Lake Balaton.

I have just spent a couple of days at Lake Balaton in Hungary. It’s a nice and relaxed alternative to Budapest, if you are visiting Hungary. 

I was flying into Budapest in Hungary and had to continue to Croatia for a tour guiding job. With a couple of days to spare, I decided to explore Hungary a bit. Having already been to Budapest a couple of times, I decided to head to Lake Balaton. Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe.

The main square in Siofok.

I was not that prepared for the trip, as it was a spontaneous idea I just got on arrival to Budapest Airport. I went to the bus station and took the first bus to Siofok on the Balaton lake. Siofok is known as a bit of a party town during summer. I was visiting in spring though and it was quiet, which I was quite happy about. walking around the lake and chilling out was what I had in mind. So the lack of parties were totally fine for me.

Older guys with fishing rods seemed to be the dominant group of people along the lake. These guys have a way of turning down the pace of life. Not just for themselves, but for everyone around them.

The citycenter in Siofok was small but pleasant, with a nice little square with good coffee places. Right in the middle of the square sits an old water tower. I can’t recall having seen a water tower being right on the main square in any other town I have visited around the world. It’s a nice old tower that has been reconstructed. I think it’s pretty cool to have this as a city monument. Nice alternative to the usual statue of a dead king that killed a lot of people.  The lakeside area was dominated by families with kids. People who were running, cycling or fishing. 

Chilling out at sunset at Lake Balaton.

The hotel I stayed at was 4 kilometers outside the city center. Normally I would go for a hotel right in the center. But I really needed to just relax and kick back, so I chose Hotel Kentaur. Hotel Kentaur is a very nice 3 star hotel. Hotel Kentaur is run by an elderly couple who were very welcoming. Some english and quite a lot of german is spoken in the Hotel and they made me feel very welcome. The hotel has a restaurant that I used in the evening. The food was fine and the service level very high. The hotel is built in typical Hungarian style and is very well maintained. 

Hotel Kentaur at Lake Balaton.

If you are one of those who buy a cheap ticket to Budapest with Wizz air, but prefer to stay in a more countryside location than Budapest. Then Lake Balaton is a good choice.

Talking Wizz Air, then I have a review of the airline on this link.

Nice art in Siofok.