Balaton small circle - the western basin

Do you find 200 km to be too much, but you still crave the experience of cycling around Lake Balaton? Don't have three days, but can spare two? Is covering about 70-75 km per day comfortable for you? Then choose the classic shortened version of the Balaton tour, which is 140 km long, including a ferry crossing to Tihany. You can conquer the Akaratty high shore next time :) We love this tour in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Our starting and finishing point is Keszthely, the capital of the western basin.

Day 1: Starting from Keszthely, we reach Balatonberény, Balatonmáriafürdő, Balatonfenyves, and Fonyód after passing through Fenékpuszta and the mouth of the Zala River, arriving at Balatonboglár. Here, it's worth taking a short detour to the Xantus János Globe Lookout, which offers a marvelous view of the surroundings. From Boglár, we continue to Balatonlelle, Balatonszemes, Balatonöszöd, and Balatonszárszó before arriving in Balatonföldvár. In addition to excellent restaurants and bike-friendly accommodations, we recommend visiting the Nautical History Visitor Center, which presents not only the history of navigation on Lake Balaton but also the history of boating in general in an interactive and varied way. From the observation tower of the visitor center, you can enjoy an unparalleled Lake Balaton sunset. The length of this section is approximately 65 km.

The bike route consists of partially dedicated lanes and bike paths designated on public roads, often lined with magnificent plane trees, with virtually no significant elevation changes along the southern shore. Along the route, you'll find numerous restaurants, snack bars, and refreshment points for cyclists.

Day 2: Starting from Balatonföldvár, we primarily follow bike paths to the Szántód harbor. We can sample the experience of boating from the ferry, and then, near Tihany, we can choose to admire the Eastern Basin either from the lakeside bike path or from the vicinity of the Tihany Benedictine Abbey. We continue our journey through the hilly Balaton Highlands: Aszófő, Örvényes, Balatonudvari, and Balatonakali, reaching Zánka, where it's worth making a short detour to the Hegyestű Geological Exhibition Site. From Zánka, our path leads us to Balatonszepezd, Révfülöp, Balatonrendes, and Ábrahámhegy, all the way to Badacsony, where numerous excellent restaurants and wineries await cyclists. From Badacsony, we head to Szigliget, Balatongyörök, Vonyarcvashegy, and Gyenesdiás, experiencing the atmosphere along the way before arriving in Keszthely. The length of this section is approximately 75 km.