Water Sports

Lake Balaton is Hungary’s premier tourist attraction outside of the capital city and with good reason too. There is such a wide spectrum of activities and things to do in and around the lake, from water sports like boating and swimming to hiking across country and relaxing in the many thermal baths in the area. In addition to all this, the beautiful natural landscape of the area provides a welcome change to the hustle and bustle of Budapest, attracting many tourist from the capital as well as foreign visitors.

The lake is the largest in central Europe, being almost 48 miles long while its width varies from 2 and a half miles to 8 miles across in places. Because of Hungary’s landlocked status, the lake is known by locals as the Hungarian Seas, and it comes complete with many attractive beaches to live up to its name. During the summer, families flock here in droves from the capital, in order to soak up the sun and relax. Budapest is only 60 miles away which makes Lake Balaton a very convenient holiday destination.

Although the variety of activities at Lake Balaton is huge, by far the most popular vocations are its water sports. The lake offers plenty of opportunities for sailing and boating, swimming, fishing and other kinds of water sports.

While Balaton doesn’t have the steady winds of a place like Lake Garda, nor the waves and excitement that is experienced when sailing on the ocean, this does make it a great place for anyone who is new to sailing. The size, convenience and safety of Lake Balaton makes it a great place for messing around with boats. Also, one of the best advantages of sailing here is that the 48 mile long lake is free from any annoyances, as both speedboats and jet skis are banned here. While storms can blow up quite quickly, the shore is never too far away so it’s almost impossible to get into trouble.

Most marinas at Lake Balaton offer small dinghies, usually around 6 meters with a 10m² sail size, for around $5 a day. If you want to hire bigger boats, then you’ll need to be in possession of an inland sailing license, which can be a problem for some sailors as these licenses are not required in many countries. However, there are many schools dotted around the lakeside that offer quick courses that enable you to receive a license in one day for less than $100.

Fishing is a hugely popular activity at Lake Balaton, and catches are in big supply even for beginners thanks to the low average depth of just 3 meters. The most common fish you will catch here is the Zander fish, a predatory fish that belongs to the perch family. Other fish amongst the 50 species in the lake include eels, carp, pike and catfish.

Due to some intense professional fishing, the fish stocks in Lake Balaton have been significantly reduced in recent years, and so it is necessary to obtain a fishing license before you start fishing. These can be obtained in any of the numerous angler’s shops and campsites that surround the lakeside. It’s also possible to rent fishing rods here, with most places charging anything from $10 for a basic rod and bait, up to $50 for better equipment.

One of the most popular pastimes besides sailing and fishing is swimming. During the summer time there are literally thousands of visitors and sun-seekers drawn to the Hungarian Sea, and the vast majority of them like to go for a splash in the cool waters. Some of the best resorts include those at Badacsony, Balatonboglar, Balatonlelle, Fonyod, Kesztheley, Siofok and Tihany, which all feature artificial beaches and average summer water temperatures of around 25 degrees C.