From the Keszthely Mountains to the Sümeg Castle with road bike

Road information, legend
The 70-kilometer circuit passes through the Keszthelyi Mountains and then returns to the hills after touching Sümeg and Tapolca, with an elevation gain of 700 meters.
The tour is moderately difficult, both in terms of the distance and the steepness of the climbs. We travel mainly on public roads with less traffic, you only have to ride a few hundred meters on the cycle path in Tapolca and Keszthely, where the designated cycle path runs parallel to the public road.

The tour can be completed in both directions.

Recommended route: Keszthely-Cserszegtomaj-Rezi-Zalaszántó-Bazsi-Sümeg-Tapolca-Lesencetomaj-Várvölgy-Keszthely

Download the gpx or use the BB365 app for navigation, or use the road signs along the following BalatonBike365 route: there's no signepost form Kerszthely to Rezi, but from Rezi to Sümeg you must follow the 135 signs, between Sümeg and Tapolca there's no signs, but from Tapolca the 23 takes you through Lesenceistvánd to Várvölgy.

It is possible to buy food in the settlements along the route

Recommended bike: road or gravel bike, but we can also go on a trip with a trekking bike

Difficulty factors
After a kilometer or two, the road immediately rises, which can be taxing with cold muscles. After Rezi there is a fast descent, where you have to pay attention to oncoming traffic in the corners. At the bottom of the Sümeg castle, we can decide to try whether we can ride a bike up to the castle - this is a real difficulty factor! The asphalt on the road between Sümeg and Tapolca is of high quality, so the cars drive quite fast, so be sure to pay attention to this. Between Tapolca and Lesence we can expect very heavy traffic, a dangerous section! At Lesencetomaj there is a rather steep part of the ascent.

Mood description
Starting from Keszthely, which offers a variety of program options, the 70-kilometer tour leads through calm, hilly countryside, with many shady sections of the road, which is also pleasant in summer. The dynamic progress from Sümeg to Tapolca is an experience, and from Tapolca we return in beautiful surroundings, with a glimpse of Lake Balaton in the vicinity of Lesence. Optionally, we can also see the Sümegi Castle, with its amazing panorama.

Detailed tour description
We start from Keszthely from the Aldi parking lot, which can be a good starting point not only because of the parking, but also because you don't have to wander around the city much. We immediately turn onto Rezi út and, crossing 71, leaving Keszthely in silence, the road begins to rise. At the beginning of Cserszegtomaj there is a Y junction where you have to follow the main road to the left, beyond that you can't be lost along the route. After the long winding climb, when we reach the center of Rezi, we have to turn left, right, then left again and a donwhill secion driving on a narrow asphalt road to the main road, where we turn right towards Zalaszántó. Just before the village, there is a small hill waiting for us, just what ias big enough to be attacked out of momentum. From Zalaszántó to Sümeg, you can enjoy cycling on very high-quality asphalt, spiced up with two small climbs and slopes. Within Sümeg, follow the BB365 app or the downloaded GPS, or look for the Tapolca road. If you are looking for a challenge, you can try to wind up from the side of the castle on the stony road to the castle gate, not only the 20% slope, but also the stony ground will make it difficult. (On weekends, in the middle of the touristic season, it's not necessarily worth trying because of the tourist traffic.) From Sümeg to Tapolca, you can also drive on excellent asphalt, which for the most part hardly slopes down, so in high gears you can feel your self strong. Good-quality asphalt is also appreciated by motorists, so be careful with fast-moving cars (the traffic is not bad anyway). According to the itinerary, we don't go into the center of Tapolca, but if we want to refresh ourselves, we can have an ice cream or eat and drink anything in a beautiful environment at Malom lake. Leaving Tapolca on the 77, we turn right at the first fork towards Váralja, the more dangerous section continues until now, then crossing the 84 at Lesencetomaj, not only the most difficult climb of our tour follows, but also one of the most beautiful parts. At the end of the village, looking back to the left, we can see Lake Balaton, and then we continue through a varied beautiful landscape. At the restaurant in the middle of Várvölgy, we turn sharply left and slowly head towards Keszthely. Leaving the village, we are heading towards Keszthely on the main road, we can expect heavier traffic at certain times of the day. The first third of the road climbs moderately, the last 3-4 kilometers of the road is an easy descent, rolling into the city on a slightly sloping road.