City Break: Weekend Getaway to the Sea of Hungary

Budapest is enchanting, no doubt about it, but sometimes city life can get to be a bit much for even the greatest cosmopolitan. So whether you want to take a girls’ weekend, Mother’s Day bonding trip, or a romantic getaway, grab your car keys, wave goodbye to Budapest, and hit the road to Balaton!

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Day 1

Stop 1: Veszprém

The picturesque small cities in Hungary are many, and lucky for you, Veszprém is right on the way.The panoramic views are beautiful, and if you need energy to tackle all of the stairs (you have to earn those beautiful views!), there’s plenty of fagyi to keep you going (take it from me–lavender and chili-chocolate can’t be beat!). Take refuge from the afternoon heat while gawking at the interior of  St. Michael’s Cathedral, or have an iced coffee at one of the many cafes!) Now that you’ve stretched your legs, hop in the car for the 30 minute stretch to the next stop.

Stop 2:  Örvényes (Home Base)

You’re done gawking at the Hungarian countryside and catching glimpses of the bluest lake you’ve ever seen through the trees when you pull up to your AirBnb in Örvényes. You’ll soon find out that the location and hospitality couldn’t be better. We were greeted with a welcome drink at the owner’s restaurant before being shown to our little cottage.

With the lofted area, the house technically sleeps four, but it was the perfect amount of space for two. And with grocery stores, tourist hotspots, and a restaurant close by, everything we needed was in reach.

(You can book Zoltan’s tiny house here.)

Stop 3: Lake Balaton

Ever since the spring weather started warming up, I’ve been hearing my Hungarian coworkers and friends talk about Lake Balaton with more and more excitement. Nicknamed the “Sea of Hungary”, Hungarians flock to this lake every summer (plenty of foreigners come as well, for blowout techno festival, Balaton Sound). Lucky for you, you can wash off any exhaustion from the drive at the private, free-entry beach, which is just a 5 minute drive from the cottage. I almost tripped over my flip flops rushing over. True, it’s different from the PNW beaches I’m used to, but dipping into the blue water made me feel like a Hungarian! Later you can soak up the sun on the grassy bank, or tear into a satisfying lángos after you’ve worked up an appetite swimming.

This quiet area makes for a calm visit to the “Hungarian Sea”–and for a wonderful afternoon.

Stop 4: Dinner

You were smart to choose Zoltán’s AirBnb, because now dinner is just a stone’s throw away at the family restaurant, the Huszár Vendéglö. I probably spent too long flipping back and forth through the menu because all of the options looked so good. But choose anything, pair it with a regional wine and (of course) some traditional Hungarian palinka, and how could you go wrong?

Ready to wind down? Mix your complimentary wine with some soda water and enjoy a fröccs on the garden swing before turning in for the night. Want to turn up? Drive 15 minutes north to Balatonfured for more cafe and nightlife options.

Day 2

Stop 4: Tihany

Just a 10-minute drive away is one of Balaton’s most famous gems–the Tihany peninsula. Although the winding streets are few, it’s not hard to spend hours here dipping into the many shops, or gawking at the old cathedral and the view of Balaton behind it. After seeing that lake, I can definitely say that Balaton Blue is my new favorite color. 

There’re plenty of souvenir shops to be found, it’s true, but if you have a bit of a sweet tooth, duck into the tiny Marzipan Museum. There were only two rooms, but we spent longer than I expected looking at the intricate marzipan sculptures (I don’t think I could sculpt anything out of marzipan without eating half of it.). And of course…the gift shop is a treat–marzipan as far as the eye can see.

Aside from marzipan, in Tihany you’ll see loads of lavender (there’s even a festival dedicated to it in the summer). Why not take some home for a souvenir? Trust me, what better way to start the day than to be moisturized and smelling like a lavender field?

Stop 5: Tapolca Lake Caves

Out of everything we saw or felt or did, this was my favorite! When I left for my weekend away at the lake I didn’t expect to get a chance to feel like Indiana Jones…but I’m not complaining!

I like to cling to a spontaneous travel style, but after finding this gem I’ll never underestimate the wonders of doing your research again. After searching for attractions in the Balaton area, Google led me to the hidden wonder of the Tapolca lake caves.

Your ticket (buy ahead online for guaranteed entry!) includes an hour-long tour before descending into the depths of the earth. (Also, the tour is only in Hungarian. So either have a hottie Hungarian boyfriend willing to translate for you or be prepared to spend a lot of time looking at all the pictures.)

Unsurprisingly, if you’re claustrophobic, this might not be the best activity for you. While we eagerly waited in line, we were given a few tips/warnings (also completely in Hungarian), such that the ceiling is extremely low in some areas, and to lean forward instead of to the side at these places so that you don’t capsize your boat. After that you’re given an oar and sent on your way. C took the rowing responsibility, and so I had the freedom to enjoy the ride (and take lots of pictures. And to remind myself that I wasn’t claustrophobic. Not even a little bit.) All in all, the circuit through the caves took about 15 minutes. And I spent all of it marveling at the deep blue waters and textured cavern walls.

Stop 5.5: We made our way out of the cave system with a new appreciation for sunlight. If–like me–you’re exceedingly glad to be back on top of the earth instead of underneath it, soak up some fresh air and enjoy a picnic lunch or–you guessed it–ice cream by the charming waterfront.  Refreshed, we were ready to start the two-hour drive back to Budapest.

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Our weekend away may have only lasted 48 hours, but thanks to Zoltan’s hospitality, the beauty of the lake, and our underground adventure, we had made plenty of memories to take back with us to Budapest.

Is there a weekend getaway in your future?