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Lake Balaton & Southern

Includes  Why Go? Lake Balaton Region. .190 Extending roughly 80km like a skinny, lopsided paprika, at Balatonfüred. . . . .190 first glance Lake Balaton seems to simply be a happy, sunny Tihany ...... 194 expanse of opaque tourmaline-coloured water in which to Keszthely...... 198 play. But step beyond the beaches of Europe’s biggest and shallowest body of water and you’ll encounter vine-filled Southern forested hills, a national park and a wild peninsula jutting Transdanubia . . . . 205 out 4km, nearly cutting the lake in half. Oh, and did we Pécs ...... 205 mention ’s most famous porcelain producer and a Mohács...... 214 hilltop fairy-tale fortress? Then there’s Southern Transdanubia, where whitewashed farmhouses with thatched roofs dominate a countryside that hasn’t changed in centuries. Anchoring its centre is one of Hungary’s most alluring cities, Pécs, where a Mediterra- Best Places to Eat nean feel permeates streets filled with relics of Hungary’s ¨¨Zsolnay Restaurant Ottoman past and a head-spinning number of exceptional (p212) museums. Beyond, a clutch of medieval castles enchant and ¨¨Bistro Sparhelt (p193) vineyard cellars beckon you to wine-taste your heart out. ¨¨Baricska Csárda (p193) ¨¨Jókai Bisztró (p211) ¨¨Régi Idők Udvara Skanzen When to Go és Étterem (p197) Pecs °C/°F Temp Rainfall inches/mm ¨ ¨Paletta Keszthely (p203) 30/86 6/150

20/68 4/100 Best Places 10/50 to Sleep 2/50 0/32 ¨¨Gombás Kúria Mansion (p192) -10/14 0 J FDM A M J J A S O N ¨¨Kora Panzió (p197) ¨¨Adele Boutique Hotel Apr–May Lake Jul–Aug Hot and Sep–Oct Fewer (p210) Balaton resorts humid but guaran- crowds around begin to open and teed sunny days/ Lake Balaton and ¨¨Club Hotel Füred (p192) Southern Trans- balmy nights; high mild temps; may ¨¨Bacchus (p203) danubia bursts season around be the best time with flowers. Lake Balaton. to visit.

Fenékpuszta Tab Fonyód Balatonberény

Simontornya Lake Ba Balatonlaton & Southern & Southern Transdanu Tranbias Badanulatonb ia& Sou  thern Transdanubia Highlights

Balatonboglár

Gyenesdias L a k e k a L Keszthely factory. factory.

Balatonlelle

B'lábdihegy

188 porcelain famous

B a l a t o n o t a l a B B'tomaj

Szigliget

Hévíz

ceramics at the the at ceramics

B'örs Kªröshegy 65

Badacsonytördemic Balatonföldvár

Salföld

goldish-hued goldish-hued

Révfülöp

Szántódpuszta

Káptalantóti

Balatonkiliti

the greenish- and and greenish- the Kªvágóörs National Park National

Szántód Mindszentkálla

Zánka Uplands

plus marvelling at at marvelling plus Basin

Balatonszabadi

Köveskál Köveskál Sárbogárd Balaton Siófok

Tapolca Kál

Tihany

lively university town, town, university lively

FEJÉR Enying

E71

B a k o n y n o k a B

Hegyes-t¬ coffee shops in this this in shops coffee

M7

Sóstó craft beer bars and and bars beer craft

Balatonfüred

Lepseny excellent museums, museums, excellent

Nagyvázsony

Sümeg

Checking out the the out Checking Balatonakarattya

Balatonalmádi Tótvázsony

Nyirád

Pécs

(p205) (p205) 3

Balácapuszta

Balatonkenese and bars by night. by bars and H i l l s l l i H

VESZPRÉM Polgárdi

Balatonf¬zfª Tác

lakeside restaurants restaurants lakeside

84

Seregélyes

capital, then hitting hitting then capital,

Veszprém Ajka

Devecser

Szabadbattyán Berhida

Herend in the Lake Balaton Balaton Lake the in

E73

7 Pusztaszabolcs

E66

swimming and cycling cycling and swimming

E66

M7 8

M6

8

Agárd paddleboarding, paddleboarding,

Gárdony

82

Várpalota (p190) Sailing, Sailing, (p190) 83

SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR

Balatonfüred

2

Pákozd

lakeside village. lakeside Velence

Lake

Celldömölk most picture-perfect picture-perfect most Zirc

beer in Hungary’s Hungary’s in beer

a home-brewed home-brewed a Martonvásár

81

7 E71 Church and sipping sipping and Church

Pápa

M7

around in the the in around bbey bbey A

811

Mór 82

peninsula, poking poking peninsula,

(25km)

Wandering the wild wild the Wandering

Tihany (p194) (p194) 1

83 Highlights Rába iver R

Transdanubia Transdanubia Oroszlány

Bicske & Southern Southern &

M1 Kisbér

Lake Balaton Balaton Lake

SOPRON

ESZTERGOM GY«R-MOSON-

Tatabánya KOMÁROM- Pannonhalma

E75

latonaton & Southern & Southern Transdanu Tranbias Badanulatonb ia& Sou  thern Transdanubia Highlights

Lake Ba Bal 188