On a hot summer day in the middle of May 1997 we started
in the morning at 5 o'clock direction south. Of this two-week vacation we wanted to pass the first first half to pass in Hungary near the Lake Balaton and the second half at the Neusiedler See (=Lake) in Austria. After 13,5 long hours we finally reached our destination for the first vacation part: the Rogner hotel Lotus Therme (= hot spring) at the edge of the therapeutic bath Hévíz. 
The very tasteful hotel belonged to an Austrian hotel chain and some months ago had been opened.
We used the next, again unbelievably hot day, in order to check the entire Balaton lake. It went from Hévíz
to nearby Keszthely (spoken: Keshte-i) and from there further along the southern shore of the lake, which did not have to offer much interesting things. The first larger tourist spot we reached in the city Fonyód with its enormous beach, also Balatonlelle was very busy. After further kilometers we reached the largest city at the Balaton, the completely blocked Siófok, which radiated still another indescribably socialist flair. In the warmth enormous amounts of humans stood in the only kneel-deep, lukewarm water. 
Siófok was already in former times "the" goal for cheap mass tourism and is equipped accordingly. Besides the "normal" tourist hotels one built after World War II innumerable national convalescent homes and hotels, which radiate with their 70's 60's architectural style to a large extent and today a very strange charme. We visited the former leisure center for socialst party members, the Club Aliga in Balatonvilágos on recommendation of the travel guide. The club had been denationalized 2 years before our attendance, however nothing of its socialist flair had been lost. For us the attendance was like a time machine!
We continued to drive, in order to arrive at the north bank of the lake. Unfortunately the air in the city Balatonfüzfö is being polluted by a paper and a chemistry factory. Balatonalmádi is one of the largest bathing resorts on the north bank of the lake and has a nearly 7 kilometer long bath bank! There we reached the beginning of the area of cultivation of wine at the Balaton. Many of the places on the north bank of the lake still go back to Roman origin and offer numerous objects of interest, to whose visit we did unfortunately not have any sufficient time. We however pleased us about slow driving through of the lovely area. At the slopes of the volcanic cones which were at the north bank the Romans already cultivated wine. We reached our hotel late in the evening after this beautiful round tour again. 
Now we wanted to visit also our actual resort, Hévíz. In Hévíz is the largest thermal lake in Europe,
where from large depth up to 40° C hot water steps to the surface. The Romans had already known it and had bathed in the sources of
Hévíz, and in 18. century developed the first tourism, which help Hévíz to large admittingness. Landmark of the place is the wooden bath house built in 1795. 
The place is a typical health resort with the appropriate mechanisms and the appropriate clientele. Rheumatism patients come not only from Hungary, but from whole Europe, in order to search in the spa healing. Architecture is intermixed from historical and ugly 1970's buildings.
We drove in the afternoon to the largest city on the north bank of the Balaton, which we had already crossed the day before:
Keszthely. The history of the city is closely linked with the Croatian aristocracy family Festetics. In 18th century the city including surrounding countryside was destination of bath journeys after Hévíz publicised. It is worth seeing the 1745 established castle Festetics, in which today the castle museum is accommodated. 
From the castle one arrives at the pedestrian precinct with several historical houses. We visited the Balaton museum very worth seeing, where impressively the history of this unique lake is described.
The Balaton lake is the largest lake in Central Europe and for the Hungarians what is the Côte d'Azur for the French! Since it gets warm in the summer up to 28° C and is very flat, particularly at the south coast, it is suitable outstanding as family trip area.
From the Balaton museum it was only some steps up to the bathing beach, which was completely overcrowded at the time of our visit with tourists and at air temperatures of 30° C.
In order to get also an impression of the area in the hinterland of the Balaton, we continued to drive then to Sümeg. There the largest castle ruin on a limestone cone of Hungary is situated, which we wanted to visit. 
The castle was erected in the13th century and was restored in wide parts. In the summer here regularly medieval rider plays take place, which attract many visitors. In the castle museum one experiences from the long history of the castle and from the tower has a fantastic view on the entire surrounding countryside.
After a relaxing day at the pool of the hotel I had booked a horse for the next day in Keszthely. Since I had intended to ride at least one time in Hungary I had packed up at home my riding attire. Because of the unbelievable heat we could only start around 5 pm. With me were the son of the owner of stable and a further German woman. They had given me a genuinly Hungarian horse and the son seemed to know only one pace: gallopp. The area, by which we nevertheless rode 2 hours, was beautiful. Small woods alternated with open grass surfaces and all paths's were horse-friendly made from sand. We arrived completely tired again at the stable. A mad experience!
Just the day of our planned Budapest trip the weather had
changed. The temperature dropped from 30 to 15° C and it rained like cats and dogs! Nevertheless we started in the morning at 7.30 am
and due to an accident, which led to a traffic chaos, reached after hours Budapest, approx. 90 km away. From a beautiful lookout point we had then the opportunity to look from the Budaer lain more highly side over the Danube on the Pester side. Only in the year 1873 the 3 cities Buda, Pest and Óbuda had been combined to Budapest. From our lookout point we had also a grand view of the parliament building built after the model of the London Houses of Parliament. In the city we had then the opportunity to visit in unfortunately pouring rains the Hero Place with the Grave of the Unknown Soldier.
We continued to the Castle Mountain and the 13th century Matthias church. It is "the" church of Budapest, not least, because therein Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph and his "Sissi" were crowned. Of the Fischerbastei lain below the church, a barrier construction, one had a very beautiful view of the Chain Bridge over the Danube and the Parliament. To a lunch it went with the bus far again on the Pester side, which presented itself in the rain such as East Berlin before 1989. Finally we had time at free disposal. I used the time to a stroll through the Budapest pedestrian precinct Váci utca, where the shops had prices as in Western European metropolises. How should locals pay these prices? At the beginning of the road is the most well-known coffee house of Budapest, the Café Gerbeaud, in front of the Vörösmarty tér, the central place of the city center.
Unfortunately the first part of our vacation was at the end and we made ourselves on the way to Austria to the Neusiedler See (= Lake). Shortly before crossing the border we made another pause in the village Fertöd, in which the most important baroque castle of Hungary is, castle Esterházy. This was built starting from 1764 from prince Esterházy after Versaille and Schönbrunn model. 
The castle was restored from the frontside in the meantime, that baroque garden was like wildernes, only the coniferes still were regularly conical and were probably cut to some extent completely. Unfortunately only a sad sight was offered to us. Nevertheless we used the time for the visit of the interiors. And how such al castle in a renovated condition looks, we saw some days later with the castle Esterházy in Eisenstadt, which was on the Austrian side of the border.
After this stop we continued to the nearby border crossing to Austria, which we could pass problem-free.
Conclusion of our Hungary trip: In the week of our vacation in Hévíz we received a good impression of the area of the Balaton lake and from Budapest. Hévíz was suitable very well as starting point for tours around the lake, the place differs much from the terrible cities on the south bank of the Balaton, which are still of unmistakably socialist origin. All Hungarians which we met were very friendly and helpful, nearly all spoke good German. For Budapest one would have needed more time and better weather, at least I received a first impression of this historical city.
Here the further report on the journey to the Neusiedler See /Austria continues
Click here for the report to the day trip to Bratislava/Slowak Republic.
