On one of the wheels in the past – bicycle tour in the surroundings of Keszthely

1. Route details

This 12 km long tour connects Lake Balaton and Lake Hévíz, and runs around the Festetics Palace as well.
The tour is short and easy to complete.
The route contains a challenging uphill (see point 2).
The route can be completed in two directions.
The recommended route to complete the tour follows Keszthely, Georgikon street, Keszthely – Hévíz Bike Route, Lake Hévíz, Keszthely – Hévíz Bike Route, Hunting Museum, Festetics Palace, shore of Lake Balaton.
The starting point of the tour is the shore of Lake Balaton in Keszthely. From here follow the EV14 (Hungarian 1) sign to the crossroads of Georgikon street and the Keszthely West bypass road. From here follow green B sign. On the way back from the crossroads of Pipáskert and the Keszthely West bypass road follow the EV 13 sign.
Road numbers on the tour: EV14 (Keszthely), 13 (Keszthely West bypass road – Hévíz).
The route basically leads through built-up area and fully on designed bike road the most of which is asphalt road and a short part is gravel road.
Along the route there are several bike shelters and rest places (Angolnás, Vadaskert, Pipáskert, Bécsi-kapu) and other places to stop and rest (Hévíz forest, Festetics Palace park).
As most of the route leads through populated are, there are several dining, food and other shopping facilities.

2. Difficulty factors in the tour

On the way back – that is from Hévíz to Keszthely – the last part of the Keszthely-Hévíz Bike Route contains a strong uphill part.

3. Highlights of the tour
This cycle tour, which also takes a look back into the past, is full of stops where you can contemplate the past centuries. During the tour, which is also easy to ride on a tandem bike, history is mixed with the present, as well as culture with nature. Following the steps of the Festetics family, you can discover much of the past, as well as get to know the fauna of Lake Balaton in the exhibition rooms of the Balaton Museum, which are also accessible to the visually impaired, or even breathe in the fresh air of the pine forests. Besides the many cultural programs, you should not forget the pleasure of relaxation. You can immerse yourself in the warmth of the healing water of Hévíz or in the froth of the Hungarian sea by the safely deepening edge of the open beach near Keszthely. Jump into the saddle if you want to enjoy a mentally and physically refreshing bike ride!