Kis-Balaton – Zala valley

Route details
This 80-kilometer road tour runs from Hévíz to Kis-Balaton, where after a switch, it climbs the grape hills above Hévíz and returns, having overcome 700 meters of elevation. Much of the tour runs on a flat landscape, leaving the challenging bits for the beginning and for the end of the trip. The ride takes us through a mixture of paved roads with low traffic, regular public roads and bike roads too.

This trip can be completed in both directions.

Recommended route: Hévíz-Alsópáhok-Szentgyörgyvár, Szőlőhegy-Sármellék-Kányavári-sziget-Kis Balaton dike-Esztergályhorváti-Zalaapáti-Bókaháza-Zalacsány-Kehidakustány-Zalakoppány-Zalaszentlászló-Zalaköveskút-Nemesbük-Hévíz

Navigate with downloadable gpx or the BB365 app or simply follow the road signs along this BalatonBike365 route: Follow the road sign ‘121’ from Hévíz approximately until the center of Alsópáhok, the ‘123’ branches off from it to the right, and well before Szentgyörgyvár we turn off from it to the left and on the mountain ridge. From Kányavári-sziget, follow the sign ‘12’ until the Kis-Balaton house, then take a left turn back onto road 121, but after we leave Kis-Balaton we need to take a right (and not to the left as the sign says).
Nourishments can be bought in the villages along the route.

Recommended bikes: road or gravel bikes

Difficulty factors
There is a steep climb after Alsópáhok. After Sármellék, there is low traffic on the roads, but drivers go fast on the good quality road. The same is true when we leave Kis-Balaton in a northerly direction, there you must form a line if you are travelling with others. Significant climbs will only occur in the last third of the distance, after Zalaszentlászló, which is another difficulty factor. It is best if we arrive at this leg of the journey after taking proper refreshments and not when we are a step from exhaustion.

A brief description
It is not only the Balaton Uplands that are worth visiting from Hévíz. During this 80-kilometer road bike round tour, we may ride on a protected bike road and immerse ourselves in the Kis-Balaton landscape, but there are other routes too, that lead through typical Zala countryside. Before Hévíz, the last 20 kilometers are a pleasant “roller coaster” on minor roads with almost no traffic at all, this is where we overcome the majority of the elevation during the tour.

Detailed description of the tour
We leave Hévíz from the car park outside Tófürdő, so that we can soak our sore feet right away after arrival. This may be especially pleasant in the autumn or spring months. We arrive in Alsópáhok on a road that is straight except for one roundabout, at the T-junction we turn left, then one kilometer later to the right. (Sign 123). We will not follow the curve up the steep slope but veer off to the right and follow the signposts towards Szentgyörgyvár and the road will gradually lose its steepness. Before the paved road begins to descend, we turn left onto a narrow but excellent paved road among the grape hills and enjoy a pleasant descent. The only point where we can take a wrong turn will appear 2.5 kilometers after the bend, here we will turn southwards. 2 kilometers later we cross highway 75 and another 2 kilometers later we reach Sármellék from where we travel 11 kilometers southwards. We take the sign 121 until Zalavár, but there we will stop following the sign, and instead head straight on to the main road, over the Zala Bridge, and approximately 2 kilometers after the bridge we turn right in the direction of Kányavári-sziget onto a beautiful tree-lined road. We can stop for a coffee at the rest area before the island or enjoy the view from the bridge. Birdlife is spectacularly abundant here. We continue our way on a protected, good-quality bike road to explore Kis-Balaton, and bike along the dike to reach the public road. In the meantime, we can stop to enjoy the view from the lookout as well. We turn left onto the 121 where the bike road meets the main road, then soon turn right onto the main road where numbering stops. From there, we travel more than 25 kilometers without any detour on a largely flat landscape, surrounded by a typical Zala countryside. At Zalakoppány, we turn right and from there on we will rarely see any vehicles. What we will see, though, are two climbs after turning left into the grape hills at the center of Zalaszentlászló. Above Szentlászló, we will travel on the ridge for some time from where we can enjoy a panoramic view on both sides. Take care during the descent because the narrow road is not of the best quality. The next small village is Zalaköveskút where the other steep ascent starts. There is a lookout on the hilltop again (Mother Teresa lookout), if anyone is in the mood to climb up in cycling shoes... What follows from there is practically cooling down as we roll into Hévíz from the direction of Nemesbük.