The Hungarian Sea

A direct flight from Stansted brings us to Balaton where a warm and shallow steppe lake, covering an area some 50 miles in length and up to 9 miles wide, is regarded by the Hungarians as their own ‘sea’ and a popular summer resort. Balatonfured is an old-established resort on the scenic north side of the lake, not far from Tihany peninsula. The town of Keszthely was once the home of the Festetics, one of the leading Hungarian families, who established the university and a palace whose main features include the Helikon Library (with over 50,000 books) and the mirrored ballroom. The culture of the Magyars is further revealed in excursions to Festetic Palace, Herend and Budapest and also viewing the natural beauty of Lake Balaton, thermal Lake Heviz and the Kis Balaton Nature Reserve.