Round tour in Tihany with beach fun, purple J

1. Route description, explanation of signs
The trail number on this tour is: 244, the tour is marked as purple J. Bike paths: 2.2 km, public roads: 0.78 km, low-traffic public roads: 3.33 km, forestry roads: 6 km, agricultural roads: 1.6 km. The dashed line indicates an unpaved road.

2. Difficulty factors in the tour
The tour starts on a flat paved stretch. After the transition to the Balaton Cycling Circuit turn onto the slightly ascending bike path to Tihany. Towards the end of the bike path the gradient becomes steeper for about 500 m, making the section a slightly more challenging part of the route.
When it rains or directly thereafter, the stretch between kilometres 9 and 12 becomes muddy and difficult to ride on.

3. Ambience
After the obligatory tourist photos at the abbey, the time has come to discover the hidden sights of the Tihany peninsula - preferably by bike! You can certainly spend a whole day cycling along this unusual, almost 14 kilometres long Tihany circuit. It can be assumed in advance that you won't be in a mood to hurry: in the lavender fields, in the Őrtorony lookout tower as well as on the lakeside of Belső-tó one hour flies by as quickly as if it were only a few minutes. Let yourself be absorbed by this area, feel the special microclimate on your skin, discover rare animal species on the hiking trails above the bay of Sajkod, visit the hermit caves of the monks, or just sit down in a picturesque spot and admire the landscape! At the end of the day you will understand why the Benedictine order founded the abbey precisely here, and why this peninsula has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the past centuries, fortunately still preserving untrodden paths...

4. Detailed tour description
If you arrive by car, you can park in front of the beach in Sajkod and start the tour from there. Parking fee: 250 HUF per hour, day ticket: 1500 HUF.
From Balatonfüred you can cycle in about 15 minutes on the Balaton Cycling Circuit to Sajkod Bay, the starting point of the tour.
From Sajkod follow the trail 244 / J to the north. After 1 km you reach the Balaton Cycling Circuit and after a few hundred metres turn right onto the bike path to Tihany. The bike path is slowly ascending, and towards the end you will have to pedal real hard for a little while. This short section is the only steeper climb on the route, once you have overcome it you arrive directly on the outskirts of Tihany, where you turn right onto Major utca and ride along Kiserdőtelepi út to Lake Belső in Tihany. After only 3.5 km of cycling, a wonderful view of Lake Belső opens up with its old houses on the shore and the abbey on the hilltop.
The Tihany Vinárius Borárium wine cellar, built by the Tihany Abbey over 200 years ago, is located right on this spot. On the terrace you can enjoy the view as well as the magnificent local wines.
The route continues along an agricultural dirt road that goes all the way around the Lake Belső in Tihany. At 7 km on the track you arrive to the main road that runs through Tihany, turn right and continue on the road. Before that, however, it is worth making a detour in the opposite direction and riding up to the old centre of Tihany. Having made the short detour, continue on the main road of Tihany, which leads down to the ferry. After a few hundred metres turn right on Kossuth Lajos utca towards Ferenc Pince. Cycling alongside the slope of Cser Hill, a beautiful view of Lake Balaton unfolds throughout this panoramic stretch.
At kilometre 8, the paved scenic route ends and you cycle along a well-maintained forest hiking trail into the Tihany forest. After the shady forest section you will pass into the historical wine region between the Külső and Belső lakes. At the vineyards keep left and at kilometre 12 you will join the paved forest path to Sajkod, which runs right along the shore of Lake Balaton. The path leads back to the starting point at the charming beach of Sajkod. Here you can change your cycling gear for a bathing suit and round off the tour with a pleasant swim in Lake Balaton. You can have a pleasant meal and drink at a number of snack bars or, if you prefer, at the elegant Apáti Café & Restaurant.
Caution: in heavy rain and directly afterwards the unpaved roads around Lake Belső in Tihany are muddy and difficult to ride on.

Municipalities on the route: Sajkod, Diós, Gödrös, Óvár, Tihany, Cserhegy.