Lake Balaton is not only about sunbathing and watersports – it also offers many more-sophisticated pleasures. Keszthely – the historical town lying just 20km from FlyBalaton Airport – is the region’s cultural capital. It boasts noble architecture, some excellent museums and one of the country’s finest palaces, where you can enjoy summer concerts in a mirrored ballroom. Elsewhere you’ll find rugged fortresses at Nagyvázsony, Sümeg and Szigliget, a grand abbey church at the pinnacle of the Tihany peninsula, the legacies of leading 19th-century artists at Balatonfüred, the echoes of medieval aristocracy at Veszprém, a romantic cave lake in Tapolca and delicate pieces of internationally renowned porcelain at Herend.
Furthermore, there’s plenty for the wine buff or the gourmand. Take a trawl through the atmospheric cellars that stud the volcanic hills of the northern shore and sample some wonderfully refreshing white wines, before choosing a hillside restaurant in which to indulge in freshly caught Balaton fish and breathtaking views. Those truly in the know time their visit to coincide with one of the region’s many colourful festivals, when you can get a taste of traditional music, dance, crafts – and yet more food and drink! Whether you’re a culture vulture or a bon viveur, Balaton has it covered.
