Short history of Lake Balaton: the golden age of Balatonfüred

Lake Balaton is undoubtedly one of Hungary’s most iconic and beloved destinations, with every Hungarian holding fond memories of it. In this article, we revisit a chapter from the lake’s past: the blossoming of Balatonfüred, one of its central towns.

Over the centuries, accommodating visitors and adapting to their habits has gradually shaped the culture and natural environment of the towns along the shores of Lake Balaton. We can trace the classical bathing culture of Lake Balaton to the latter part of the 19th century, but tourism began during the Reform Era. According to the Balneological Association, the first tourism statistics for the whole of Lake Balaton date back to the turn of the century. In 1897, 17,091 guests spent their holidays at the lake, one-third of whom stayed in Balatonfüred.

Balatonfüred, a meeting point for artists and politicians

In the first half of the 19th century, Balatonfüred initially attracted the great families of the Transdanubian region. After the Compromise of 1867, it became a favourite destination for politicians and artists. The town centre, consisting of 18th and 19th-century buildings, attracts thousands of visitors each year and boasts a modern tourist infrastructure with hotels, residences and restaurants.

Jókai’s Villa, Photo: FB / Jókai Mór Emlékház Balatonfüred

Mór Jókai, one of Hungary’s most beloved and well-known writers, wrote his famous novel The Golden Man (Az arany ember), part of which is set at Lake Balaton, in his villa in Balatonfüred. The building is now a museum, where you can see the writer’s furniture and personal belongings and gain insight into the everyday life of an artist at the lake.

Blaha’s Villa, Photo: szallas.hu

As the town began to develop in the first half of the 19th century, during the Reform Era, a wooden theatre was built for the entertainment of summer guests. In 1831, the Theatre of Balatonfüred was constructed, becoming the first Hungarian stone theatre in the Transdanubian region. The villa of the celebrated actress of the time, Blaha Lujza, is also located here. The actress loved Lake Balaton so much that she spent every summer there for 23 years. Her villa now operates as a hotel.

Tagore Promenade Photo: FB / Balatonfüredi Programok Tourinform

The Cardiology Clinic of Balatonfüred opened in 1913 and remains the largest cardiac rehabilitation centre in Hungary. Known today as the State Hospital for Cardiology, it was once the mansion of the Eszterházy family. Between the two world wars, several ministers were patients here. The good reputation of the sanatorium spread internationally, especially after the Nobel Prize-winning Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore recovered there in November 1926. The town’s beautiful promenade is named in his honour.

Anna Ball in Balatonfüred, Photo: FB / Kontrát Károly

János Horváth Szentgyörgyi organised the first Anna Ball in honour of his daughter Anna Krisztina on 26 July 1825, in the Horváth House in Balatonfüred. The Anna Ball has become a tradition, held every year at the end of July. From the 1950s onwards, the title of ‘Anna Ball’s Beauty’ was awarded to the girl judged to be the most beautiful at the ball. During the communist era, until the mid-1980s, the Anna Ball Pageant was the only nationally recognised beauty pageant, and the winners received significant press coverage each year.

Photo: bahart.hu

István Széchenyi, the great reformer, initiated the launch of the first steamboat, the Kisfaludy, from Balatonfüred in 1846, and a shipyard was also established in the town. Since then, Balatonfüred has been a prominent destination for Balaton cruising. Today, visitors can enjoy the beauty of the lake and the town aboard the Jókai nostalgia boat, named after the writer. For more details on cruises, visit BAHART’s website here.

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