368 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE
Balatonberény 0
One of the first resorts on the lake
to become popular, Balatonberény
retains a late-19th-century charm,
most apparent in its delightful
lakeside cottages and rural houses.Lake Balaton Tour i
Spread over an area of 596 sq km (230 sq miles),
Lake Balaton is the largest freshwater lake in Central
Europe. It is often referred to as Budapest-on-Sea and
attracts thousands of holidaymakers every summer.
Most of the southern side of the lake is very shallow,
with an average depth of just 4 m (13 ft), and the
waters are fairly warm, making this the most popular
shore with bathers and families. The southern shore
is, therefore, the most developed, with sandy beaches
and a wide choice of accommodation.Siófok u
88 km (54 miles) SW of Budapest.
- 23,000. £ @ from Budapest.
g from Balatonalmádi, Tihany.
n Tourinform, Viztorony, Szabadság
tér (084) 310 117. _ Golden
Cockle Folklore Festival (Jul).
http://www.siofoktourism.com
The largest and liveliest resort
on Lake Balaton’s southern
coast, Siófok stretches along
the shore for 17 km (11 miles).
It is popular with weekenders
from Budapest, many of
whom have holiday homes
here. The main attraction
is the beach. It is split into
two parts – Golden Shore
(Aranypart) to the north, and
Silver Shore (Ezüstpart) to the
south – by the Sió canal,
which was originally built by
the Romans in AD 276. Like
all of Lake Balaton’s resorts,
Siófok offers mainly grass
beaches. The resort’s marina
is at the head of the canal,
from where pleasure cruisers
and ferries depart for the
nearby Tihany Peninsula,
Hungary’s first conservation
area. The port is a good place
to hire sailing boats, and to
organize a variety of other
water sports.
On summer evenings,
Siófok comes alive with
tens of thousands of young
people looking for a good
time in the resort’s innu-
mer able bars, discos and
nightclubs, many of which are
in the open air. Visitors
looking for a quiet night
may prefer to go to one
of the smaller resorts along
the coast.
Kis-Balaton (^) q
The Kis-Balaton
Nature Reserve at
the mouth of the
Zala river covers an
area of 40 sq km
(15 sq miles). It is
home to many rare
plants and animals.
Balatonmáriafürdő 9
This lively resort attracts
water sports enthusiasts
and those looking
for a good range of
bars and restaurants.
Balatonfenyves 8
This small resort is very
popular with families. A
miniature railway runs to
a nearby thermal bath.
Marina in Siófok, departure point for
pleasure cruises and water sports
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp390–93 and pp394–7
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