Beyond Balaton: 3+1 lakeside holiday options in the Hungarian countryside – VIDEOS

There is no place like Lake Balaton, but in the height of summer the crowded beaches can get a bit overwhelming. If you love the charm of natural lakes, but don’t want to spend 20 minutes queuing for a lángos, or if you’re just looking for something new, travelo.hu has collected some lakes and lakeside destinations to check out in the Hungarian countryside.

Lake Rukkel

The main attraction, the Lake Rukkel Waterpark is situated in Dunavarsány, 30 km outside Budapest. Besides swimming, you can also try wakeboarding or water skiing on the lake, and there are many slides as well.

The area is great if you want to spend a day out in nature, but there is also much to see on a longer holiday. Near Lake Rukkel is the ominously named Moby Dick Fishing Lake, and a small way off the Danube Branch of Ráckeve, a significant branch of the River Danube which runs around the Csepel Island. Fishing is allowed here as well, but cycling is also a great programme, as the scenery is gorgeous.

While we’re at the Danube Branch of Ráckeve, the Domariba Island needs to be mentioned. Nature photographers’ paradise, the northern part of the island is a designated nature reserve where many water birds, such as the great crested grebe, several species of herons, the Savi’s warbler, and the great reed warbler can be found.

Lake Fertő

Lake Fertő, on the Hungary-Austria border, has many things that make us recommend it. Firstly, its water is medicinal, and its salt content is 33 times as high as Lake Balaton’s.

Secondly, if there is one place where you should bring you bike, it’s Lake Fertő. There are either separate cycling tracks or designated bike lanes on the roads all the way around the lake. According to utazom.com, the whole distance is 130 km, which can be shortened to 68 km if you take the ferry across the lake at Mörbisch-Illmitz on the Austrian side.

There are also many rare animal species around the lake that can be observed in their natural habitat. The area is part of the Fertő-Hanság National Park.

There is no official public beach, but there is a beach open in Fertőrákos, where you can also rent a boat or a surfboard, there is surfing training, beach volleyball and beach football courts, a playground for kids, and opportunities for pleasure boating on the lake.