HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Lake Balaton () is a
freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does incl ...
lake in the Transdanubian region of
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
. It is the largest lake in
Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...
, and one of the region's foremost tourist destinations. The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water to the lake, and the canalised
Sió The Sió or Sió-csatorna (''Sió-Channel'') is a fully regulated river in midwest Hungary. It is the outlet, at the eastern end, of Lake Balaton, flowing out of the lake in Siófok. It flows into the river Danube near the city of Szekszárd. Sió ...
is the only outflow. The mountainous region of the northern shore is known both for its
historic History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
character and as a major
wine region This list of wine-producing regions catalogues significant growing regions where vineyards are planted. Wine grapes mostly grow between the 30th and the 50th degree of latitude, in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Grapes will sometimes ...
, while the flat southern shore is known for its
resort town A resort town, often called a resort city or resort destination, is an urban area where tourism or vacationing is the primary component of the local culture and economy. A typical resort town has one or more actual resorts in the surrounding ...
s.
Balatonfüred Balatonfüred (german: Bad Plattensee, sk, Blatenské Teplice) is a resort town in Veszprém county, in Hungary, with a population of 13,000, situated on the northern shore of Lake Balaton. It is considered to be the capital of the Northern lake ...
and Hévíz developed early as resorts for the wealthy, but it was not until the late 19th century when landowners, ruined by ''
Phylloxera Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belong to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bu ...
'' attacking their grape vines, began building summer homes to rent out to the burgeoning middle classes.


Name

In distinction to all other Hungarian endonyms for lakes, which universally bear the suffix ''-tó'' 'lake', Lake Balaton is referred to in Hungarian with a definite article; that is, ''a Balaton'' 'the Balaton'. It was called ''lacus Pelsodis'' or ''Pelso'' by the Romans. The name is
Indo-European The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the overwhelming majority of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Some European languages of this family, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, Du ...
in origin, derived from Slavic *''bolto'' (Czech ''bláto'', Slovak ''blato'', Polish ''błoto''), meaning 'mud, swamp' (from earlier Proto-Slavic ''boltьno'', cf. sl, Blatno jezero, sk, Blatenské jazero). In January 846, the Slavic prince Pribina began to build a fortress as his seat of power and several churches in the region of Lake Balaton, in the territory of modern
Zalavár Zalavár is a village in Hungary, located in Zala County. It is located around southwest of Lake Balaton. Name According to written sources the settlement was called 'Mosapurc' in the 9th century, "''Mosapurc regia civitate''". It was also kn ...
surrounded by forests and swamps along the Zala River.Bartl 2002, p. 19.Róna-Tas 1999, p. 243.Goldberg 2006, p. 85. His well-fortified castle and capital of the Lower Pannonian Principality became known as ''Blatnohrad'' or ''Moosburg'' (literally, 'Swamp Fortress'), and it served as a bulwark against both the
Bulgarians Bulgarians ( bg, българи, Bǎlgari, ) are a nation and South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and the rest of Southeast Europe. Etymology Bulgarians derive their ethnonym from the Bulgars. Their name is not completely underst ...
and the Moravians. The
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
name for the lake is '. It is unlikely it was given that name for being shallow because the adjective ' is a Greek loanword that was borrowed via French and entered general German vocabulary in the 17th century. It is also noteworthy that the average depth of Balaton () is not extraordinary for the area (cf. the average depth of the neighbouring Neusiedler See, which is roughly ).


Climate

Lake Balaton affects precipitation in the local area. The area receives approximately more precipitation than most of Hungary, resulting in more cloudy days and less extreme temperatures. The lake's surface freezes during winters. The microclimate around Lake Balaton has also made the region ideal for
viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for '' vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of '' Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, r ...
. The Mediterranean-like climate, combined with the soil (containing volcanic rock), has made the region notable for its production of wines since the
Roman period The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...
two thousand years ago.


History

While a few settlements on Lake Balaton, including
Balatonfüred Balatonfüred (german: Bad Plattensee, sk, Blatenské Teplice) is a resort town in Veszprém county, in Hungary, with a population of 13,000, situated on the northern shore of Lake Balaton. It is considered to be the capital of the Northern lake ...
and Hévíz, have long been resort centres for the Hungarian aristocracy, it was only in the late 19th century that the Hungarian middle class began to visit the lake. The construction of railways in 1861 and 1909 increased tourism substantially, but the post-war boom of the 1950s was much larger. By the turn of the 20th century, Balaton had become a center of research by Hungarian biologists, geologists, hydrologists, and other scientists, leading to the country's first biological research institute being built on its shore in 1927. The last major German offensive of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, Operation Frühlingserwachen, was conducted in the region of Lake Balaton in March 1945, being referred to as "the Lake Balaton Offensive" in many British histories of the war. The battle was a German attack by Sepp Dietrich's
Sixth Panzer Army The 6th Panzer Army (german: 6. Panzerarmee) was a formation of the German Army, formed in the autumn of 1944. The 6th Panzer Army was first used as an offensive force during the Battle of the Bulge, in which it operated as the northernmost elemen ...
and the Hungarian Third Army between 6 March and 16 March 1945, and in the end, resulted in a Red Army victory. Several Ilyushin Il-2 wrecks have been pulled out of the lake after having been shot down during the later months of the war. During the 1960s and 1970s, Balaton became a major tourist destination due to focused government efforts, causing the number of overnight guests in local hotels and campsites to increase from 700,000 in July 1965 to two million in July 1975. Weekend visitors to the region, including tens of thousands from Budapest, reached more than 600,000 by 1975. It was visited by ordinary working Hungarians and especially for subsidised holiday excursions for
labor union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits (s ...
members. It also attracted many
East Germans East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
and other residents of the
Eastern Bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc and the Soviet Bloc, was the group of socialist states of Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America under the influence of the Soviet Union that existed du ...
.
West Germans West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 ...
could also visit, making Balaton a common meeting place for families and friends separated by the
Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the gover ...
until 1989.


Tourism

The major resorts around the lake are Siófok, Keszthely, and
Balatonfüred Balatonfüred (german: Bad Plattensee, sk, Blatenské Teplice) is a resort town in Veszprém county, in Hungary, with a population of 13,000, situated on the northern shore of Lake Balaton. It is considered to be the capital of the Northern lake ...
.
Zamárdi , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST = CEST , utc_offset_DST = +2 , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = County , subdivision_nam ...
, another resort town on the southern shore, has been the site of Balaton Sound, a notable
electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electro ...
festival since 2007. Balatonkenese has hosted numerous traditional gastronomic events. Siófok is known for attracting young people to it because of its large clubs. Keszthely is the site of the
Festetics Palace The Festetics Palace is a Baroque palace located in the town of Keszthely, Zala, Hungary. The building now houses the Helikon Palace Museum. The palace's construction, started by Kristóf Festetics in 1745, lasted more than a century. During thi ...
and Balatonfüred is a historical bathing town which hosts the annual Anna Ball. The peak tourist season extends from June until the end of August. The average water temperature during the summer is , which makes bathing and swimming popular on the lake. Most of the beaches consist of either grass, rocks, or the silty sand that also makes up most of the bottom of the lake. Many resorts have artificial sandy beaches and all beaches have step access to the water. Other tourist attractions include sailing, fishing, and other water sports, as well as visiting the countryside and hills, wineries on the north coast, and nightlife on the south shore. The
Tihany Tihany /ˈtihɒɲ/ is a village on the northern shore of Lake Balaton on the Tihany Peninsula (Hungary, Veszprém County). The whole peninsula is a historical district. The center of the district is the Benedictine Tihany Abbey, which was founde ...
Peninsula is a historical district. Badacsony is a volcanic mountain and wine-growing region as well as a lakeside resort. The lake is almost completely surrounded by separated bike lanes to facilitate bicycle tourism. Although the peak season at the lake is the summer, Balaton is also frequented during the winter, when visitors go ice-fishing or even skate, sledge, or ice-sail on the lake if it freezes over. Sármellék International Airport provides air service to Balaton (although most service is only seasonal). Other resort towns include: Balatonalmádi, Balatonboglár,
Balatonlelle Balatonlelle is a resort town located in Hungary on the southern shore of Lake Balaton, about 35 km west of Siófok. It is known for its numerous tourist attractions, some of those being a 3 km long beach, an aqua park, a go-cart course, and an ...
,
Fonyód Fonyód (german: Fonjod) is a town and holiday resort on the southern shore of Lake Balaton, in north-west Somogy, western Hungary, with over 4,700 residents. It is the seat of Fonyód District. History The first mention of Fonyód was in a let ...
and
Vonyarcvashegy Vonyarcvashegy () is a town and tourist resort on the north shore of Lake Balaton, in western Hungary. The settlement was created when the former Vonyarc and Vashegy settlements were united in 1850. At that time, the inhabitants dealt primarily w ...
.


Towns and villages


North shore

From east to west: Balatonfőkajár - Balatonakarattya - Balatonkenese - Balatonfűzfő - Balatonalmádi - Alsóörs - Paloznak - Csopak - Balatonarács -
Balatonfüred Balatonfüred (german: Bad Plattensee, sk, Blatenské Teplice) is a resort town in Veszprém county, in Hungary, with a population of 13,000, situated on the northern shore of Lake Balaton. It is considered to be the capital of the Northern lake ...
-
Tihany Tihany /ˈtihɒɲ/ is a village on the northern shore of Lake Balaton on the Tihany Peninsula (Hungary, Veszprém County). The whole peninsula is a historical district. The center of the district is the Benedictine Tihany Abbey, which was founde ...
- Aszófő - Örvényes - Balatonudvari - Fövenyes -
Balatonakali Balatonakali () is a village in Veszprém county Veszprém ( hu, Veszprém megye, ; german: Komitat Wesprim (Weißbrunn)) is an administrative county (''megye'') in Hungary. Veszprém is also the name of the capital city of Veszprém county. ...
- Zánka - Balatonszepezd - Szepezdfürdő - Révfülöp - Pálköve - Ábrahámhegy - Balatonrendes - Badacsonytomaj - Badacsony - Badacsonytördemic - Szigliget - Balatonederics - Balatongyörök -
Vonyarcvashegy Vonyarcvashegy () is a town and tourist resort on the north shore of Lake Balaton, in western Hungary. The settlement was created when the former Vonyarc and Vashegy settlements were united in 1850. At that time, the inhabitants dealt primarily w ...
-
Gyenesdiás Gyenesdiás is a village in Zala County, Hungary. Gyenesdiás is located on the north shore of Lake Balaton, next to the town of Keszthely Keszthely (; also known by other alternative names) is a Hungarian city of 20,895 inhabitants located ...
- Keszthely


South shore

From east to west: Balatonakarattya - Balatonaliga - Balatonvilágos - Sóstó - Szabadifürdő - Siófok - Széplak -
Zamárdi , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST = CEST , utc_offset_DST = +2 , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = County , subdivision_nam ...
- Szántód -
Balatonföldvár Balatonföldvár (german: Földwahr) is a popular resort town in Somogy County, Hungary, on the southern side of Lake Balaton, approximately 120 km southwest from Budapest and about 23 km southwest from Siófok, the "capital of Balaton ...
- Balatonszárszó - Balatonszemes -
Balatonlelle Balatonlelle is a resort town located in Hungary on the southern shore of Lake Balaton, about 35 km west of Siófok. It is known for its numerous tourist attractions, some of those being a 3 km long beach, an aqua park, a go-cart course, and an ...
- Balatonboglár -
Fonyód Fonyód (german: Fonjod) is a town and holiday resort on the southern shore of Lake Balaton, in north-west Somogy, western Hungary, with over 4,700 residents. It is the seat of Fonyód District. History The first mention of Fonyód was in a let ...
- Fonyód–Alsóbélatelep - Bélatelep -
Balatonfenyves Balatonfenyves is a village at Lake Balaton in Somogy county, Hungary. The name comes from the lake and the Hungarian word for pine tree: ''fenyves''. Formerly part of Fonyód, the village was granted independence as a result of a referendum hel ...
-
Balatonmáriafürdő Balatonmáriafürdő is a village located on the southern shore of Lake Balaton Lake Balaton () is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region's foremost tourist dest ...
-
Balatonkeresztúr Balatonkeresztúr is a village in Somogy county, Hungary. The settlement is part of the Balatonboglár wine region. Etymology According to the local tradition, the village's name comes from the crossing of roads ( hu, kereszteződés, keresz ...
-
Balatonberény Balatonberény is a village in Somogy county, Hungary, with a popular nudist beach. The country village had a population of 1,200 in 2011. The settlement is part of the Balatonboglár wine region. History General history A late Bronze Age ceme ...
- Fenékpuszta


Gallery

File:Balatonmáriafürdő, Hungary.jpg, Badacsony File:Balatonalmadi06szept0005.jpg, Balatonalmádi File:ShipsBalatonfüred.jpg,
Balatonfüred Balatonfüred (german: Bad Plattensee, sk, Blatenské Teplice) is a resort town in Veszprém county, in Hungary, with a population of 13,000, situated on the northern shore of Lake Balaton. It is considered to be the capital of the Northern lake ...
File:Zala estuary.jpg, The estuary of Zala river File:Heart-shaped tombstones in Balatonudvari.jpg, Balatonudvari File:Balaton in winter (1).jpg, Balaton in Winter File:Fonyód.jpg,
Fonyód Fonyód (german: Fonjod) is a town and holiday resort on the southern shore of Lake Balaton, in north-west Somogy, western Hungary, with over 4,700 residents. It is the seat of Fonyód District. History The first mention of Fonyód was in a let ...
File:Balaton as seen from Alsórét szabadstrand.jpg, Balaton as seen from Alsórét, Balatonkenese File:Kőröshegy catholic church.JPG, Kőröshegy File:Balaton Hungary 2005 033.jpg, Siófok File:Szigliget, vár 2.JPG, Castle at Szigliget File:Benedictine Abbey on Tihany Peninsula - july 2007.jpg,
Tihany Tihany /ˈtihɒɲ/ is a village on the northern shore of Lake Balaton on the Tihany Peninsula (Hungary, Veszprém County). The whole peninsula is a historical district. The center of the district is the Benedictine Tihany Abbey, which was founde ...
File:A tihanyi apátság.jpg, Benedictine Abbey on Tihany Peninsula File:Zamárdi kilátás Kőhegyről.jpg,
Zamárdi , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST = CEST , utc_offset_DST = +2 , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = County , subdivision_nam ...
File:A tihanyi félszigeten.jpg, On Tihany Peninsula File:Naplemente a Balatonnál.jpg, Sunset at the lake File:Balatoni látkép.jpg, A view of the lake File:Balaton lake.jpg, View to lake Balaton from the Fonyod city


See also

*
Balaton Principality Early Slavs settled in the eastern and southern parts of the former Roman province of Pannonia. The term ''Lower Pannonia'' ( la, Pannonia inferior, hu, Alsó-pannoniai grófság, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Donja Panonija, Доња Панонија, sl, Spo ...
* Balaton Uplands National Park * Geography of Hungary


References


External links

* * * {{Authority control
Balaton Lake Balaton is a lake in Hungary, the largest lake in Central Europe Balaton may also refer to: * 2242 Balaton, a main-belt asteroid * Balaton (car), a Hungarian microcar * Balaton (village), in Heves county, Hungary * Balaton, Minnesota, a c ...
Ramsar sites in Hungary