Festetics heritage tour (wine-red C)

1. Route details
Most of this 30 km long tour leads through inhabited area on low-traffic roads and signed bike route; and in a very small part on dirt road in the woods.
The tour is signed in one way that starts at the Festetics Palace. From here you must follow the Festetics wine-red A sign that leads through the Festetics Zoo to the Nagymező (Great meadow) and to the former quarry. Leaving the quarry, at the crossing the Festetics wine-red B sign starts that runs to Vonyarcvashegy to the Festetics Helikon Tavern and then to the St. Michael’s Hill. From here the route continues along the Festetics wine-red C sign to the Szépkilátó of Balatongyörök. From here we head back toward Keszthely on the Balaton Bike Route and we reach the town at the bank of Lake Balaton. Going through the Helikon Park, the Main square and the pedestrian street the route gets back to its starting point.
The dashed line on the maps indicates a short (ca. 200 m) dirt and gravel road that is difficult to cross after rain.
Along the route there are several bike shelters and rest places (Csapás street, Festetics Theme Centre, Nagymező, St. Michael’s Hill, Soós bay, Böngyéres, Eldorado, Vonyarc Marina, Diás, Bringatanya, Libás beach) and other places to stop and rest (Nagymező open-air leisure centre, St. Michael’s Hill, Szépkilátó picnic place, Soós bay, Gyenesdiás Market, Keszthely banks of Lake Balaton, Main square, Festetics palace garden).
As most of the route leads through inhabited area, there are several dining, food and other shopping facilities.
This route can be extended by the Festetics wine-red D tour.




2. Difficulty factors in the tour
Leaving the Nagymező, at the beginning of the sloping section of the former quarry – ca. 80 m – due to the risk of slipping, it is better to push the bike. In rainy weather the area is difficult to cross, so the bike is recommended to be pushed with extra attention and partially applied brakes.
In the second stage of the tour, in Vonyarcvashegy, the section from Horváth Imre street to the Tavern contains a strong uphill.

3. Highlights of the tour
Acquire physical and mental boost on the beautiful former Festetics estate! On this round tour we can discover a new bit of the extremely rich, imposing and interesting Festetics heritage between Keszthely and Balatongyörök. The route passes by several viewpoints, from where we can admire the blue of the sky, the turquoise colour of Lake Balaton and the different green shades of nature at the same time – the landscape unfolds infront of your eyes as if painted by an artist’s brush.
At the beginning of the tour or even as its highlighting, the beautiful interior exhibition of the Festetics Palace cannot be missed nor its park reconstructed based on its original state.
We can stay longer and feed the deer, goats and sheep in the Zoo which commemorates Imre Festetics who described the basic laws of genetics from the observation of the sheep. The House of Nature Visitor Centre, that gives a glimpse into the natural world of the Keszthely Hills, is located here as well and that can help us to look at the next – forest – stage of the tour with different eyes. Once the forests of the Hills were part of the Festetics family’s estate. Among other things the Festetics lookout tower which can be reached on a short walk west from the Nagymező, reminds us of this fact of former possession. From here there is a wonderful view to the whole town of Keszthely, we can see the Festetics Palace, the shore of Lake Balaton and the Keszthely Bay as well as a spectacular panorama of the countryside beyond the town and the Keszthely Hills.
The Darnay wine cellar refers to the viti- and viniculture of the region and the past of the former wine community as well as the largest wine cellar of the region, the Helikon Tavern, the former manor house of the Festetics family. The building functions as a restaurant now where it is worth to taste the ‘Festetics’ dishes which are made from ingredients (fish, crab, beef) that were beloved by the Festetics’ as well.
The Almond Garden in Vonyarcvashegy recalls the former almond plantation of the Festetics’ that offers a unique spectacle especially during the spring blossoming.
A real curiosity is the St. Michael’ Hill and the chapel on its top which is the only votive fishing chapel in Hungary. There is a beautiful view of Lake Balaton and the surrounding countryside.
From the Szépkilátó of Balatongyörök we can admire one of the most spectacular panoramic views of Lake Balaton. No wonder that Tassiló Festetics's wife, Lady Mary Hamilton, was so glad to visit this place and spend some time under the shady foliage of the pine trees.
In the next part of the tour, on the Balaton Bike Route, beautiful panoramic places vary. The Soós bay, for example, is a real little wonderland which is a natural bay of Lake Balaton. There are very few such places left around the lake, so it is definitely worth stopping by.
The plane tree alley planted by the Festetics is part of the lakeside promenade of Balatongyörök. Not only the promenade and the bike route goes under the foliage of the more than 100-year-old trees but it also provides a nice spot to events.
An interesting place is the Diás watermill which can be reached from the Gyenesdiás section of the Balaton Bike Route via the 350 m long ‘Forrás’ (Source) educational trail. The mill with high traffic for centuries played a central role at the time of the Festetics’.
It is worth taking a break at the ‘Bringatanya’ which is the most famous ice-cream making workshop in the region and try a taste of the super delicious ice creams. Beside the one with the fantasy name ‘the almond kiss of the Festetics’’ there are several creations related to the local history and culture.
In the last section of the tour, between the banks of Lake Balaton and the Festetics Palace, the Helikon Park, the Helikon Memorial, the various sights of the Main square as well as the buildings of the Kastély street are all related to the heritage and former activities of the Festetics family in many ways.