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Cycling from Szigliget to Zánka on Lake Balaton

Another bike ride took us from Szigliget to Zánka, along the north side of Lake Balaton.

The route led largely on fairly good cycle paths and through traffic-calmed streets, past holiday homes, vineyards and quiet villages where the harvest festivals were approaching.

Unfortunately, the signage was not great. Those who still cycle the old-fashioned way and rely exclusively on the arrows are guaranteed to miss a turn (or two).

Google Maps or some cycling app are really necessary here.

What was particularly striking: eight out of ten food and beverage outlets were closed.

Apparently, the owners at Lake Balaton will collectively go into hibernation from the beginning of September. The ferry services are also largely stopped, with the exception of the ferry between Tihany and Szántód.

The summer season seems to end abruptly here from 1 September.

At this top of the lake, the coast is largely owned by the municipalities and you have to pay to access the beaches in the summer months.

When we were there in early September, the gates to the beaches were open. There was hardly anyone left anyway. A few lost tourists and some Hungarian oldies, we hardly saw more people on the beach.

In Zánka there is a large car park at the entrance of the beach entrance. There we found a simple eatery with tasty snacks at democratic prices.

And then we discovered something that immediately makes it clear why Lake Balaton is so popular with families with children: you can walk a long way into the water here in some places before the lake reaches your waist.

The water remains endlessly shallow.

What also struck us while cycling is how courteous the Hungarian motorists are with cyclists.

They make a big bow around you and slow down from afar when they see that you want to cross a zebra crossing.

Cycling on the normal road – with the exception of the fast roads – does not feel unsafe at all.

From communism to Instagram

In the meantime, it has been almost forty years since the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Anyone who cycles through this region will see how much Hungary has modernized since then – and that this change is still continuing, and frankly, faster than here in Belgium.

Many drink stalls look very hip and Instagram-inspired these days.

But fortunately, the small, authentic spots have not completely disappeared: a few chairs in an allotment, a parasol above it, a River tonic from Aldi and you’re done.

No design, no marketing, just a place where you can have a drink.

There are a lot of holiday homes along the coast. Large, small, modern, outdated, neatly refurbished or clearly in need of the next owner.

High-rise buildings and large hotel complexes are conspicuously absent here – at least at the top of the lake.

That is not surprising.

During the communist era, Eastern Europeans flocked to Lake Balaton. It was one of the most important holiday destinations for people from countries behind the Iron Curtain.

Lake Balaton became to them what the Côte d’Azur was to Western Europeans: sun, water and holidays, but within their own political borders.

Today, crowds of tourists still come to Lake Balaton, especially in the months of July and August. But their priorities have changed.

The small holiday homes from the sixties and seventies, often simple and without much comfort, are no longer popular. Modern houses with air conditioning, swimming pool and all modern conveniences are preferred.

And we see that everywhere on the signs ELADÓ: FOR SALE.

FOR SALE

Sometimes such a sign is not only on a house, but even between the vines. Apparently, viticulture is also under pressure here.

Lake Balaton is no longer just the holiday reserve of Eastern Europe.

It has become an attractive tourist destination, and that comes at a price.

Houses in tourist centers such as Budapest and Lake Balaton have become considerably more expensive in recent years.

At the same time, Hungary is still making a cautious recovery economically.

Perhaps that’s the most interesting thing about cycling through this region: you not only ride through a beautiful landscape, but also through history.

The old holiday homes tell the story of Lake Balaton in the past. The trendy beach bars and modern villas tell you that of today. And the many ELADÓ signs seem to say that the story is far from over.

Next page: Cycling from Zanka to Balatonföldvar