Our 10 most popular articles in 2014

1. Two beaches, two completely different worlds – Gyenesdiás

Gyenesdiás must know something. This settlement on the western shore of Lake Balaton is always up to something and usually targets families - with success. Gyenesdiás' Playbeach has a secure spot among the top Balaton beaches. We explored both local beaches, the above-mentioned Playbeach and the Lido as well, and our resulting report was the most read WLB article of 2014. Hence, Gyenesdiás must really know something.

2. Why is Tihany Europe's coolest village?

Another place that is doing it right is TIhany. Proving it is the fact that Tihany was elected the winner of the European Village Renewal Award in 2014. We checked what the peninsula has up its sleeves in addition to the legendary silhouette of the two steeples and the lavender-themed tourist spots of the old village. Contemporary art, Brad Pitt and lavenders - this was our second most popular article..

3. Program Guides

From week to week, we collect the most exciting events by Lake Balaton into a program guide. When we are thinking about programs, we don't think in settlements but consider the entire Lake. If our spot offers none, we hop into the car or on the bike, because there's definitely something intersting two villages away or on the other end of the ferry (sometimes even on the ferry). Sometimes we leave Budapest specifically for the Balatonside town with the big bang for the weekend. We discuss the options in our weekly program guide that comes out around Thursdays - and which you seem to like.

4. The extreme faces of Balaton Sound

This one was a sure shot. One of the most popular things to do after or during festivals is to browse related photo galleries so maybe we can spot ourselves or relive the thrill of the moment. Just like other festivals,  Balaton Sound also has its own crowd of people dressed as superheroes, animals and various peculiar things and characters. You were quite curious about the photos of them - keep up the curiosity, we'll be back with such photos in 2015 as well!

5. Mud, music and beautiful girls - Balaton Sound 2014 photo gallery

The proof of our above-mentioned theory - this time without odd costumes. The monsoon-like rains at this year's Balaton Sound could not prevent festival-goers from having fun: dancing in front of the main stage, watching the soccer world cup, and wallowing in the mud. Then they searched the festival photos for themselves.

6. The cream of Lake Balaton - our pick of Forbes' pick

Lake Balaton is a grateful topic: in the summer, we were often amazed how many media wrote about the same restaurants, beaches and hidden gems we love. The Forbes magazine collected the cream of Lake Balaton (the best  restaurants, buffets and wineries) at the beginning of the summer. The editors of the magazine picked venues from Füred to Boglár with a great taste. We don't know how many of you have read the original article, but our review was quite successful.

7. The best bike stop between Csopak and Balatonfüred – Guruljon az Élet

In addition to festivals and family-targeted topics, bicycle features also attract serious attention. Guruljon az Élet might be the one of the best bike resting points not only between Csopak and Füred, but also around the entire Lake. The excellent panorama of the Balaton, and the indispensable accessories of bike stops (i.e. repair tools and refreshments) are mixed with Indian/hippy vibes, which makes it singular. No wonder so many of you were interested in reading about it.

8. A mysterious Italian castle by Highway 71 - Sir David Castle

Many of you might have noticed the odd castle on the edge of Balatonszepezd, right by Highway 71, the railway tracks and the bike road. We did, so we stopped to explore the rooms and history of Sir David Balaton Castle. The discussion of the meeting point between Italian Renaissance and cyclists, and the study of the old Hungarian alphabet and Bakony's miners caught the attention of many of you.

9. How the trash bag and Wellingtons have come in festival fashion

Balaton Sound seems to be a bottomless topic.This year, the mud and rain added an extra twist to the festival photos, so we compiled a gallery of festival-goers wearing trash bags and Wellington boots. The pictures talk for themselves, but we hope this theme won't be so apparent in next year's photos from Zamárdi.

10. A retro holiday at the one-time Mafilm holiday resort

The shabby charm of retro imbued with childhood memories is still a great attraction to many. The former holiday resort of Mafilm (the state-owned film company) delivers this experience in the form of Bagira Pension today. This place in Balatonföldvár (in the part near Szántód) is where we would not a touch a  thing, even though we like renewals. The owners (also introduced in the article) also think like that, and you loved reading about the phenomenon.