Lake Balaton
Hungary's 'State Hospital for Heart Diseases' may seem a curious recommendation for a trip outside Budapest. But a walk around its atmospheric grounds on Gyogy ter (Healing Square) should be your first stop at the lakeside resort of Balatonfured.
It's a trip back in time, to the 19th-century Habsburg era of balls and army officers, coaches and cobblestones. Framed by magnificent, if crumbling, Austro-Hungarian architecture, under a canopy of tall trees, filled with gossiping pensioners, it's the sort of tranquil site where Thomas Mann, you feel, could have relocated his epic work The Magic Mountain.
Gyogy ter is built on Balatonfured's hot springs, pumping up mineral-rich water from deep underground, flowing freely from several taps. There is a small arcade-promenade lined with statues of long-dead writers and poets who came here to take the waters. Many 19th-century artists had their summer houses nearby, finding inspiration in the azure waters of the lake.
Lake Balaton is central Europe's largest inland body of water, but with more than 150km (93 miles) of coastline, it's hard to choose the right spot for a couple of days' R & R from the bustle of Budapest.
Some of the stretches, particularly around the resort of Siofok, are over-developed with loud discos and hamburger bars, but others retain a tranquil beauty.
My favourite part of the coast is the area around Balatonfured and nearby Tihany. Balatonfured is served by frequent trains from Budapest's Deli station (around two or three hours) or is a couple of hours' drive by car. The water is clean and safe, although the "beaches" are usually grass or man-made. Balaton's shores are very shallow, so they are suitable for children.
Balatonfured, like many of the resorts of the lake's more attractive northern shore, has an engagingly timeless feel. Like most of Hungary, it is very safe and child-friendly, although it's always worth carefully checking your restaurant or bar bill before paying it.
Balatonfured has a lovely promenade along the lakeside, with plenty of benches, and kiosks offering glasses of the good local wines.
Ferries chug across the lake from Balatonfured to the northern shore, which makes a pleasant trip for an hour or two. Nearby is Tihany, perched on a promontory with spectacular views across the lake.
Tihany boasts an 11th-century abbey with an ornate Baroque church, and a crypt. It's a popular spot for organ concerts during the summer months, although it can become rather crowded, so the best time to visit is in the mornings, before a long lunch of the lakeside restaurants' speciality, fogas - a kind of hybrid pike-perch.
Balaton's volcanic soil has made it a centre of wine producing for centuries. As the local saying goes: "The best wines are made where the grapes can see their reflection in the water of the lake." Under communism, wine production was part of the planned economy and quality plummeted. Hungary's wine industry has experienced an unparalleled renaissance since the early 1990s. The area around Balatonfured, and the nearby village of Csopak, is famed for crisp and dry white wines, especially Pinot Gris and Cabernet Sauvignon. The roads around the area are dotted with cellars offering tastings.
Try before you buy, and expect to pay between one and two euro a litre but don't expect a proper wine bottle with a label - more likely is a recycled mineral water bottle. None of which affects the taste, and there are few more pleasant ways to spend a warm evening watching the sun set over Lake Balaton, than with a glass of the local wine in hand
