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By car and bike to Lake Balaton

Slow travelling

A beautiful route, an unexpected village or a place where there is nothing special to do: it’s all part of it. Because not everything has to be worth it to make a trip worthwhile.

For example, we travelled from Belgium by car for three weeks through Germany and the Czech Republic to Hungary, with the bicycles on the back.

Final destination was Lake Balaton, where we stayed in Szigiglet for a week and a half to cycle as much as possible from there:

• Cycling around Kis-Balaton
• Cycling from Szigliget to Zanka
• Cycling from Zanka to Balatonfoldvar
• Cycling from Balatonkeresztur to Balatonlelle

We didn’t just cycle of course…

• Ten days at Lake Balaton. What is there to do?

We didn’t sit still on the way to Hungary and back either: we made the outward and return journey an active part of our holiday.

The outward and return journeys also counted

Usually we drove about 400 kilometers a day. This way there was time along the way to cycle, look around or just settle down somewhere.

Along the way we spent the night in different places. In Germany, the Czech Republic and Hungary.

You see more on the bike

And where we spent the night, we got on our bikes for a trip of about 50 kilometers.

The accommodation was deliberately chosen near cycling routes. Very handy.

When we reached our final destination at Lake Balaton on day 5, we already had 4 bike rides and 200 km of cycling in our legs.

• Bike tours on the way to Hungary

On the bike you get more than just kilometers:

• surprising colours and scents in landscapes that are constantly changing,
• apple, pear and nut trees that (depending on the season) are full of fruit,
• Animals you would never see from the car
• and chance encounters.

You try to make yourself understood as well as possible in German and English; And along the way you notice differences in hospitality and the way in which a region presents itself to visitors.

There was also no lack of bike rides on the return trip.

• Cycling on the return journey from Hungary

Our experience?

Germany, the Czech Republic and Hungary are particularly attractive for cycling.

In addition to cycling, the offer in Hungary – at least what we are looking for – turned out to be a bit more limited. But those who love wine, castles, wellness and thermal baths will undoubtedly discover many more possibilities.

We were more interested in authentic and small-scale discoveries. And it was precisely in this that we found a little less of what we had hoped for during this trip.

• Hungary and Lake Balaton: our experiences

Different, but not better or worse

These countries were surprisingly similar to what we know at home (in Belgium). Although at times we did get the feeling that we had crossed a border that was not only geographical.

The Iron Curtain may have been torn down forty years ago, but differences in tourism, habits and atmosphere – with what we are used to in Western Europe – are still very noticeable. Not better or worse. Just different.

If you are looking for an active cycling holiday and like to cycle 50 kilometres or more every day through an ever-changing landscape, or if you want to know more about Lake Balaton, you will definitely find useful tips in this travel report.

Enjoy!

Carine

Next page: Cycling around Kis-Balaton