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City guide

Lake Balaton

Lake Balaton is a freshwater rift lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region's foremost tourist destinations.

Type Town

Why go

  • Freshwater lake in Hungary.
  • Served by Balatonlelle Glider Field.

History

Lake Balaton is a freshwater rift lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region's foremost tourist destinations. The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water to the lake, and the canalized Sió is the only outflow.

Restaurants & places to go

Regional, Restaurant · Nyitva: ápr-nov.: 12-22h, kedd szünnap Opening hours: We-Mo 12:00-22:00 Features: outdoor seating · 9 Cserhegyi utca, Tihany, 8237 · ferencpince.hu
Indoor
Cafe · nezdabalatont Opening hours: Mo-Su 08:00-22:00 Features: vegan options, step-free access · 22 Kossuth Lajos utca, Tihany, 8237 · apatsagicukraszda.hu
Indoor
Restaurant · Az étterem átalakítás miatt zárva tart Opening hours: off Features: dogs welcome · 1 Fő utca, Paloznak, 8229 · homolapinceszet.hu
Indoor
Hungarian, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Tu off; We-Su 12:00-22:00 Features: outdoor seating, dogs welcome · Baricska dűlő, Balatonfüred, 8230 · baricska.hu
Indoor
Pizza, Fast Food · Opening hours: Mo-Su 10:00-24:00 · 9 Balatonfüredi út, Balatonalmádi, 8220 · dongusto.hu
Indoor
Regional, Restaurant · Opening hours: Mo-Su 11:30-22:00 Features: outdoor seating, vegetarian options, step-free access · 3 Zákonyi Ferenc utca, Balatonfüred,… · halaszkert.hu
Indoor
Italian, Noodle, Fast Food · Opening hours: Th-Mo 11:00-21:00 Features: outdoor seating · 120 Budapesti út, Balatonföldvár, 8623 · peterspastabfv.hu
Indoor
Italian, Restaurant · Opening hours: 24/7 Features: outdoor seating, takeaway, vegetarian options, air conditioning · 6 Széchenyi Imre utca, Balatonföldvár,… · pub-lik.hu
Indoor

292 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →

Airports

Szentkirályszabadja Airfield 15 km to the centre
Szentkirályszabadja, VE, HU
Outdoor
Siófok-Kiliti Airfield 19 km to the centre
Siófok-Kiliti, SO, HU
Outdoor
Hajmáskér Airfield 23 km to the centre
Hajmáskér, VE, HU
Outdoor
Földes Airfield 3.6 km to the centre
Balatonfüred, VE, HU
Outdoor
Tótvázsony Airfield 12 km to the centre
Tótvázsony, VE, HU
Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Balatonfüred
Ferry terminal · 0.7 km from the centre · Balatoni Hajózási Zrt.
Outdoor
Tihany
Ferry terminal · 4 km from the centre · Balatoni Hajózási Zrt.
Outdoor
Tihanyrév
Ferry terminal · 7.2 km from the centre · Balatoni Hajózási Zrt.
Outdoor
Alsóörs
Ferry terminal · 7.9 km from the centre · Balatoni Hajózási Zrt.
Outdoor
Szántódrév
Ferry terminal · 8.2 km from the centre · Balatoni Hajózási Zrt.
Outdoor
Balatonföldvár
Ferry terminal · 11 km from the centre · Balatoni Hajózási Zrt.
Outdoor
Balatonfüred-Tihany
Ferry route · Balatoni Hajózási Zrt.
Outdoor
Alsóörs-Tihany
Ferry route · Balatoni Hajózási Zrt.
Outdoor
Tihany-Tihanyrév
Ferry route · Balatoni Hajózási Zrt.
Outdoor
Balatonfüred-Siófok
Ferry route · Balatoni Hajózási Zrt.
Outdoor
Szántód–Tihanyrév
Ferry route · Balatoni Hajózási Zrt.
Outdoor
Siófok-Tihany
Ferry route · Balatoni Hajózási Zrt.
Outdoor
Balatonföldvár-Tihanyrév
Ferry route · Balatoni Hajózási Zrt.
Outdoor
Alsóörs-Balatonalmádi
Ferry route · Balatoni Hajózási Zrt.
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Balatonlelle Glider Field; 7 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By water: 6 ferry terminals within 20 km (nearest: Balatonfüred, 0.7 km); routes include Balatonfüred-Tihany, Alsóörs-Tihany, Tihany-Tihanyrév.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Lake Balaton. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Local transit

Public transit · Schedules & GTFS data

Trains & rail

National rail