Balatonfured

Balatonfured grew around carbonated mineral springs on the northern shore of Balaton and became the fashionable resort of the Hungarian reform era, which is why its centre is a nineteenth-century spa town rather than a beach strip: a neoclassical square, a drinking hall where the sharp mineral water still runs from a tap, a theatre and villas set back in gardens. The Anna Ball, first held in 1825, still takes place every July and remains a fixed date in the Hungarian social calendar. The lakeside promenade is named for Rabindranath Tagore, who convalesced here in 1926 and planted a tree, followed by many other visitors. The harbour is the main sailing base on the lake.

What you actually see

• The mineral spring drinking hall - carbonated water on tap in the square.
• The Tagore promenade - lakeside trees planted by visiting guests.
• The Anna Ball tradition - a July ball running since 1825.
• The sailing harbour - the main yacht base on Balaton.

When to go

May to September; July and August are crowded and expensive, and June and early September are better. A day. The Anna Ball weekend fills the town entirely.

Honest expectations

Summer prices on the northern shore are high and parking is difficult. The beaches are small and mostly paid. The mineral water is strongly flavoured and not to everyone's taste. Out of season much of the town closes.

Nearby

Tihany peninsula is west; Veszprem lies north.