BALATONFÜRED

Balatonfüred is an important town in Hungary situated on the northern shore of Lake Balaton. At the moment there are about 13,000 people living in Balatonfüred. The town is a well-known health resort and yachting destination with lots of tourists every summer. Moreover Füred – how residents call Baltonfüred – is also a popular location for fishing with the carp being the most common catch.

The town center consists of buildings from the 18th and 19th century. Due to numerous tourists every summer the town's infrastructure changed noticeably. Nowadays you can find many hotels, restaurants and leisure time activities. The bathing beach lies on the very end of the promenade. In Balatonfüred there are two public outdoor swimming pools with access to the lake, the Kisfaludi Strand and the Esterházy Strand. Provided that you desire to go somewhere remote, there is a gratis beach in Tihany – a small town next to Balatonfüred – called Gödrös. The newest type of outdoor swimming pool in Füred is the Annagora Aquapark next to the Sun City and the campground.

Every year a traditional festival takes place in July in Balatonfüred, the Anna-Ball. The ball is a very important event for Füred's economy and tourism. People are coming from every corner of Hungary to take part in this famous event. Another famous event is the 21st of August – the national holiday of Hungary – with fireworks and live performances on the promenade. The last major event in summer is the wine week which lasts from the end of August till the end of September. At this time of year there are a number of wine stalls on the promenade which offer tourists and residents wine, snacks, drinks etc.

Insider tips 

In my childhood I spent nearly every summer at my grandparent's in Balatonfüred. Therefore, I know the town pretty well. In my opinion Balatonfüred is the most beautiful town on the northern shore of Lake Balaton. Moreover, there are much more leisure time activities. In the following text I want to give you some Insider tips you should definitely consider when you are staying in Balatonfüred. 

Accommodation: If you are searching for an accommodation in Balatonfüred I recommend you to rent an apartment or go camping. Needless to say these options are much cheaper than a hotel. My family has a house in Füred and rents self-catering apartments throughout the year. The house – Landhaus Forrás – is situated on a hilly area of the town, but within walking distance of the lake. Provided that you are interested in our apartments, click on this link which will lead you to our website. 

Shopping: Local residents tend to go to the market for buying fresh and local vegetables, fruits, jams, etc. The main market is next to the Red Church. In summer you can also find clothing stalls outside the building. You will realize that these clothing stalls usually sell the same clothes as on the promenade, but much cheaper. 

Food: One of my favorite Italian restaurants is the Arany Csillag (Golden star). In summer it is quite difficult to get a table. Therefore, I recommend you to book one. On the menu you can find a huge variety of Italian dishes, such as minestrone, antipasti, pizza, pasta, tiramisu, panna cotta and so on. It is pretty much our family tradition to eat there every time we come to Balatonfüred. 

The next restaurant I want to introduce you is one I recently discovered. It is called Halászkert (Fish garden). In this restaurant you can find traditional Hungarian and internationally inspired dishes on the menu. As the name says, they offer a variety of local fish as well. One traditional Hungarian fish dish is the fish soup called Halászlé. (But, this is not everyone's cup of tea.) 

Some Hungarian dishes you definitely have to try while staying in Hungary are the following:

Kürtöskalács It is a sweet snack made of yeast dough coated with a liquid sugary mixture and originally baked on a coal-burning stove. You can choose between different flavors: walnut, chocolate, cinnamon and vanilla sugar. 

Lángos Probably the most popular snack in Hungary which you can find at almost every food stall. It is also made out of yeast dough and then fried in oil. Popular toppings are garlic, sour cream and cheese.

Gulyás Is the Hungarian word for Gulasch. The traditional Gulyás is a soup. In Austria for example Gulasch is a main dish and not a soup. The main ingredients for this soup are potatoes, meat, pepper and paprika. 

Assuming that you are interested in a short virtual trip to Balatonfüred after reading this post, click on this link.