The Grand Eastern Loop: Premium Road Ride from Balatonfüred

Description

Discover the eastern side of Lake Balaton, where tranquility and quiet roads await, also perfectly suited for training. The start and finish of this 96-kilometer road loop from Balatonfüred mostly avoids the standard Lake Balaton bike path (which is unsuitable for training), routing instead through the scenic coastal hills. The beauty of this is that not only do you avoid conflict with holidaymakers, but the panoramic views are far superior. In return, you can expect a few short, steep climbs towards the end.

Recommended route: Balatonfüred-Arács-Csopak-Paloznak-Lovas-Felsőörs-Veszprém-Szentkirályszabadja-Litér-Királyszentistván-Berhida-Küngös-Csajág-Balatonfőkajár-Balatonakarattya-Balatonkenese-Balatonfűzfő-Balatonalmádi-Káptalanfüred-Alsóörs-Lovas-Paloznak-Csopak-Arács-Balatonfüred

Navigation: Based on the downloadable GPX file, or along the signposted BalatonBike365 routes: 242, 248, 249, 23, 101-blueB, EV14.

Food and groceries can be purchased in the villages along the route.

Recommended bike: Road or gravel bike.

Challenges

During peak season, even the Római Road is busy, and on the Akarattya-Fűzfő section, you must maintain a cautious pace on the bike path due to cycling families and beachgoers. On the Balatonfűzfő-Balatonfüred section—where the bike path is often narrow, crowded, and in poor condition—we bypass the crowds by heading up into scenic, elevated streets. In return, you will have to tackle a few short, steep climbs, and near Fűzfő, there is a short saddle section on a very high-quality dirt road. Strade Bianche! There is also a short section of hard-packed dirt after Szentkirályszabadja, as the new bike path cannot be accessed any other way.

Atmosphere

Fast-paced riding and sightseeing alternate across nearly 100 kilometers of stunning Balaton panoramas. It is highly enjoyable for athletes, despite often using bike paths. On parts of these, you can ride at a brisk pace in complete safety. Heading east from the tip of the lake, you can train at a genuinely high speed; those who wish can even do multiple laps there by cutting across the recommended route towards Litér.

Detailed Tour Description

Our starting point is the BalatonBike Port in Füred, where you can also rent road or gravel bikes. From here, we take the shortest route up to Arácsi Road, complemented by a panoramic section. We cross Csopak and Paloznak on the gently rolling old Római Road, with further views of Lake Balaton. At Lovas, we turn up towards Veszprém and from here—via Felsőörs—we reach the City of Queens mostly on a superb quality bike path. We only touch the edge of the county capital and continue on the bike path to Szentkirályszabadja, where a few hundred meters of hard-packed dirt road await before the next bike path section. This part is quite "exciting," winding, and downhill, so remember that oncoming traffic can appear at any time. From Litér, we still cater to bike path lovers, but from Királyszentistván comes 20 kilometers of low-traffic, high-quality road where you can maintain a fast pace all the way to Balatonfőkajár. We reach Akarattya by tackling a smaller climb, then ride to Balatonfűzfő via Balatonkenese on the well-known Balaton bike loop. From Fűzfő, a section less known even to Hungarian cyclists follows: after the traffic light intersection, we climb steeply up to a panoramic saddle ridge. A short hard-packed dirt road section awaits here, but don't worry—it is completely flat, and your wheels won't spin out or slip. We descend into Balatonalmádi on excellent asphalt, then continue the panoramic rollercoaster, quite literally, as we pass the exhibited steam locomotive at the starting point of the Almádi-Veszprém bike path. Great photos can be taken here. The short, steep sections are tiring around the 80th kilometer, but it is important to note that this is how we bypass the most critical bike path section of the high season. Rejoining the Római Road from Lovas, we head back to Balatonfüred on a similar route to our start, but skipping Péterhegyi Street to stay on Arácsi Road all the way back to the BalatonBike Port.

Towns and villages along the route: Balatonfüred, Csopak, Paloznak, Lovas, Felsőörs, Veszprém, Szentkirályszabadja, Litér, Vilonya, Berhida, Küngös, Csajág, Balatonfőkajár, Balatonakarattya, Balatonkenese, Balatonfűzfő, Balatonalmádi, Alsóörs