Balaton Travel Guide, Hungary

We went to Balaton the Hungarian seaside as they call it and we stopped at Siofok a big city that is also a resort on the shores of the lake. We went from Kecskemet by car and there are about 120 km to go. The roads are very good and it takes only about one hour and a half to get there. The resort stretches for some three km.

At the eastern side where the resort begins there are not so many restaurants and shops but it is full of accommodation facilities from private homes to luxurious hotels. The shores of the lake are rocky but there are stairs that lead you directly in the lake and at the bottom there is only fine sand.

Right next to the sore at about 1 m distance there is a paved walkway that serves as the main thoroughfare. On the other side of the walkway there is a grassy area that is used by people to lie in the sun. if you go towards the centre there is a larger area covered with sand where children love to play and it leads directly in the lake and there are no rocks.

There are toilets pretty close but there are no showers maybe because here you do not have to pay. As you go more towards the centre of the resort the area around the lake is surrounded by fence and there you have to pay around 1000 ft to go in. The green area here is larger and just as clean. Maybe they have showers inside but it didn’t seem much more different from the part where you didn’t have to pay.

The water is not clear and you can’t see the bottom of the lake even if it is quite shallow. The water level does not exceed half meter from the shore until about 100 m making the lake perfect for children.

The centre of the resort is packed with restaurants snack bars shops clubs and other tourist oriented venues. The street is a pedestrian only street and when the night falls and people come from the lake it is full of people.

At the western end of the resort there is a small port where the ships dock. There are some ships that take you for a visit around the lake and you can see the other resorts from the other side of the lake. The price for a trip varies according to the type of trip you choose (a night trip with champagne or a simple morning trip). Small children travel free.

Among other activities there are: sailing boating or water cycling.

It might not be the seaside there are no waves and clear water but Hungarians like it and it is always full of people.

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