Balatonalmádi () is a popular
resort town
A resort town, 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 area. Sometimes ...
in
Veszprém county
Veszprém (, ; ) is an administrative county (''vármegye'') in Hungary. Veszprém is also the name of the capital city of Veszprém county.
Veszprém county
Veszprém county lies in western Hungary. It covers the Bakony hills and the norther ...
, in
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
, with a population of 8,500, situated on the northern shore of
Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton () is a freshwater rift lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the List of largest lakes of Europe, largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region's foremost tourist destinations. The Zala River provides the larges ...
.
History
The town developed from three previously separated villages, which were united by combining Balatonalmádi and Káptalanfüred in 1952, and Balatonalmádi and Vörösberény in 1971. At its beginnings, the settlement was called Almádi, and later Almádi-puszta, and belonged to the
vineyard
A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...
located on the current city centre. The vineyards were destroyed in the end of the 1800s by
phylloxera
Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belongs to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bugs); orig ...
.
There is a unique Calvinist church. Around the church there is a special stonewall. Not far from here there is a Catholic church, which was built between 1977 and 1979. Inside there are frescoes. On the other side there is a building from the 18th century. Under this building there is a huge cellar where a wine house and wine museum will be opened as well.
The village of Vörösberény existed already during the
Hungarian conquest
The Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin, also known as the Hungarian conquest or the Hungarian land-taking (), was a series of historical events ending with the settlement of the Hungarians in Central Europe in the late 9th and early 10t ...
.
King Stephen I donated it to Greek nuns inhabiting
Veszprém
Veszprém (; , , , ) is one of the oldest urban areas in Hungary, and a city with county rights. It lies approximately north of the Lake Balaton. It is the administrative center of the county of the same name.
Etymology
The city's name derives ...
Valley, according to the first charter in Greek containing the settlement's name. The first summer season started officially in 1874. Almadi summer festival starting from June to September every weekend with special programmes. The growth of Balatonalmádi was quickened by the opening of the railway in 1909.
Tourism
Balatonalmádi is a well known tourist destination in Hungary due to its attractive location.
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Balatonalmádi is
twinned with:
*
Eggenfelden
Eggenfelden (; Central Bavarian: ''Eggenfejdn'') is a municipality in the district of Rottal-Inn in Bavaria, Germany.
Geography
Geographical location
Eggenfelden is located in the valley of the Rott (Inn, Neuhaus am Inn), Rott at the intersecti ...
, Germany
*
Nitrianske Hrnčiarovce, Slovakia
*
San Michele al Tagliamento
San Michele al Tagliamento is an Italian Municipality with 11,930 inhabitants in the Metropolitan City of Venice, Veneto, Italy.
SS14, one of the main State Highways (Italy), passes through the commune, whose ''frazione'' of Bibione is a popular ...
(
Bibione
Bibione is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of San Michele al Tagliamento, in the Metropolitan City of Venice, Veneto, northern Italy. It is a seaside resort, particularly popular among German, Austrian, Hungarian, Czech, Polish, and Slovak touris ...
), Italy
*
Serock
Serock is a town at the north bank of the Zegrze Lake, Zegrze lake in the Legionowo County, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland, around north of Warsaw. It has 4,109 inhabitants (2013).
History
The stronghold was founded in the 10th century, shortly ...
, Poland
*
Băile Tușnad
Băile Tușnad (; , ) is a town in Harghita County, Romania in eastern Transylvania.
With a population of 1,372 (as of 2021), it is the smallest town in Romania by population. It is located at an altitude of in the southern reaches of the Ciuc ...
, Romania (candidate)
*
Kalajoki
Kalajoki (; literally translated the "fish river") is a coastal town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the Gulf of Bothnia in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region.
The town ...
, Finland (candidate)
Notable Citizens
*Herendi Ágoston (born in 2004), Herendi family offspring
Gallery
File:Erődített református templom.jpg, The reformed church
File:A teljesen megújult Ramada Hotel légifelvételen.jpg, Ramada Hotel
File:Balatonalmádi mólója madártávlatból.jpg, The port from an aerial view
File:180729 Almádi tanösvény (02) Korsós nő szobra.jpg, "Woman with a jug" sculpture in the city center
File:180729 Almádi tanösvény (28) Óvári Messzelátó.jpg, Óvári lookout tower
File:View from the lookout tower.jpg, View from the lookout tower
File:180729 Balatonalmádi Szent Imre-templom.jpg, Szent Imre church
File:Balatonalmadi sunrise.jpg, Long exposure photo of a sunrise by the lake
External links
* in Hungarian
Balatonalmádi at funiq.hu
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balatonalmadi
Populated places in Veszprém County