West Balaton round tour – Family tour

1. Route details
IMPORTANT! This tour can only be completed in this form during shipping season due to the ferry crossing – from the beginning of May to the beginning of October.
Bike-friendly boats depart from the landing pier of Balatongyörök to Balatonmáriafürdő. You can find time tables, prices and other details on the www.bahart.hu/en website. (Bike transfer fee: 1.000 HUF, bike transfer fee for kids between the ages of 4 and 14: 500 HUF).

This 30 km long tour leads on signed bike road and contains a 5 km long boating section.
The starting point of the tour is the shore of Lake Balaton in Keszthely. From here we ride on the Balaton Bike Route toward Balatongyörök. From its landing pier we can reach Balatonmáriafürdő on the southern shore. From here we continue our tour toward Keszthely again on the Balaton Bike Route that takes us back to the starting point of the tour.
Along the route there are several bike shelters and rest places (Libás, Bringatanya, Diás, Eldorado, Szent Mihály-domb, Böngyéres, Balatonberény, Nyugati berek) and other places to stop and rest (shore of Lake Balaton of Keszthely, St. Michael’s Hill, Gyenesdiás Market, Erzsébet park).
As most of the route leads through inhabited area, there are several dining, food and other shopping facilities.

2. Difficulty factors in the tour
There are no particularly difficult sections such as slopes and roads hard to ride.

3. Highlights of the tour
You are invited to a really pleasant and easy bike ride. Smaller children can also completed it since the tour is not long and there are no difficult sections and roads to ride while it is rich in sights and wonderful landscapes. The route runs along Lake Balaton or even on Lake Balaton. 
In the first section of the tour, between Keszthely and Balatongyörök, we can see the beautiful view of Lake Balaton on the right side and the imposing lines of Keszthely Hills on the left side. On the southern shore we can see the diversity of nature from a different perspective and discover some new ones as well. For example, the western grove which is a natural wetland of Lake Balaton or the mouth of River Zala – which provides Lake Balaton with the largest inflow. From here there is a nice view to the Keszthely Bay, to town of Keszthely and to the Keszthely Hills. Combined with a short boat trip between the two shores, we can enjoy a really classic program of Lake Balaton.
This tour will also remind us of the Festetics family since we ride in the region that once was home of several generations of this family. The plane tree alley planted by the Festetics in Balatongyörök, the building of the visitor centre and the church in Balatonkeresztúr, the bridge on the boundary on Zala and Somogy counties, the former customs house and its surroundings as well as the former manor and Fenék stud farm in Keszthely-Fenékpuszta and the Elisabeth park in Keszthely. They are all part of the heritage of the Festetics. On the way we may understand why they did so much for this region and what empowered them to do so as the western corner of Lake Balaton has a magical power. The region will definitely find its way into the visitors’ heart.
A real curiosity is the St. Michael’ Hill and the chapel on its top which is the only votive fishing chapel in Hungary. We can reach the top of the hill fast easily on foot or by bike on a challenging steep section. Do not miss this place because it offers a fascinating view to the turquoise water of Lake Balaton and its surroundings. We can practically see the whole region that this tour covers.
The group ruins of the former Roman fortress in Fenékpuszta is a special point of interest: the western gate, the basilica and the granary are situated in front of the former mansion of the Festetics Manor.
In case of nice weather do not miss the opportunity of the more than ten beaches on the way. They can give you a physical and mental boost at the same time.