Balaton Can Really Be The Sandy Riviera

More and more local governments start to create sandy beaches at their strands. This new trend comes with a rare and significant consensus as it benefits both tourism as well as environment. Those who already has sandy beaches are satisfied with the increasing number of visitors, while the others are waiting for permissions, although these projects are not cheap. The only remaining obstruction are the birds.

Soon the vacationers will feel a nice crackling of sand under their feet at Fonyód. As I Love Balaton writes, HUF 400 million was spent on the reconstruction (or professionally said: sanding) of Sándor-telepi strand’s 200 meters long part. The planning took several years, about 2000 cubic meter tested sand was transported to the strand. The work will proceed towards the mainland, some protected bays will be made to minimize the threat of erosion- explained IstvánCsonki, director of Közép-dunántúliVízügyiIgazgatósá, to Origo.

Two shots were successful so far

The tourist-drawing power of a sandy beach is well illustrated with the example of Balatonlelle. In the middle of the last decade when the yacht port was being built, the mayor made a bold move and transported the 62 thousand cubic meters sand, which was scratched out during the works, to a 300 meters long shore. “A sanding like this requires a lot, but this way it did not cost anything for the town “- said Mayor IstvánKenéz about the idea, the mayor who found it out. The beach was not created on the mainland then, the area before the concreted shore was filled. The concrete shore protection remained, although is planned to be removed, so the beach will getits final form, which will suit the regulations.

As the mayor said, he “received both hot and cold” for the idea; however, the statistics proved that he was right. “Before, there were 2500-300 people on the strand on a nice summer day, now it is about 7000. The income tripled, and many family with small children reserve accommodation here because of it. Many ask before reservation that how far is the sandy beach?” The upkeep of the shore has its cost obviously, but “we can solve it on our own. We have to clear every morning the garbage drifted from the north shore”- says the mayor.

Another success is the strand of Balatonfenyves, where the local government created two sandy beaches at the 1037 meters long central strand in 2012. The concrete and the stones were removed, that place was filled with sand from the Balaton (according to the regulations, only sand from the lake can be used for this purpose).

The strand received positive feedback in recent years, and although there are no exact data available here, it is sure that more families with childrenarrive. Following the first successes new towns decided to sand their shores: Balatonfüred, Balatonfűzfő and Balatonszepezd received permission this year, while some others are waiting for the green light.

The unusually low water gave the idea

For the question why is sanding popular againIstvánCsonki said that shores were sanded even in the 60s and 70s. The sand was transported with Baharts’s ships from the lake to the shores(the artificial coast was already finished then). However, this solution was forgotten soon, probably due to financial reasons. What raised the current interest is the unusually low water between 2000 and 2004. While half of the inhabitants were afraid that the lake will completely dry out, the other half packed up their children and the sandbox toys and drove to the south coast.

Both parents and children enjoyed this unusual state, they could lay on the sand banks next to the water, while their parents did not have to watch them over from behind the concrete and stone. “The local governments took the idea from here that they actually have sandy beaches, they only have to build them”- explains IstvánCsonki the reason behind this breakthrough.