26/06/2026
NEW TRAVEL GUIDE: Balaton, Hungary’s wild side 🌿
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Lake Balaton is Central Europe’s favourite summer escape. But if you venture beyond the beach crowds to the volcanic hills, ancient wetlands, and nature reserves of its northern shore, you’ll find something unexpected: one of Hungary’s most ecologically rich landscapes.
📍You can find the full travel guide on www.thetravelblog.at now (link in bio).
Why go?
The Balaton Uplands National Park stretches across nearly 57,000 hectares of protected land, and it’s the kind of place that rewards slow, curious travel — rare wildlife, ancient geology, and a growing scene of thoughtful ecotourism that most visitors simply drive past on their way to the lake.
What to expect?
A beautifully layered destination where lava fields meet lavender, water buffalo roam restored wetlands, and bee-eaters flash turquoise above the reedbeds — with excellent food, ceramics workshops, and a sunset sailing trip on a historic wooden boat woven in between.
Range of activities?
Wildlife watching, canoe tours at Kis-Balaton, cycling the Tihany Peninsula, jeep safaris at the Kápolnapuszta Buffalo Reserve, fine dining at Villa Kabala (), and floating in the world’s largest biologically active thermal lake at Hévíz.
When to visit?
Late May to June is the sweet spot — lavender in bloom, migratory birds in full swing, and the landscape at its most lush, before the peak season crowds arrive.
Where to stay?
Two tiny houses made this trip: SAZÜ in the Káli Basin for a wine estate experience rooted in the landscape ( and ), and Slowood Cabins in Balatonszepezd for forest cabin stays with real design soul ().
How to get there?
It’s a straightforward 3 hour drive from Vienna — which makes it one of the most underrated weekend escapes for Austrian travellers.
