Lake Balaton
In the western part of Hungary there is the largest lake in Central Europe, named Balaton. The lake stretches from northeast to southwest for many tens of kilometers, and therefore the locals proudly call it the sea. Another feature of the reservoir is that it is shallow. It was this circumstance that gave the detractors a reason to call Balaton a puddle. However, both are right in their own way.
On the one hand, the word "Balaton" itself comes from the Slavic "blato" or, more simply, "swamp". And in places, the lake really looks very much like a swamp because of the areas with a muddy bottom overgrown with reeds. But on the other hand, scientists claim that in the old days there was an ancient sea on the territory of modern Balaton, the area of which was gradually decreasing due to tectonic shifts.
The lake is 79 km long.
The maximum width is about 13 km, but on average the lake is much narrower.
The area is 594 km2.
The maximum depth is 12.5 m.
The average depth is 3.6 m.
The volume of water is 1.9 km3.
The coastline is 236 km long.
The height above sea level is 104 m.
There are many romantic legends about Balaton. According to one of them, the lake was created because of a careless shepherd who, without thinking, moved a pebble in the middle of an emerald meadow. A spring immediately began to gush out from under the pebble, and the water filled the entire neighborhood. There is a legend that there is a church at the bottom of the lake, and a girl sheds tears inside it. These tears have been feeding the lake for centuries.
Today, almost three dozen species of fish are found in Balaton, and one of them is carp, which is traditionally "hunted" by fishermen. In addition, swans live here (their population is controlled by a specially organized service) and migratory birds such as heron, stork, wild goose and duck build nests.
An important role in the ecological balance of Balaton is assigned by nature to reeds, which overgrow the shores of the lake: birds actively nest in its thickets, fish also spawn here, and the process of water self-purification does not stop thanks to the reeds. At the same time, the reeds are regularly cut down here to organize marinas for water transport and to sell the plant abroad. This causes conflicts between the administration and yacht owners on the one hand and environmentalists on the other.
Anyway, the infrastructure in the Lake Balaton area can only be envied. There are more than 20 marinas along the coast. There are boats and sailboats bobbing on the waves, ready at any moment to take on board those who want to go on a boat trip. Cruise liners and steamships depart from there, carrying out regular flights to the ancient Kesthey or the noisy Balatonfurend. The shores of the lake are decorated with wonderful cottages and houses for every taste and budget. In addition, once you arrive in Balaton, you can take care of your health: sanatoriums specializing in diseases of the heart, musculoskeletal system and respiratory organs have been built here.
Balaton is an excellent example of how, with a stunningly developed infrastructure, even such an obvious "disadvantage" as an extremely small depth can become one of the main advantages of the lake. So, for example, relaxing on the Balaton, you can absolutely not fear for the safety of your child: children frolic in the water even quite far from the shore. And due to the fact that summer in the lake area lasts from May to October and the water in it warms up to 26 °C, this is the most suitable place for open water swimming competitions. It was not for nothing that it was decided to compete for 7 sets of awards at the FINA World Aquatics Championships in 2017.
From Heviz in Hungary to Balaton is literally within walking distance, from Budapest to the lake it is only an hour by car (for example, to Balatonvilagos – 98 km) or a couple of hours (say, to Kesthey – 187 km). In addition, you can land at Vienna Airport and get from there to Balaton in just 3 hours.
Once on the shore of the famous lake, by no means limit yourself to one place of stay and try to see as much as possible. From the end of April to October, regular ship flights are organized on the Balaton, with a ferry running from Santod to Tihany and back. Bus and train connections between the localities located along the shores of the lake are also excellent.