A sea-like lake – Balaton, Hungary

Just a little over 55 miles (90 kilometers) outside of Budapest (check our impression of this beautiful city here) due south-west lies a hidden gem – a sea-like lake, Balaton, that allows landlocked Hungarians to enjoy the activities normally reserved to citizens of countries with direct access to the sea.

View of western side of Lake Balaton - Hungary

With the size of about 229 square miles (only about half that of Lake Champlain) and a maximum depth of 40 feet, this “Hungarian Sea” as it is often called, is relatively shallow and small but it is the largest lake in Central Europe.

The lack of good beaches which are mostly artificial and all of them have steep access to the water, is compensated by a wide array of water activities offered in resorts around the lake. Three most important are: Siofok, Kaszthely, and Balatonfured. Tourist attractions include sailing, fishing, jet skiing, para-sailing,  kite- and wind-surfing and others. Those longing to spend time away from the water or looking for picturesque vistas will enjoy visits to the countryside and trekking the hills on the western side of Balaton, wineries on the north coast and night life on the south shore.

Wineries of southern Hungary

And when we had a chance to visit Hungary, after a few days in beautiful Budapest, we stopped in Siofok on Lake Balaton for lunch. Since it was early June, the town greeted us with nice, quiet, and full of greenery and flowers streets with small shops and restaurants that promised for a good meal. Most of the restaurants had their menus posted outside in Hungarian, German, and English.

Feher Lo Pub es Steak House in Siofok, Hungary

After strolling for a short while we decided on Fehér Ló Steak House és Pub (White Horse Steak House and Pub). We picked a restaurant that offered traditional local food. Hungary is known as a soup-eating nation.  A complete three-course meal always starts with a soup.  It can be a hearty meat soup like the world famous goulash or a sweetish fruit soup.  It is usually followed by some kind of meat dish with potato, pasta or rice  garnishing.  Pickles or salad made from seasonal vegetables accompany meat dishes.

Hungarian Lecsó over French fries served by Feher Lo Pub es Steak House in Siofok, Hungary

After tasting Lecso, which is my favorite Hungarian dish, pronounced “LETCH-oh” – a vegetable stew which features peppers and tomato,  onion,  salt, sugar and ground paprika as a base recipe and Goulash we have to admit – although really tasty, Hungarian food seems to be quite spicy but delightful.

After a few hours in Siofok it was time to move on – this time to Slovenia!

Hungarian Goulash served by Feher Lo Pub es Steak House in Siofok, Hungary

Tips:

Menus are usually posted on the outside of the restaurant – in Hungarian, German and English, sometimes in Italian.

Before entering the restaurant – ask if they accept credit cards or Euros (outside of Budapest that is most likely not the case).

Always check the menu whether the garnish is included in the price of the meal.

High season lasts from late June to the end of August.