The Hungarian Guide - Investing and retiring in Hungary

Spacious, beautiful house with 2 apartments close to Lake Balaton £ 52700 / € 57970

Full description

Description of area

North of the lake is very rich in historic and natural treasures. The ragged volcanic mountains are covered in vineyards and most of the area belongs to the Balaton Uplands National Park. You can go on beautiful walks, watch birds and visit geological sites. Tihany peninsula is probably the most special place, with two inner lakes, a bird reserve,  fields of lavender, unique red wine, a thousand year old abbey and listed thatched cottages built of black basalt. If you go on a viewing trip you will most likely stay in Tihany  in a lovely B&B.
Along the shore you find cute holiday villages and historic towns, like Balatonfüred, Tihany, Badacsony and Keszthely. Keszthely has a georgeous barque chateaux, the Festetics Palace. It has an amazing library with over 80 000 books. Count Festetics also founded the first collage of agriculture in Hungary, and the Georgikon museum is really great fun for all, with steam tractors, historic tools, and a show farm.

In the neighbourhood

• Bakony

  Much of the lush green forest of Bakony forms part of a National Park – a protected nature reserve with lovely beech forests, picturesque valleys and over 1100 caves. Visitors can enjoy beautiful walks and trails and identify deer, wild boar and 104 highly protected rare birds. Perfect for wildlife, nature and bird watchers alike. There are also study centres, forest schools and Hungary’s most advanced planetarium in Bakonybél. On the eastern side of the Bakony mountains there are 5 ski slopes in Eplény, just north of Veszprém approximately 45 minutes drive north of Lake Balaton and during the winter months remain open 9am to 9pm daily. Two of the slopes are lit and there are five ski lifts along with snow machines which are used as necessary.

• Balaton Uplands National Park

  Just north of the lake you can find the beautiful Balaton Uplands National Park, a stunning protected area of volcanic and limestone mountains. There are vineyards everywhere, tranquil villages and listed areas of special geological interest. Every summer a prestigious cultural festival, The Valley of Arts, is held in the Kapolcs Valley.

• Balatonfüred

  Balatonfüred  the capital of the Northern lake shore and has significant yachting life. It is also a favourite location for coarse fishing, carp being the most common catch. The town has two marinas, a string of medicinal carbonated mineral water springs, listed buildings from the middle of the 18th and the 19th centuries and fine restaurants.  The State Hospital for Cardiology in Balatonfüred boasts the largest cardiac-rehabilitation centre in Hungary. The hospital is built on the lake shore and is flanked by the Tagore promenade with lovely restaurants and cafés, named after the Nobel-laureate Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, who was treated here. Many other famous and ordinary patients come here to heal and recuperate year-round thanks to the carbonated springs and baths, which are one of the best-known healing agents in Balatonfüred since the 17th century, see the statutes and memorial stones on the promenade. The town was officially declared a spa in 1772. The Kossuth Spring and other springs near the hospital supply water containing free and bound carbon dioxide as well as iron, magnesium, potassium, hydro-carbonate, calcium, sodium, sulphur and other minerals. The city organises a beauty contest called “Anna Ball” on the day of St Anne, and there are many sailing competitions and wine tasting events during the summer.

• Herend

  

  Cafe at Herend by Zsofi

  Herend is a small town short drive from Veszprém, but world famous because of the Herend Porcelain Manufactory. The Manufactory has a visitors centre with a museum, guided tours in a “mini manufactory” where the whole production process is shown and a gorgeous cafe, with delicious cakes and drinks served in stunning china.

• Keszthely

  Keszthely has a georgeous barque chateaux, the Festetics Palace. It has an amazing library with over 80 000 books. Count Festetics also founded the first agricultural college in Hungary. The Georgikon museum is really great fun for all, with steam tractors, historic farming tools and a show farm.

• Lake Hévíz

  

  Heviz by heatherontravels

  Very close to the western tip of Lake Balaton lies the world’s largest natural thermal lake – Lake Hévíz. Warmed by the heat of the earth’s interior, it is even possible to bathe in the lake in winter. In summer the water temperature reaches over 35 deg C. Experienced doctors and highly qualified staff are on hand to care for visitors at the medicinal baths, sanatoriums, health spas and wellness hotels which have been built around Hévíz.

• Tapolca

  

  tapolca by photodiary of an endless summer

  Tapolca is a small town 6 miles north of Lake Balaton. It has a pretty town centre with a small “Mill” pond, a School museum and a unique underground lake: a three level cave system filled with water- accidentaly discovered in 1903 whilst digging for a well. The caves can be accessed from the centre of town and there are frequent tours. Tapolca also has an English-Hungarian bilingual school where older children have classes in English in some subjects and there are native English teachers.

• Tihany

  Tihany is a magical peninsula on the northern shore of Lake Balaton rich in natural and historic wonders, and the whole area is part of the Balaton Uplands National Park, and most of the buildings in Tihany village are listed monuments.
  Tihany enjoys a special micro climate and is one of the few traditional red wine growing areas at Balaton. There are two inner lakes on the peninsula, both independent from Lake Balaton, one of them can be visited, the other is a closed bird reserve.
  The tiny town of Tihany is filled with sights: there is  the Benedictine Tihany Abbey, which was founded in 1055 AD by András (Andrew) I, who is buried in the crypt. The founding charter of this abbey is the first extant record of Hungarian language, preserved in Pannonhalma Benedictine Archabbey. The church itself was rebuilt in baroque style in 1754. The still functioning abbey is a popular tourist attraction due to its historical and artistic significance.  The monks make lavender oil and in the summer time you can see the gorgeous fields of lavender. The view from the abbey is also the best of Lake Balaton. There is a small open air museum next to the abbey with cute fishermen’s and tradesmen’s houses, many built of the dark basalt stones. There are plenty of restaurants and cafés and many souvenir and craft shops.
  There is a car ferry from the tip of the peninsula to Szántód on the southern shore.
  If you go on a viewing trip you will most likely stay in Tihany in a lovely B&B.

• Veszprém

  

  Veszprem by Attila Nobik

  Veszprém is a stunning city 9 miles north of Lake Balaton. It was built on 7 hills and one of the oldest settlements in Hungary. The city became the first episcopal seat of Hungary in 1009 and an archiepiscopal seat in 1993.Veszprém was the favorite city of Queen Gisela, the wife of St. Stephen, the first king of Hungary. For centuries, the queens of Hungary were crowned by the bishop of Veszprém and it is still often called “the city of queens”. It has one of the oldest universities in the country and a very successful handball team. Veszprém Zoo lies in two adjacent valleys outside the city. There is a custom designed Kid’s Jungle and Terrarium, and a massive animal themed playground. The zoo also organises multilingual children’s program.