Here’s what you can do at Lake Balaton in winter

Balaton season is all year round and here’s a list of activities to prove it.

Everybody knows that once summer arrives to Hungary, Balaton season commences. We’re here to tell you, they are wrong. According to magyarorszagom.hu, there are tons of activities that don’t require a swimsuit and which you can do anytime, even in winter. No matter the weather, the Hungarian sea is always open to visitors!

Wine and dine

There are countless vineyards and excellent restaurants around the lake. It would be a shame to think that these can only be enjoyed in the summertime. Restaurants in this region are known for using local ingredients. It’s not a proper meal from the Balaton region unless it’s with a good wine. Luckily, the hills around the Hungarian sea are abound with vineyards from which fantastic wines are made. You can test the local wines at the Keszthely Bormustra on the 2nd of December.

Now that the weather is turning colder, there’s nothing better to warm the hands and soul than mulled wine. The XIII. Mulled Wine Brewing Festival in Tihany is on the 9th of December and is the perfect place to try some exquisite mulled wines and get warmer in the cold months.

The Koloska valley wildlife park awaits!

Even if it’s not one of the most well-known wild life parks in our country it’s a nice break from the everyday bustle of the weekdays. A calming getaway, here you can enjoy the winter weather with the forest creatures. See how the deers and stags get through the colder months!

Canoe at Hévíz

Canoeing is one of the most typical summer sports, but not in Hévíz. Here, thanks to the thermal waters, the water is warm even in the wintertime. You can enjoy a nice canoe ride on an almost 10-kilometer-long section of the stream.

Visit Veszprém

When you don’t mind a little travelling, you should most definitely visit the city of Veszprém. Here, you can check out the zoo, have a nice meal in one of the top-notch restaurants or see some installations in one of Veszprém’s museums. Especially before the holidays, when the Christmas market opens, the city is dashing. Read more about programs in Veszprém HERE.

Christmas markets around the lake

If you manage to get to the region before Christmas, you have to check out the Christmas markets. These, especially around the Balaton, have wonderful chimey cake (kürtőskalács) and, as mentioned earlier, mulled wine. There are some bigger highlights like Veszprém and Siófok, and there are some smaller scale fairs as well, such as the Folly Arboretum, which holds their annual Advent Market. Here, the stalls sell almost anything that one could possibly think of.

New Year’s Eve by the Hungarian sea

New Year’s Eve is a lovely experience no matter the location, why not make the environment lovely too? There are tons of guesthouses that are perfect for a more private celebration of the coming year. Be sure to register as soon as you can, because the places are most likely to fill up rapidly as the holidays approach.

Participate in living tradition at Szigliget

The township welcomes the new year with a striking tradition. The people of Szigliget take a “New year’s dip” on the first day of the year. This actually means a plunge into the icy waters of the Balaton, believed to be an excellent remedy to a rough night. If you don’t need a remedy, Szigliget is still worthy of a visit with its gorgeous castle and dashing view of the lake.

Wander and wonder

The Balaton region is absolutely stunning, no matter where you look at it from. However, if you want to avoid the crowds while hiking, you should most definitely visit the village of Mindszentkálla. From here, the breathtaking view from Kopasz Hill is only a short hike away.

Skating

We’re talking about a lake after all, and we can’t leave out one of the most important activities. Every January, they organise the Slip through Balaton event, the winter version of the annual summer event of Swim through Balaton. While the winter version doesn’t have swimming, it does have plenty of ice and skating. Until the Balaton freezes over, there are other places to get in shape for the Slip, such as Szigliget and Siófok.

There are many other fun activities to do, you can read more about these HERE.