Lake Balaton, Lake in Transdanubia, Hungary
Lake Balaton stretches 77 kilometers along the Bakony Mountains foothills and reaches 14 kilometers at its widest point, with a maximum depth of 11 meters. The shallow southern shore offers sandy beaches, while the northern shore is rockier and carries vineyards and forested hills.
The water formed less than a million years ago from five separate bodies that merged through natural erosion. In the Middle Ages, fishers and monks used the shore, and from the 19th century onward, tourism began with the construction of spa facilities and hotels.
The Tihany Peninsula divides the water into two parts and carries a Benedictine abbey from 1055, whose towers remain visible above the waves. Around the shore, villages turn into summer resorts where families visit vineyards and eat freshly caught fish on open terraces.
Bicycle paths run along the entire shore and connect villages and beaches over flat terrain suitable for families and casual riders. Water temperature rises quickly in summer, making swimming comfortable from late May through September.
The narrow Tihany passage of just 1.5 kilometers creates two different basins with distinct currents and temperatures. The peninsula nature reserve holds rare plant species and bird communities that visitors can observe along marked paths.
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