Although the most exciting event of this summer will be the 17th FINA World Championships in Balatonfüred, Lake Balaton has some other pretty thrilling programs to enjoy between two rounds of cheering for your favorites. To help you spend your time in the best way, we rounded up all the best events in the region that you can visit during the time of the championship. All you have to do is choose the one(s) you like and enjoy what Lake Balaton has to offer.
Culture & Concerts
Top hat and ringlet exhibition
Balatonfüred’s Vaszary Gallery houses Austrian Biedermeier paintings selected from the exceptionally vast collection of the Museum of Fine Arts. This visual style became popular in Central Europe in the first half of the 19th century during which period the middle class of the region grew and as an expression of bourgeois consciousness, walls were adorned with peaceful scenes of everyday life. You can admire these paintings in the beautifully restored former holiday home that is now the crown-jewel of Balatonfüred’s culture quarter.
Klassz a pARTon
Klassz a pARTon brings summertime classical concerts to multiple venues around Lake Balaton, from Keszthely to Balatonalmádi (the latter is less than 20 kilometers away from Balatonfüred). The Balaton shore will be alive with the sound of harps, violins, and more all through the balmy summer nights. Just to mention a few of the great concerts you can catch when you aren’t at the competitions of the 17th FINA World Championships: a piano concert in a church, The Magic Flute on a beach, and the performance of a bassoon quartet in a park all await you this July.
Babel Sound Free
This world music festival brings all kinds of art to Balatonboglár in the name of freedom – which also means that this festival has no entry fee. Performers and artists will arrive from all over the world to this joyous event to share their culture with each other – and with you. During the course of a week, visitors can learn more about the traditions, music, and dances of various cultures from all across the globe. Please note that Balatonboglár is a long drive (a bit over an hour) away from Balatonfüred, as it is on the south shore - you can take the ferry in Tihany, or drive along the coast of the lake to get there.
Veszprém Street Music Festival
Summer in Veszprém means that it’s time for the Street Music Festival once again. This unique gathering is more than just a music festival: it’s a community experience. Here you can simply drift with the crowd from one stage to the other, listening to jazz and blues, then some rock or world music, while feeling a strong sense of community. All of this in the historic setting of downtown Veszprém – a location that makes this experience all the more special. The historic city is a mere 20 kilometers away from Balatonfüred, so the fastest way to get there is by car, but buses also go there regularly.
Food & Drinks
3rd Alsóörs Beer Festival
Although the Balaton region is famous for its exquisite wines, there’s place for beers here, too. The 3rd Alsóörs Beer Festival will bring almost 150 beers from 35 breweries, including Hungarian, Czech, Belgian, English, and German ones, to the shore of Lake Balaton between July 12 and 16 – and the festival is less than 10 kilometers away from the venue of the championships. You can taste the various brews from 2pm to midnight every day while the festival lasts, and you can also try some tasty street food bites or catch a cool concert while you’re there.
Badacsony Wine Week
All through the second half of July, the winemakers of the Badacsony wine region welcome everyone who wants to learn more about the characteristics of these wines. What’s more, there’ll be more than just wines: it’s a “wine-culinary festival with cultural programs”, which means that there’ll be plenty of great concerts during the Badacsony Wine Week. You can reach Badacsonytomaj, the village that hosts the wine week by car or by train – it’s about 40 kilometers away from Balatonfüred.
Food Truck Show
The best food trucks of the capital will wheel down to Veszprém and station there during the Veszprém Street Music Festival from July 19 to 22. This means that, between the colorful selection of concerts within the frameworks of the festival, you’ll be able to try some of the best bites that rule the streets of Budapest – without even going too far away from the coolly calling shores of Lake Balaton.
The article was sponsored by Bp2017 Nonprofit Kft.
