests with its holiday photos taken at Lake Balaton in the1960ies and 1970ies. There is also a room for notes on the calendar pages, so it is not only catchy but also practical as a gift. We also recommend the calendar as the captions were written by one of our collagues. Be sure to check out the Budapest Retro calendar as well, created in cooperation with our twin site, We Love Budapest.
Price: 1690 HUF (Directly from the publisher: 1352 HUF)

5/16

Jams, jellies, delicatessen

8200 Veszprém, Dornyai Béla utca 4. (Jysk mellett)
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Home-made jams and snacks, and their extreme versions, various dried/cooked/sugar-coated but still edible plants fall into the "low-cost specialities" category. Take a look at the syrups and jellies of the Tamás Pince (Csopak), or visit the Chianti Gourmet Delicate shop in Veszprém, where the products of cheesemakers, butchers and jammakers of the Balaton area are found in the company of food and drink specialities from the dandelion syrup to  the Serrano ham from all around the world.
Price: from 1250 HUF

6/16

Sail and ship rope bags, cases and jewellery

Similraly to cyclists, there are also fanatics among surfers and sailors, who want each and every piece of their accessories to reflect their passion. They will surely be happy to get something made of sail canvas or ship rope. The offers range from laptop bags through bracelets and belts to wallets. These objects are made of sturdy, stormproof materials by professionals of sails and ropes, so they will surely stand the test of time. The See Manufacture in Balatonföldvár, the Sailslab in Balatonfűzfő, and Freewind all specialize in such recycled products. For ship rope jewellery, check out the bracelets and earrings by Rope On.
Price: accessories from 4000 HUF, jewellery from 1700 HUF

7/16

Lavender soaps, Incenses, oils

If the Balaton-felvidék is the Hungarian Provance, then lavender is the Hungarian, well, lavender. You can hardly enter a shop around Tihanyi-félsziget without finding something lavendery-incense sticks, soaps, oils, anything. For edible and drinakble lavender, see the paragraph on delicatessen. For lavender to rub onto your skin or put between your clothes, visit the Levendula House of Tihany, the Teázó az erdő mélyén near Sajkod, farmers' markets and lavender-themed webshops.
Price: between 600-1600 HUF

8/16

Wellness at the balaton

8261 Badacsonytomaj, Park utca 22.
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You can contradict the 'there-is-nothing-around-Balaton-from-September-to-June' mantra with a wellness weekend in the Anna Grand Hotel in Balatonfüred, Residence in Siófok, Bonvino in Badacsony, or in any of the  hotels in Hévíz. You will not be bored even when tired of the sauna, just check out the weekend programme guide on We Love Balaton.
Price: 30.000-40.000 HUF/person/2 nights

9/16

Balaton Sound weekly pass

The Balaton Sound Festival has reached the popularity where passes and tickets are already sold out before the main stage stands. Avoid having to hunt for passes among Facebook friends and buy yours by Christmas! Although July is yet far away, next year's Balaton Sound passes go on sale at noon on 11 December. The first 15 000 passes come at a discount price.
Price: not announced yet

10/16

Board Game

We don't remember seeing any good Balaton-themed board games from recent years - up to now. Catamaran sailor Zoltán Diószegi created and produced a strategic board game, in which - unsurprisingly - you have to sail. The Regatta Boardgame was an instant success with sailors who tested it; it was personally recommended by Farkas Litkey and the first series was sold out. This is the perfect gift for any relative/friend or business partner who is uneasy in the wintertime for not being able to sail. The Regatta is available at Lake Balatonon, in Budapest and directly from the creator. If the game fails to relieve sailing deprivation symptoms, we suggest a round of ice sailing in Balatonfüred.
Price: 11,990 HUF

11/16

Unique model boat

One can easily get hold of model warships that have to be assembled and painted, for about 2-3000 HUF, virtually anywhere. The models Miklós Rauschenberger makes, however, are one of a kind and need no glueing at home. They don't come for 2000 HUF either. Rauschenberger, a recognized yacht racer builds scale-model boats like a proper boatwright, but these boats are only for your mantelpiece. Models are prepared upon order. His timetable is full for this Christmas, however, if you place and pay order for the modelling of your loved one's sailboat, it will surely be a beloved present, even if completed later. You can place your orders at the miklos_rauschenberger@yahoo.com email address.
Price: 200,000-300,000 HUF

12/16

Old furniture, books and other retro stuff

Is the recipient-to-be smitten with garage sale stuff, old school furniture or maybe they are about to open a ruin pub? Living in Karád, not far from Balaton, Péter Müller is dealing in second-hand whatnot that others throw away, however he goes through every heap carefully and salvages everything valuable and antique furniture. He puts these up for sale in the Second-hand Shop in Karád, also referred to as the "Retro Store". If you are looking for, say a lampshade from the1960ies, a turn-of-the-century nightstand or old books, this is definitely your place.
Price: books for 100-150 HUF, the price of other pieces depends on many things

13/16

Books about Lake Balaton

One can always find Balaton-themed photo albums, poetry and guide books, and memoirs on the shelves of bookstores. The Nagy Balaton-könyv (Great Book of Balaton) was released last year; it is a colourful album picturing the legendary spots of the Kádár era (cca. 1956-1988) Balaton. László Gál's album „Ó, a Balaton, régi nyarakon” ('O, Balaton, During Those Old Summers') also evokes the summers of the same era. Both are ideal gifts for adults with happy memories of the table tennis competitions held once in the summer resort of the state-owned company they worked for. The choice is easy if you have to find something for a movie-fanatic family member: all the Ötvös Csöpi movies are now available on DVD.
Prices: books for 3000-4000 HUF; DVDs for 1000 HUF/pcs

14/16

Catamaran

The catamaran is a sailboat. The difference is that it has two hulls instead of one. It is also faster than one-hull boats, easier to transport and store, and you don't need a deck shoe that harmonizes with your high-end wristwatch to board. All in all, the catamaran is for those who want a more sporty experience, richer in adrenaline than fashionably cruising around in a sailboat. You can try sailing a catamaran in several places on Lake Balaton. If you want to gift a catamaran to yourself or anyone else, turn to the Hungarian representation of Nacra at nacra@catamaran.hu or phone them on 003630/5683391.
Price: 23,000 EUR

15/16

Balaton summer home

The ultimate long-term gift. The recipient will not use it much around Christmastime, but the Happy Owner will certainly have fun there for years, starting from the Spring. There is an abundance of summer homes on offer. Smaller, vineyard bungalows are available for as little as a few millions (in HUF). Between 5-10 millions, you'll get a a retro summer house from the Kádár-era with ashlar walls,a small terrace and a flat roof. Something around 20-25 millions will get you an all-year-round house. The cap on the prices is the starry sky for fancy offers with jacuzzi, wine cellar, and a private piece of the shore.
Prices: from 4,500,000 HUF