Keszthely Hills western round tour (green B)

1. Route details
This almost 60 km long tour leads through the western lines of Keszthely Hills.
Although it requires more serious preparation, it can be completed in normal physical condition.
The route contains two strong uphill: before Zalaszántó and Büdöskút (see point 2).
The route mostly leads through built-up area and on low-traffic roads as well as on signed bike and agricultural roads. Most of these are asphalt roads while some parts are gravel roads.
The tour is signed in two directions: to complete it follow bike sign green B. Within the town of Keszthely, route EV14 connects the starting point of the tour on the shore of Lake Balaton with the starting point of green B signs is connected with the signs of the EV14 route.
The recommended route to complete the tour follows Keszthely, Cserszegtomaj, Rezi, Zalaszántó, Vindornyalak, Vindornyaszőlős, Karmacs, Hévíz and Keszthely. Accordingly, the starting point of the tour is the shore of Lake Balaton in Keszthely. From here follow the EV14 (Hungarian 1) sign to the crossroads of Georgikon street and the Keszthely West bypass road. From here follow green B sign.
Road numbers on the tour: EV14 (Keszthely), 135 (Keszthely – Zalaszántó), 23 (Zalaszántó - Vindonyaszőlős), 13 (Vindornyaszőlős – Keszthely).
The dashed line on the maps indicates dirt and gravel roads that are difficult to cross after rain. There is a partially renovated gravel road between Karmacs and Hévíz.
Along the route there are several bike shelters and rest places (Karmacs, Angolnás, Vadaskert, Pipáskert) and other places to stop and rest (Stupa, Hertelendy mansion in Vindornyalak, Vindonya marshland).
As most of the route leads through inhabited area, there are several dining, food and other shopping facilities.

2. Difficulty factors in the tour
The route runs through the rolling hills of Keszthely Hills thus it contains smaller and larger slopes.
Due to the fact that the route goes on high-traffic road from the crossroads of the main road Nr. 7327 and the access road of Rezi to the village boundary of Zalaszántó (ca. 3.5 km) it is recommended to ride more carefully. The last section of this part – before Zalaszántó (ca. 1.2 km) – goes on heavier slopes.

3. Highlights of the tour
You can have various adventures on this bike tour containing some exciting sections. The tour leads us between the western lines of the Keszthely Hills and on the borderland of the Zala Hills where there are woods, rolling hills, rural landscape, history, castle ruins and sacred waiting for us to see. Beside the urban environment we can enjoy the charm of the rural countryside. The historical vibe of Lake Balaton and the centre of town of Keszthely and then the rural atmosphere, the charm of village life, the sights of the vineyards, the silence of the green forests, the milieu of centuries old historical places and the special ambience of Lake Hévíz enrich this round tour with sights and experiences.
During the tour you can reach the ruins of Rezi castle and the Stupa of Zalaszántó, while at the boundary of Vindornyaszőlős, a sign indicates an option to enter the Vindornya marshland. It is definitely worth visiting these places since these are special and deservedly popular spots of the region.