HUNGARY - LAKE BALATON

Hungary isn’t the first place that springs to mind when you think of great European windsurfing destinations, but it is home to Lake Balaton, a freshwater lake in the west of the country and the largest lake in Central Europe. Chris Pressler explores its windsurfing and reports back on a spot full of freeride potential, set amongst protected wetlands and scenic volcanic hills.

Words Chris Pressler // Photos Kerstin Reiger

This feature originally appeared in the September 2018 issue of Windsurf Magazine

As an Austrian, lakes are our ‘local’ spots and Lake Neusiedl our prime one and home to the famous PWA competitions in years past. Variety is the spice of life but and keen to discover some ‘fresh’ freshwater, we only had to travel a few hours across the border into Hungary to discover another lake, Balaton, which due to its large size offers multiple spots covering all wind directions and it even has some tiny waves to play on in the right conditions!

The grand scale of Balaton is key to its utility for windsurfing. It has a total length of 77 km, a width between 14 km and 1.5 km and a total shore length of over 160 km. The average depth of Balaton is 3.2 m with a maximum of 12.2 m, which you may think is relatively shallow but is not extraordinary for the area as the average depth of neighbouring Lake Neusiedl is roughly only 1 m.

What is remarkable about Balaton, certainly on the south side, is the accessibility to the lake, in almost every conceivable place along the southern shore, roads or random streets lead to the water’s edge. In comparison, the north shore is wilder, less populated and has many parts located in a national park, with huge reed belts forming natural buffers between the land and water. Of course the important question for windsurfing is where is the strongest wind? Lake Balaton can be divided into a lower, middle and upper area. The lower area is located in the southwest and gets the most wind. North and northwest winds are accelerated over the volcanic mountains and through the valleys and so the wind blows strongest from this direction at the section from Balatonfenyes to Balatonlelle. Szantod, in the middle of the southern shore, works very well when a strong southwest wind hits the whole lake. Sometimes the eastern part of the lake can be touched by local fronts that can bring wind, whilst the western part of the lake remains flat calm, so it pays to keep a good eye on weather and wind forecasts. Indeed, even though there may be no wind on some sections of the lake, it will still have waves, because the waves have formed in a part of the lake where wind is blowing. In fact on our next trip to Balaton we plan on bringing a SUP and longboard to try and catch some of those waves at Balatonlelle! There are so many places to explore in Balaton, so here’s a guide to help you.

NORTH SHORE
The spots on the north shore work very well with S and SW wind, in the eastern corner NE winds work well also. Working from the west end to east end of the north shore, here is a breakdown of the spots.

Vonyarcvashegy – near the city of Keszthely and works ideally with SW & S wind, has a beautiful campsite.

Balatongyörök – on the north coast near Keszthely, superb views over a pine forest with a good sandy beach. Works ideally with SW and S winds, side shore with SW wind. Very steady winds and good parking next to the train station, a lot of restaurants in the immediate area.

Szigliget – SW wind best, large parking lot.

Sajkod – on the west side of the beautiful Tihany peninsula, this spot is located at a kayak club with a nice beach. Sajkod works with NW, N and NE wind very well, small chop, super freeride and freestyle spot. Wind gets accelerated a bit through a channel, lesser known spot with small parking area.

Nereus Beachpark, Balatonalmadi – SW and NE wind ideal, small beach in the east of the village, good water depth, large car park, a good lunch spot is Jóbarátok Halsütöde for fish and chips!

Zagykazetta Szörf Beach – near Balatonfüzfö and located in the east of the lake. Large parking lot near the beach, very constant wind, friendly scene from kiters and windsurfers, small beach to launch from, good water depth, good in SW, S and often NE wind (local thermal).

SOUTH SHORE
The spots on the south shore work very well with north, northwest and northeast winds, but also very well with south and southwest winds. Working from west to east, here is a breakdown of the spots.

Balatonfenyves – one of the windiest spots on the whole lake, plenty of parking spaces, toilets, a lot of green space and supposedly the best pancakes in the area! Due to the proximity to Slovenia and Austria, it is well visited internationally and there is a local windsurfing school. Works best with NW, N & NE wind, kite surfers are on the left hand side and windsurfers keep on the right or ride of the sandbanks. The water is sufficiently deep with a sandy base, there’s free parking, a few shops, restaurants and a pizzeria. For food we recommend Eva’s kitchen and her great coffee. You can view a local webcam at www.webcamgalore.at/webcam/Ungarn/Balatonfenyves/20714.html and that website also has a few more webcams from spots on the lake like Fonyod or Tihany.

Alsóbélatelep – sort of a secret spot type place, but well known in the freestyle scene. Shallow water on the inside of the small bay and further outside waves, works well with NW to NE wind. Noszlopy road leads to the spot and Noszlopy Csalogány beach has good parking. Close to Alsóbélatelep, on Bathory street, after 400 m on the beach road is a small but nice campsite directly at the lake (www.urlaub-am-plattensee.de). The beach nearby has some parking spaces, direct water access and works in many wind directions.

Fonyod – at the bottom of the hill of Fonyod there is a section of the beach that is well connected to the water. At Tungsram beach, or Fonyódi Városi, just before the western entrance to Fonyod, the water gets deep, but be careful at the launch as it has sharp shells and stones in the water. Parking is on the main road. Not an ideal spot, but works with many wind directions – NW, W, SW and NE wind.

Fonyódliget – on the south coast between Fonyod and Balatonboglar with access through a one-way system. Launch from the beach next to the Bar Kamilla or the Surf & More Windsurfing Centre. The spot works great with northwest, north, northeast and southwest to west winds; it’s a spot which takes a lot of wind and has a nice panoramic view.

Balatonlelle – windsurfing spot with beautiful views, very shallow water in the inside of the bay, short fins are recommended, good waves on the sandbanks, one of the top spots at Lake Balaton for everyone who likes to jump. The spot works best with NW wind, but also with SW wind, and has the character of a windsurfing fun park! On the inside is a huge flat area with ramps on the sandbanks and further out on the open lake there’s rolling waves. Little parking space directly at the spot, in the summer months rather unsuitable, except for those who live directly at the spot. Huge hotels and a big beach directly at the spot with large green areas. It’s quite an urban area with bungalows and restaurants / snack bars all near the beach. Launch to the right of the harbour over a ramp at a stone beach. Watch out for a concrete surface in the middle of the bay which
is covered by waves, but is marked with buoys!

Balatonszemes – a small village with a long history of tourism and large modern marina that is built into the lake. The spot works with west, northwest, north and northeast winds with plenty of shallow areas and good waves. Balatontourist Camping Vadvirág campsite, east of the town, is ideal for watersports enthusiasts being right on the water with launching at Rider Beach. Otherwise launch from the beach west of the marina. Beautiful views, very good location for camping and a quiet area with less buildings and a lot of nature around. Also try Hattyu Kemping
(www.hattyucamping.hu) for camping.

Szantod and Balatonföldvar opposite to Tihany, to the left and right of the ferry station. Has local windsurf club, stronger current (up to 7 km/h), works with south, southwest and west wind. Has a campsite, Mirabell in Zamardi, right at the water’s edge. Nice view of Tihany, good location for windsurfers and cyclists, close to Siofok for nightlife.

Szántodi beach is good for windsurfing. If the wind picks up to 25 knots from a southwest direction you can get rolling waves and awesome ramps for jumping. The wind is a bit sheltered on the inside, but gets stronger further out. The waves break over sandbanks and when it gets really strong with 35+ knots it’s a spot that reminds you a bit of Pozo Izquierdo. A big windsurfing scene exists in the area and we had our best day at this spot. Nearby are a few other good spots, such as Nyugati & Keleti Beach near Balatonföldvar (windsurf centre).

Sostó – also known as Balatonszabadi-Sostó, works with NW, N, NE and S winds. Famous windsurfing spot in the Siofok region, large green area, good waves on the offshore sandbank when the wind picks up from northeast. Kitesurfing is prohibited. Balatontourist Ifjúsag Kemping campsite opposite the spot. Eight km from Siofok (train connection), which is the party spot for Lake Balaton. North wind can be very strong in Sosto when cold fronts go through, even in summer you can get wind up to Force 7.

Balatonvilagos – located on the premises of Club Aliga, once the resort for members of the Communist party, Fidel Castro also came here! Privatized since 2006, works with all wind directions, large shallow area, very quiet place.

GETTING THERE
Fly to Budapest “Ferihegy” airport or Balaton Airport “HevizBalaton” (www.hevizairport.com/en).
Do not forget your passport, although Hungary is a Schengen member, there are passport controls.

PLACES TO SEE
• Tihany peninsula – good for hiking at sunrise or sunset on the Csúcs-hegy, a viewpoint on Lake Balaton, 232 m high.
• Tihany – nice village with Benedictine abbey, nature trails, fish restaurants and a ‘Paprikahaus’, where peppers are hung on nets in autumn and dried in the sun.
• Heviz – spa town with second largest thermal lake in the world with water temperatures of 35 – 36 °C.
• Castle of Sümeg.
• Kis-Balaton – bird paradise and Kápolnapuszta buffalo reserve.
• Wine areas – Badacsony, Balatonn-Oberland, Balatonfüred-Csopak, Balatonboglár, Tihany and Zala.
• Walking – walks on the inactive volcanoes in the north of the lake or in the beautiful pine forest near Balatongyörök.
• Castle of Szigliget – super view of volcanoes and the lake.
• Balatoni museum – in Keszthely.

GEAR TO BRING
I recommend to bring a set of freeride gear. I always had a 107 with a 7.5 or a 120 with an 8.0 in the van. I often used 105 with 5.8, but as well 4.5 – 5.3 with a 95 litre board and even 4.0 with a small wave board. In spring and autumn it can be chilly when a cold front hits the lake so bring a 5/4/3 wetsuit, hood and booties when visiting then. From mid May till September it‘s fine with a 4/3 or 3/2 and for the warm summer days a shorty is good enough. When it was windy and warm I used a shorty with long arms and for chilly late summer days I used a 3/2mm wetsuit with long legs and arms. Great mountain biking in the area, so we brought our bikes but they can be rented at
www.bikehungary.hu/balatonfenyves/ www.on2wheels.hu/de/ www.aktivponttihany.hu/

HELPFUL WEBSITES
www.balaton.net/
www.balaton-service.de
www.de.gotohungary.com/balaton_de
www.welovebalaton.hu/

WHERE TO STAY
Balatontourist camping have 12 sites around the lake – www.balatontourist.hu/en/campingplatze-unterkufte-am-balaton

They have Wifi in nearly all the sites, direct access to water, are relatively cheap and offer additional leisure facilities and infrastructure of a western standard with few drawbacks. Their campsites in the west and north open longer, mid-April to last week of September, and the places on the south shore start in the first week of May and usually close in early September.

Hotel and campsites also offered by www.castrum.eu and other options at www.plattensee.at

Wild camping is not liked at Lake Balaton, but is often the only alternative in the low season (April, late September/early October) !!

CLIMATE
Temperate continental climate, with very hot summers. In general, dry and mild, but a massive cold front from the north or northwest can change things, even during the warmer months. The maximum temperatures from May to September are over 20°C. The warmest months are from June to August where top temperatures can reach over 40°C. during hot summer days. The best time to travel is end of April / beginning of May till end of October.

WIND
Over the entire year the dominant wind directions are NNW, N, S and SW. In September and October winds are from the North / NNW, while South and SSW winds blow mostly in April and from June till August. We travelled to Lake Balaton several times in September and had sessions with South, SW, N and NNW winds. The wind blew frequently and we also got wind when none was forecast! Wind from the north gets funnelled through valleys. Southern winds especially can be significantly stronger than predicted and in the afternoon it normally increases. A prediction of 15 knots usually means good wind conditions. The wind can also get really strong at times, up to 40 knots plus at Lake Balaton.

If you go to a beach which has a good wind you should just go out. Sometimes the wind does not last too long, or it blows less just a few kilometres away from the spot you are at. Winds from a north or northwesterly direction can last for several days. During thunderstorms caution is required due to the heavy winds and dangerous lightning strikes! There is a storm warning system of stations with flashing lights distributed around the lake.

WIND FORECAST

Windy.com, the map-based prediction is very beneficial because the winds often vary over the lake or fronts only hit the lake at one half due to its length. The wind is predicted exactly and the windsurfing sessions can be optimally planned and we never missed the wind. Windfinder also worked great.

SCHOOLS & RENTALS
www.wind99.com – windsurfing, sailing, accommodation and yacht charter in Tihany.
www.wasserstart.hu/en – windsurf centre in Balatonföldvar.
balatoni-strand.clubaliga.hu/szorf-center – windsurf centre in Balatonaliga.
www.sharkysurf.hu – windsurf school in Vonyarcvashegy.
viharsarok.hu/index.php/hirek/130-segelschule – windsurf centre and sailing school in Balatonföldvar.
www.standuppaddle.hu/de – SUP centre in Tihany.

WINDSURFING SHOPS
Most shops are located in Budapest.

www.hi-surf.com/windsurf-sup
www.windsurfing.hu
www.windsurfwebshop.eu
www.windsurfbolt.hu
www.mojoboards.hu – custom boards.
www.pirateboards.com – custom boards and board repairs.
www.onesails.com/hungary-loft – sail repairs.

FOOD
The first paprikas came to Hungary in the 17th century and in Hungarian cuisine, peppers, whether fresh or as a spice powder, provide an appetizing red colour. Popular local dishes include goulash, letscho (thick vegetable ragout or stew), fish (typically zander, the king of Balaton fish) and bean soup, goose liver, stuffed cabbage, töltött kaposzta (cabbage rolls stuffed with meat and rice), mardatej (meringue desert) and palatchinka (pancakes). A 10% tip is common.

LANGUAGE
Some handy Hungarian words are below.
Szia – hello.
Köszönöm – thank you.
Szoba Kaido – rooms available.

DRIVING
If using your own car or motorhome you require a compulsory toll sticker for highways in Austria and Hungary – https://ematrica.nemzetiutdij.hu
They use cameras to spot cars without these stickers. It’s a toll you pay once. Same in Austria. Along the southern coast of lake Balaton is a highway. We never used it as the normal road is closer to the lake, but this highway brings you to the spots much quicker. Between Szántód and Tihany is a car ferry which allows a quick change to the north shore. Hungary has a number of traffic regulations it is worth checking out before you go. On the spot fines are a common way of dealing with penalties for minor traffic law violations. There is zero tolerance for drink driving and phones can only be used while driving with a hands-free kit.