July 31, 2026, 8:27 am | Read time: 7 minutes
By chance, TRAVELBOOK author Robin Hartmann ended up at Hungary’s popular Lake Balaton this year. Once there, he was quite surprised, as he had always imagined Balaton to be quite different. In just under a week, he experienced many exciting things, saw beautiful places—and was more than once thoroughly shocked.
One of the most beautiful experiences of traveling for me is when I can finally compare the expectations of a place I’ve built up in my mind with reality. Only to find that everything might be completely different than expected, but in a different way, beautiful and exciting. That’s exactly how I felt this summer when I was looking for a sunny destination in otherwise rainy Europe with a few friends. We spontaneously came up with the idea of driving from Warsaw to Hungary’s Lake Balaton in an old camper van.
First of all: Yes, with an area of nearly 600 square kilometers, Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe, yet I had imagined it to be infinitely more massive in my mind. A kind of inland sea where you can’t see the other shore from the beach. I also had the idea of a somewhat dusty vacation spot, a slightly outdated destination, mainly popular with locals and vacationers from the former East Germany. Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong, because Balaton is something like Hungary’s Riviera, a destination for the beautiful and wealthy of the world, or rather all of Europe.
Wading Instead of Swimming
But it’s not just the water, it’s also the sensationally beautiful landscape in which it is embedded. All around Balaton, archaic mountains rise into the sky, remnants of the volcanic activity that once created this region. Vineyards wind their way up their steep slopes, framing picturesque little villages with old churches. Around Lake Balaton, I hardly saw any hotels during my stay, but plenty of campsites. We also wanted to spend our vacation in the simplest, most carefree way possible, so after our arrival, we headed to one of these sites.
Our campsite was near Badacsony, and we booked a spot for the first two nights. A private plot near the water for 80 euros a night, impeccable sanitary facilities, a communal kitchen, and even a sauna. Naturally, after arriving, we had to head straight to the small, reed-fringed beach area, as we wanted to shake off the heat of over 30 degrees with a first dip in Balaton. And we experienced the next surprise. Instead of swimming, it was first wading. Lake Balaton is surprisingly shallow in many places, with an average depth of just over three meters.
Small Cruises
Then a first excursion to Badacsony, whose clear highlight is the chic pier. Here, vacationers stroll, waiting for one of the modern ferries that offer small cruises to other towns on Balaton. It was Hungary’s socialist government that increasingly developed Lake Balaton as a vacation destination from the 1950s onward. Many places only came into existence during this time, and today almost the entire lake is parceled into campsites, outdoor pools, and other private, fee-based areas. Those without a car can reach Balaton from Budapest in just a few hours by train.
A light appetite led us on a walk through the vineyards to the small snack stand “Langalló-Haz,” where the friendly Attila offers various pastries and occasionally a schnapps for a good conversation. Try the “Rószafánk” here, a special Hungarian pastry. Now we wanted to taste the local wines, so we climbed a bit further to a noble winery. There, you can sit wonderfully under a vine-covered canopy and have a breathtaking view of Balaton, especially at sunset.
Lavender and Fried Fish
When we arrived, Balaton was almost deserted, but it turns into a party paradise, especially on weekends. And at our next destination, the small town of Tihany, it was clear that Lake Balaton is no longer a hidden gem. Crowds of tourists thronged through the narrow streets, past the old slate-roofed houses, buying mainly one thing: lavender products. Lavender has been grown here since the 1920s, and from lavender beer to ice cream and perfume, everything related to the plant was available.
The main reason to visit Tihany is still the beautiful monastery that overlooks the town from a hill. From here, strolling along a promenade, you have a truly stunning view of Balaton. One of the most beautiful places on the lake, but we didn’t want to linger too long due to the crowds and the heat. Instead, our appetite led us to a true institution, the fish snack bar “Aszóföi Halsütö.” Here, the catch of the day is freshly fried, eaten traditionally from paper plates, and you couldn’t be happier. Except maybe with the price, as I paid 40 euros for two pike-perch fillets with soggy fries and drinks.
Why the Area Around Lake Balaton Is a True Hidden Gem
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Incredibly Expensive
And that was actually my second, rather unpleasant surprise at Balaton, as it is simply incredibly expensive in many places. I paid 60 euros for two sandwiches and four coffees at the admittedly very hip and good garden café “Az Igazi” in the small town of Káptalantóti. My friend was charged seven euros for four peaches and a small drink at a local supermarket. And when I once waited for my friends in front of a supermarket, I paid 17 euros for three iced coffees. Where vacationers from all over Europe, from Germany to Switzerland to even Denmark and the Netherlands, come (I saw all these license plates on the way), perhaps only a romantic like me is surprised by something like this.
In Káptalantóti, however, you can also find one of the most beautiful and exciting places at Balaton on Sundays, namely the Liliomkert market. It is the largest at the entire lake and hosts about 300 vendors, where you can buy just about anything. Leather, baskets, wood, iron goods, clothing, jewelry, fruits, vegetables, meat and cheese specialties, art, honey, homemade pesto, natural medicine—there’s nothing you can’t find here. Despite the abundance of people, strolling around is really fun for several hours. Especially if you refresh yourself with an iced coffee and a freshly fried Lángos in between.
The Largest Thermal Lake in the World
After two nights, we moved to another campsite. There, we pitched our tents on a very beautiful, tree-lined meadow. A large beach with Hollywood swings, boat and SUP rentals, a snack bar for a quick bite and cold drinks. In the end, we found a place where the food was really delicious and still affordable. Namely, the restaurant “Piroska Csárda” near the town of Keszthely. Here, I enjoyed an excellent porcini risotto for the equivalent of under 15 euros.
There would have been so many more places we would have liked to see on our short trip. For example, Keszthely with its impressive castle. Or the spa town of Héviz, where the largest thermal lake in the world is located. If it hadn’t been so hot, we would have certainly climbed one of the rather low volcanic mountains to enjoy the view. But that’s how it is with a vacation; it’s always over too quickly. However, we were all so in love with Balaton by the end that we decided to come back as soon as possible.