Outer lake, Protected lake in Tihany Peninsula, Hungary.
Outer Lake is a protected water body on the Tihany Peninsula situated within Balaton Uplands National Park at roughly 116 meters above sea level. The water and shorelines host diverse plant and animal life that characterize this shallow basin.
The lake originated from volcanic activity that shaped the Tihany Peninsula long ago. Over time drainage projects changed the water for farming purposes, but since 1976 restoration efforts have brought it back.
The name Külső-tó means "outer lake" in Hungarian, distinguishing it from the Belső-tó, the "inner lake", the other of the two lakes on the Tihany Peninsula. The shallow, reed-filled basin is a nesting site for the greylag goose, a huntable species, alongside protected and strictly protected shorebirds and reed warblers.
The lake itself lies in a strictly protected, non-visitable area of the Tihany Peninsula, so there is no path to its shore. It can be observed from the surrounding heights, which give a view over the reed-covered crater basin.
The lake lies in the main crater of the volcano that formed the Tihany Peninsula, and it is one of only two lakes on the peninsula, together with the Belső-tó. Drainage channels once dried it out; since 1976 the drainage has been stopped and the wetland restored.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,632 contributors worldwide.
