Balatonfüred-Mencshely Road Cycling Base Loop

Anyone who has ridden a road bike a few times in the Balaton Uplands probably knows it, and those who are just about to discover the region simply must experience it. Starting from Balatonfüred, this 51-kilometer route serves as an excellent foundation for longer rides, while placing you in terrain that is ideal for road cycling. The scenic panoramic sections are, without exaggeration, stunning, and the asphalt quality is mostly good.

Recommended route: Balatonfüred-Balatonszőlős-Tótvázsony-Barnag-Vöröstó-Mencshely-Dörgicse-Vászoly-Pécsely-Balatonszőlős-Balatonfüred

Navigation: Via the downloadable GPX file and signposted BalatonBike365 routes: 242, 24, 249, 230, 233.

Along the route, you can buy groceries in the villages, but please keep weekend (and in some places, Monday) closing times in mind. Bike repair stations and maps are available in Barnag and Pécsely.

Recommended bike: Road or gravel bike.

Challenges
The route features significant elevation gain (850 m); the road is almost constantly climbing or descending to some degree. Therefore, a good fitness level is required, and the tour is recommended for experienced cyclists. Proper riding routine is also necessary because the loop follows open, public roads. Traffic is mostly light, but fast-moving motor vehicles may occur.

Atmosphere
A classic "road training loop" which, thanks to the beautiful surroundings, is much more than that—at a touring pace, it offers a great way to unwind and recharge. Almost every village you pass through offers a unique stopover to freshen up. The climbs are steep and challenging in places, which is exactly what guarantees a rewarding sporty experience. The latter is made complete by the excellent, recently resurfaced asphalt in several sections and the occasional views of Lake Balaton.

Detailed Tour Description
Our starting point is the BalatonBike365 Port located next to the beach in Balatonfüred. Due to the summer tourist season, we intentionally avoided routing onto the crowded Balaton Bike Ring. We leave Balatonfüred heading north towards Balatonszőlős. A few shorter climbs await as a warm-up before we start tackling the Gella climb after Szőlős. "Nagy Gella" is one of the most famous climbs in the Balaton Uplands, having even been featured in the Tour de Hongrie. If you use Strava, you can compare your times with the pros. After Gella, we roll into Tótvázsony, followed by a longer, gently rolling and flat section through Barnag and Vöröstó all the way to Mencshely. In Mencshely, you can grab a good coffee and refreshments at the Gasztro Kamra, then sharpen your senses for one of the most beautiful views of Lake Balaton you can ever experience from a road bike. What’s more, a fresh, smooth mirror-asphalt road leads down to Dörgicse (2026), allowing you to enjoy the view without distractions. From Dörgicse, after Gella, comes the second hardest climb of the loop, before rolling down to Vászoly, where you can refill your water bottles at the atmospheric St. James Spring. From Vászoly, another spectacular descent leads to Pécsely, and after a few smaller hills, we reach Balatonszőlős again. Here, we highly recommend the Szőlős Kocsma if you want to enjoy a good meal and drink alongside your ride. From Szőlős, we head back to Füred using the same route we took when leaving the tourist hub of the northern shore. The approx. 35-kilometer core loop can be varied in many ways, with smaller or larger loops added to the east, west, and south.

Villages on the route: Balatonfüred, Balatonszőlős, Tótvázsony, Barnag, Vöröstó, Mencshely, Pécsely.