Balaton Tour

This tour is about 8-10 hours.

The “Hungarian Sea” is the people’s name for the 50-mile long lake with silky green-yellow water in the middle of Transdanubia. Lake Balaton is one of Hungary’s most precious treasures and most frequented resorts. It is the largest lake in Central Europe. At its center, the depth is 52.5 ft. The southern shores are ideal for small children because of the shallow water. On the northern shore the water gets deeper immediately. The summer water temperature of around 80 °F is warmer than the air in the morning and in the evening. The water and the silky mud of the lake are very good remedies for various diseases. Lake Balaton is also famous for its rich vineyards, producing a great assortment of excellent wines that go very well with the delicious local food. Large numbers of inns and restaurants welcome guests from all over the world. The tour includes visits in Herend, Tihany and Balatonfured. Herend is known for the world famous porcelain factory founded in the early 19th century. Its hand-painted masterpieces of extraordinary quality won several gold medals at world exhibitions in the past centuries. From the mid-19th century on, the products of the factory gained increasing reputation and became widely known and used in royal courts and homes of the aristocracy throughout the world. Visit the Herend Porcelain Museum to learn about the history of the factory, and enjoy the beauty of the exceptional porcelain pieces manufactured in the traditional way. The world’s largest collection of Herend porcelain can be seen in the Museum as well. Moreover, visitors not only will have the chance to examine the process of manufacturing porcelain but also can have a lesson in the art of porcelain making.

The twin-towered church of the Tihany peninsula is distinctly visible far and wide. The peninsula is of volcanic origin, and has a profusion of rare plants and animals. It was King Andras I who founded in the first settlement in Tihany in 1055. His crypt survived the turbulent past and still stands in its original form. The present church was built over the crypt in the 18th century in the Baroque style and has many precious woodcarvings. In the Museum of the Benedictine Abbey, you can find an exhibition about ancient times of the area. There are frequent organ concerts in the abbey church in summertime. Moreover, visitors can explore the interesting Open-air Ethnographic Museum, the rural houses of the old village and the Potter’s House, showing the life of fishermen in the past centuries. You can find the unique Doll Museum in Tihany, too, featuring hundreds of color ful dolls from all over the world.

From Tihany you can take a boat ride to Balatonfured or drive by car. Balatonfured is the capital of the Northen Shore, with elegant promenade and lovely coffees. It was a popular resort of the many Hungarian writers and artists whose magnificent villas has been turned into museums (Jókai Villa, Blaha Lujza Villa).
For Jewish interest in the old village center the Synagogue still stands…. but no more functioning. In the summer time we can also visit the Jewish Community Summer Hostel.