Lake Fertő

5 Hungarian lakes to visit all year around

According to travelo.hu, Lake Balaton welcomes visitors with magical lookout-towers and delicious meals, Lake Tisza with an adventure park and boating opportunity, Lake Fertő with cute towns and plenty of birds, Lake Velence with a day worth of sights and Sóstógyógyfürdő with a huge zoo and the country’s biggest village museum, all year around. If there are so many opportunities at Hungarian lakes, why would you only think about the beach and sunbathing? End this habit and get going! 🙂

Of course, you can’t pack a bathing suit in spring, but you can go on walks, eat great meals and enjoy the sun just like in summer. In fact, since the season hasn’t started yet, the experience will be even better due to the smaller crowds. And spring is the most ideal season for sport lovers, who’d like to cycle or hike around the most beautiful Hungarian lakes.

Lake Balaton

Touristic experts and locals have been repeating it for quite some time that Balaton is just as great in autumn and spring, and it shouldn’t only be visited in July and August. And they are perfectly right. If you decide to visit the region at a spring weekend, make sure to visit one of the lookout-towers, because the view of the lake is stunning. And those who’d rather ride their bicycles should go in the direction of the Káli Basin, because the path and the region is beautiful. If you’d like to finish the day off with a delicious meal, you should check out the Gastro Map of Lake Balaton, which lists the best restaurants of the region.

Lake Tisza

Another lake where the opportunities go beyond bathing, however, you don’t have to forget about it either, because the selection of wellness hotels is quite wide. Still, of course, you can do much more than enjoy the saunas and jacuzzis. For instance, you may rent a bike and cycle around the lake, and stop at the adventure park, the mini outdoor museum of Abádszalók, or the ecocentre of Poroszló, with the cutest otters. Do some research on the flora and fauna of the region, rent a boat, and get to know the nature and the bird species of the lake.

Photo: www.facebook.com/CsodálatosTisza-tó

Lake Fertő

Lake Fertő offers similar experiences to what the previous two destinations do, but with an extra touch: it lies at the Austrian-Hungarian border and the feeling of visiting the neighbours spices up the adventure. There’s basically everything you can imagine, one weekend is not even enough to discover the whole region. For one thing, it is full of cultural sights like Sopron, the old town of Ruszt, the landscape house of Fertőszéplak, the outdoor museum of Mönchhof, and the castles of Fertőd and Kismarton. For another thing, the selection of sport activities is quite wide: you can rent bikes, kayaks or go hiking. If you happen to be mire amazed by the fauna, or delicious meals, you’ll be in a good place, as well.

Photo: Wiki Commons By Lutz Fischer-Lamprecht

Lake Velence

While you’d need at least four days to explore Lake Fertő and its vicinity, you can discover Lake Velence in one day. But this doesn’t mean that it is boring, only that its size is so compact that you could cycle around the lake, eat lunch and visit the sights in one day. So it’s the perfect destination for those who can only get out of the rat race for one day.

Photo: Wiki Commons By Susulyka

Nyíregyháza-Sóstógyógyfürdő

If you don’t live in the neighbourhood, the chances of coming up with programme ideas in the region are quite small, because it still doesn’t get enough attention. But if you’re going towards Nyíregyháza, missing such a holiday resort as Sóstógyógyfürdő would be a pity. Sóstó is a tiny oasis, where you can find everything you need for a weekend staycation. A thermal bath at the coast of the lake surrounded by oak forests, a huge zoo, and Hungary’s biggest village museum welcome you here. It is also a place where there are basically no distances, everything is within reach. Perfect for a cosy spring weekend.

Photo: www.facebook.com/Sóstó-Nyíregyháza-Sóstófürdő

Featured image: www.facebook.com/Fertőtó

Ce: bm

May 20, 2017

Five of the most important lakes in Hungary

Lakepedia.com – Hungary is a beautiful country, a popular tourist destination that attracts more than 10 million visitors every year. The stunning Budapest is of course the most famous of its destinations, but Hungary also has many beautiful lakes. Below are 5 of the most important lakes in Hungary, each with its own interesting particularities.

1. Lake Balaton

Lake Balaton needs little introduction. Located in the western part of Hungary, it is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region’s most popular vacation destinations. It covers an area of 592 square kilometers, and has a maximum depth of 12 meters.

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/31-lakeside-holiday-options-in-the-hungarian-countryside/” color=”teal” newwindow=”yes”] Related article: BEYOND BALATON: 3+1 LAKESIDE HOLIDAY OPTIONS IN THE HUNGARIAN COUNTRYSIDE – VIDEOS[/button]

There are many resorts around the lake, the most important ones being Keszthely, Siófok, and Balatonfüred. Zamárdi, a resort on the lake’s southern shore, hosts Balaton Sound, an important electronic music festival held since 2007.

The lake is most popular among tourists from June to August, with an abundance of activities available. The warm water temperature during summer makes swimming and bathing very popular. Even though most beaches consist of grass, rocks, or sand from the bottom of the lake, many resorts offer artificial sandy beaches as well.

Other popular activities at the lake include fishing, sailing, and water sports. The region on the northern shore of the lake is also known for its historic character and as a major wine region. Even though the lake is most popular during the summer, it is also frequented during winter, when visitors skate, sledge, ice-sail, or go ice-fishing on the frozen waters of the lake.

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/tag/balaton/” type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Read more articles about BALATON[/button]

2. Lake Fertő

Lake Fertő is also quite large, the largest salt lake in Europe, the third largest lake in Central Europe, and the westernmost of the great continental salt lakes of Eurasia. The lake is actually shared between Hungary and Austria, where it is known under the name of Neusiedler See. Lake Fertő covers an area of 315 square kilometers, with about 76% of the lake in Austria and 24% in Hungary. The lake’s maximum depth is just 1.8 meters.

[button link=”https://dailynewshungary.com/hungary-austria-launch-cross-border-national-park-project-eu-funding/” newwindow=”yes”] Related article: HUNGARY, AUSTRIA TO LAUNCH CROSS-BORDER NATIONAL PARK PROJECT WITH EU FUNDING[/button]

The lake is an important resting place for migratory birds, because most of it is surrounded by reeds, which makes it ideal as a wildlife habitat. The reeds are harvested during winter, for both ecological and economic reasons. The region around the lake, particularly in Austria, draws significant numbers of tourists, who come here for sailing and windsurfing.

Photo By Lutz Fischer-Lamprecht (Own work) CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

3. Lake Tisza

Lake Tisza is actually a reservoir (also known as Kisköre Reservoir), and quite a large one. Covering 127 square kilometers, it is located at the southeastern edge of Heves county. The dam that formed the lake, Tisza Dam, was built in 1973, but its filling was finished in the 1990s. The lake has a maximum depth of 17 meters.

After the reservoir was completed, it was designated an official tourism destination by the government. Consequently, tourist infrastructure has been developed on Lake Tisza, and vacationers started to visit it. Some people prefer it to Lake Balaton, which is considered more crowded and more expensive.

Photo By Németh Dániel (directly from author) GFDL, via Wikimedia Commons

4. Lake Velence

Covering an area of 27 square kilometers, Lake Velence is the second largest natural lake located entirely in Hungary. It is located in Fejér county between Budapest and Székesfehérvár, at the foot of the Velence Mountains.

One third of the lake’s area is covered by reed, which makes the lake a natural reserve that shelters bird species unique in Europe. The sunny climate of the area and the shallow waters of the lake, which only reach an average depth of 1.6 meters, make Lake Velence one of the warmest lakes in Europe. The water temperature in the summer may be as high as 28 °C.

Lake Velence is also a popular tourist destinations in Hungary. The water of the lake is rich in sodium and magnesium, and it regenerates the fatigued body and eases rheumatoid symptoms. There are also a lot of beaches that await people who prefer active holidays.

Photo By Susulyka (Own work) CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

5. Lake Fehér

Lake Fehér is located just north of the town of Szeged, and covers an area of 14 square kilometres. Its name derives from its color, Fehér meaning “white”. The lake is a part of the Kiskunság National Park, and is the largest saltwater lake located entirely in Hungary.

Lake Fehér is home to 280 bird species, and the area is an important stop for migrating European birds, which come here to rest and feed. In the migration season, one can see crowds of cranes, wild geese, and many more species on Lake Fehér. This makes Lake Fehér extremely important for wildlife and thus it is carefully protected.

[learn_more caption=”lakepedia.com:”] Lakepedia is an online encyclopedia of lakes, which helps travelers discover new vacation destinations, lakes nearby, and increase awareness about the importance of inland bodies of water.[/learn_more]

Photo: Pixabay

Copy editor: bm

November 20, 2016

Beyond Balaton: 3+1 lakeside holiday options in the Hungarian countryside – VIDEOS

There is no place like Lake Balaton, but in the height of summer the crowded beaches can get a bit overwhelming. If you love the charm of natural lakes, but don’t want to spend 20 minutes queuing for a lángos, or if you’re just looking for something new, travelo.hu has collected some lakes and lakeside destinations to check out in the Hungarian countryside.

Lake Rukkel

The main attraction, the Lake Rukkel Waterpark is situated in Dunavarsány, 30 km outside Budapest. Besides swimming, you can also try wakeboarding or water skiing on the lake, and there are many slides as well.

The area is great if you want to spend a day out in nature, but there is also much to see on a longer holiday. Near Lake Rukkel is the ominously named Moby Dick Fishing Lake, and a small way off the Danube Branch of Ráckeve, a significant branch of the River Danube which runs around the Csepel Island. Fishing is allowed here as well, but cycling is also a great programme, as the scenery is gorgeous.

While we’re at the Danube Branch of Ráckeve, the Domariba Island needs to be mentioned. Nature photographers’ paradise, the northern part of the island is a designated nature reserve where many water birds, such as the great crested grebe, several species of herons, the Savi’s warbler, and the great reed warbler can be found.

Lake Fertő

Lake Fertő, on the Hungary-Austria border, has many things that make us recommend it. Firstly, its water is medicinal, and its salt content is 33 times as high as Lake Balaton’s.

Secondly, if there is one place where you should bring you bike, it’s Lake Fertő. There are either separate cycling tracks or designated bike lanes on the roads all the way around the lake. According to utazom.com, the whole distance is 130 km, which can be shortened to 68 km if you take the ferry across the lake at Mörbisch-Illmitz on the Austrian side.

There are also many rare animal species around the lake that can be observed in their natural habitat. The area is part of the Fertő-Hanság National Park.

There is no official public beach, but there is a beach open in Fertőrákos, where you can also rent a boat or a surfboard, there is surfing training, beach volleyball and beach football courts, a playground for kids, and opportunities for pleasure boating on the lake.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yz2CwZe08k

Lake Tisza

Lake Tisza, formerly known as the Kisköre Reservoir is the second largest lake and the largest artificial lake in Hungary, located 150 km from Budapest in the eastern part of the country. It’s a great choice both for lovers of water sports and people who simply like swimming.

There are public beaches in Tiszafüred, Poroszló, Kistöre, and Tiszanána, ports in Abádszalók and Poroszló, and anglers can use the beach in Sarud. There is also a thermal bath in Tiszafüred if the weather turns bad.

The surrounding area is also abundant in wildlife, which can be discovered at the Ecocentre in Poroszló, as well as on a variety of tours from pleasure boating to amphibious vehicles which traverse the most hidden nooks of the lake.

Lakes of Orfű

Orfű in Baranya county is perhaps most known for the Fishing on Orfű music festival, or for its proximity to Pécs, but it is worth venturing south in any season as the country is wondrously peaceful.

The Lakes of Orfű are made of three adjoined artificial lakes: Lake Orfű, or as it is known in the local vernacular, the “small lake”; Lake Pécs, or the “big lake”; and Lake Herman Ottó, named after a Hungarian zoologist and pioneer in natural history research for no apparent reason.

If you come here for swimming, Lake Orfű has a great beach with slides and obstacle courses that kids will love. There are also many hiking trails around the area, as well as horse riding opportunities, and all lakes are excellent for fishing.

Abaliget in the vicinity is also worth a visit. There are two lakes there, one with a small beach, the other primarily for fishing, but the main attraction is the stalactite cave, the biggest known cave in the Mecsek mountain range, and the only stalactite cave in the Southern Transdanubian region. Bring a jumper if you’re going, it gets quite cold in there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRYKg1iEhYw

Copy editor: bm

August 12, 2016