Today is the last full day of this trip. Tomorrow morning we head back to Budapest airport and our flight home. It’s been a fantastic trip in many ways and, for Bob and I, Lake Balaton has been a bit of a revelation. We’d like to come back sometime in a slightly quieter time and explore more, particularly the wine lands and the hill villages.
Today we set off after breakfast for Tihany, the little peninsula that sticks out into the lake from the northern shore. The center of the district 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. It also has the best view of Lake Balaton.
The abbey also features as a footnote in Habsburg history – the last Habsburg Emperor of Austria, Charles I was briefly held prisoner here following his second attempt to regain the throne of Hungary. He was subsequently handed over to the British.
It was about a 35 minute drive along the lakeside to reach Tihany, passing lots of little beaches, vineyards etc as we went. We parked in a public carpark recommended by Stuart from his visit which was at the base of the pedestrianised area of the village. It is difficult to overestimate the beauty and quaintness of Tihany.
The village is very old and most of the houses are of the cottage style, many with ornate thatched roofs. Tihany is a centre of the lavender trade and in June particularly it is surrounded by lavender fields. Even now, many of the shops are offering lavender flavoured or scented products. So, there is a Lavender Centre where you can buy anything from Lavender Gin, Tonic, beer, skincare products, shampoo, perfume, chocolate, coffee…. an endless and inventive list. There are pottery shops with lavender designs and also designs utilising other flowers and fruits. We bought some pottery items to take to Cyprus. They will look nice on the terrace there.
The Abbey towers above the village and is at the pinnacle of the hill. The views from it’s surrounds over the lake are just breathtaking, and the building itself is very lovely. We went inside (senior tickets) and enjoyed viewing the ornate gold encrusted pulpit and alter and side chapels. We also went down into the Crypts where they have excavated some royal tombs and were there are also exhibitions about the history of the Abbey and the Benedictine monks there.
After the Abbey we walked down about 50m and picked up the little tourist train that runs a circular route from the Abbey down to where the ferries dock and then around the lake edge and back to the Abbey again. A nice little trip for £4 round trip each person.
It was time for lunch and after a bit of debate about which cafe to eat in – there were lots – we settled under some trees in one. I wasn’t actually hungry so I just had a lavender lemonade which was delicious. Bob and Penny had huge caesar salads and lemonade and Dave had a humongous burger and a beer. It was 35C today….. for me too hot to want anything much for lunch. Instead, when they had finished, I went outside and bought myself…. you”ve guessed i….. a lavender ice cream!!!! It was quite mild and creamy and really nice. I regretted only having one scoop!!!
We wandered back towards the carpark, calling in at shops we’d spotted on the way up. Bob and I bought the ceramics. Penny and Dave bought a leather belt and some purses and also some ceramic garden decorations. There were some nice shops.
We left the village at about 2 and drove 20 minutes to Zankai Strand, recommended beach about half way between Tihany and our hotel. Just couldn’t wait to get into the water. We were melting. It was by far the nicest and the quietist of the beaches we’d been to. Still the same excellent facilities: changing rooms, showers, shops, cafes and bars, watersports, children’s playground, large grassy area with trees, benches, lounges for rent, and multiple easy steps down into the lake. The water was warm and it was just lovely to get neck deep and just wallow in it. We spent most time doing exactly that. Pen came in for a little while and joined us. It was about £2 to get into the beach each on senior rate. It is noticeable how clean everywhere is here. No litter at all, no dog mess, no overflowing bins…. absolutely spotless.
We left the beach at about 430 and came back to the hotel, showered and changed. Went out fo dinner to a restaurant up the hill from our hotel and sadly for our last night, it was a bit of a dud, especially after the splendour of last night. Bit of a grotty courtyard, spotty service…. the food was fine tbh but overall definitely the worst one we’ve sampled on this trip. Home – Kőkút Kert Restaurant (kokutkert.hu) Not one we’d go back to and I can’t recommend it in comparison to other places we’ve eaten at. Cannot quite understand the good reviews. I wonder if it has changed hands recently.
All in all, we have had a fantastic holiday in Hungary. We so enjoyed our time in Budapest, of course the wedding weekend was amazing and these 4 nights around Lake Balaton which have just been a gorgeous wind down. We’d like to visit again and explore the area a lot more. The villages are so pretty and it is all reasonably priced and the food is amazingly good value and good quality.