Travel Tip – Balaton – Free Beaches? 🤫🌊

We love going on holiday or day trips when crowds are nowhere to be seen. That’s why, whenever possible, we travel outside the main season and on days other than Saturday. I also can’t stand the heat, so I always preferred to work through the summer. It probably sounds unbelievable, but until this trip I had never seen the sea in my life.

My husband and I decided to change that and drive to Croatia. Since we didn’t want to tackle the whole long route in one go, we split the journey into stages.

We packed our bags, got in the car, and headed off down the motorway towards adventure. My best friend and my husband’s uncle were supposed to come with us, but my friend unfortunately couldn’t get time off work, so there were just the three of us. 🚗

First stop: sunset over Lake Balaton

Our first destination and overnight stop was a place we had never been to either — the legendary Hungarian Lake Balaton. It was September, and prices at that time are already very low. We managed to find a 2+1 apartment near Balaton with a lake view, for one night, at 300 CZK per person, and we planned to spend three nights in Croatia.

Around six in the evening we arrived at our accommodation in the small town of Balatonfűzfő, located right at the northeastern tip of the lake. It’s a quieter resort, mainly known among sailing enthusiasts and those who love peace and quiet. As soon as we checked in, we didn’t wait around — we set off on foot for the roughly one-kilometre walk down to the water.

Our 2+1 apartment with a lake view — 300 CZK per person per night

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When I first gazed out at the endless surface of Lake Balaton, I had the feeling I was already standing at the sea! Balaton is so enormous that you can barely make out the opposite shore.

We walked down to the local jetty and I just stood there in silence. All around us, beautiful yachts and sailing boats were moored, swans glided across the water, and the sky was turning the most gorgeous shades of orange and pink. We simply stood there and watched the beautiful sunset. That moment completely enchanted me, and I knew right then that splitting the journey here had been the best idea. 🌅

Sunset at the jetty — my first glimpse of the endless surface of Lake Balaton

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The second day in Balatonalmádi: palm trees, art in an underpass, and deserted beaches

On the second morning we moved just a short distance to the neighbouring and somewhat larger town of Balatonalmádi. We planned to spend more time there and explore the town properly. And we were glad we did.

Balatonalmádi has a wonderful atmosphere. Our steps led us first to the railway station. You might wonder what’s interesting about a station, but here you’ll be surprised by the underpass. It’s been transformed into a kind of small public gallery — the walls are covered in beautiful paintings and landscape photographs, so even an ordinary walk beneath the tracks becomes an experience.

The station underpass transformed into a small public gallery

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From there we continued into the centre and the nearby Szent István park. For a moment I felt as if I were somewhere exotic — in the middle of the little square a fountain was splashing, surrounded by large planters filled with real palm trees.

In the park we also came across a beautiful wooden heart with the inscription #Balatonalmádi, which practically begged to be photographed as a souvenir.

Palm trees by the fountain and the wooden heart #Balatonalmádi in Szent István park

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The secret of Balaton’s beaches: what about admission?

The highlight of the day was, of course, the beaches — we visited Budatava beach and the well-known Wesselényi strand, one of the largest beaches on the northern shore. Everywhere sun loungers were laid out ready, there are excellent modern playgrounds for children, and everything was clean and well-kept.

Empty beaches at the end of September — sun loungers, playgrounds, clean and almost deserted

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Since we were travelling at the end of September, we enjoyed incredible peace and quiet. Hardly anyone was around. The beach gates were wide open and we walked straight in for free.

At the ticket booths, though, we curiously studied the price boards and discovered something interesting. During the main summer season, you do pay admission to these beaches (at Budatava beach, the sign indicated 2,000 HUF per adult per day). We can’t say whether it applies everywhere around the entire lake, but on this northern shore it does.

Travelling outside the season has huge financial and atmospheric advantages. It was no longer swimming weather (the water was 16 °C and the air 15 °C), but the peace, the walks along empty beaches, and photographing without crowds of tourists were absolutely worth it.

Balaton pleasantly surprised me beyond all expectations. It’s a beautiful, clean, and photogenic place with plenty to offer even when it’s not thirty degrees in the shade. If you’re planning a trip south, don’t skip it as a stop along the way.

And from Balaton, our journey led straight on to the real sea… But that’s a story for the next article. 🙂

Have you ever visited Lake Balaton?