Castle Attractions In Szentbekkalla

Discover Lake Balaton, Hungary

Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe and the most popular summer getaway for Hungarians. Norbi, our man in Budapest, took his young family there and created this video to show you why a stop at Balaton should be in your Hungarian vacation plans.

Start planning your travel to Hungary with us:

Find us on Facebook:

Follow us on Twitter:

Subscribe to our YouTube channel:

Trip to Balaton Uplands 2. Land of stones - Kirándulás a Balatonfelvidéken A kövek földje

Continue our trip to Balaton Uplands in Hungary. (HQ and headphones are recommended.)

Balatonudvari
The settlement has been in existence since the 11th century. The Catholic church has been standing since the 13th century. Besides the church is a cemetery with heart-shaped tombstones. The cemetery is under the protection of the Hungarian National Trust. The tombstones were carved from white limestone in the 18th-19th centuries in peasant Baroque style. The following legend is found in the book Golden Bridge by Gábor Lipták: There was a stonemason who once came to Udvari from the mountains. In the village, he met the daughter of a fisherman and fell in love with her. He wanted to marry her. The girl however was drowned in Lake Balaton during a storm. The man then carved heart shaped tombstones in memory of the girl.

Hegyestű
The partly quarried cone of the basalt volcano provides a particular view not only from far away, but it is amazing from a short distance, too. The material of the now strictly protected wall of basalt columns was once quarried by hand. From the top of the split basalt cap, there is a marvellous view over the Kál Basin and Lake Balaton. The exhibition areas display the life of the volcano, the history of the local basalt quarrying and the natural values of the National Park. The visitors can take part in a geological time travel by means of a stone park formed by the characteristic rock types of Transdanubia.

Szentbékkálla
There are interesting natural rock formations to be found to the west of the village. This is the Kőtenger (Stone Sea), which is a large area covered with huge stone blocks.

Nagyvázsony
In Roman Pannonia, and later in the Hungarian Middle Ages, Nagyvázsony stood at the crossing point of important routes. A castle was built here in the 15th century by the noble Vezselyi family, and the tower where the living quarters were located is still standing. After the family had died out, in 1472 King Matthias presented the castle to Kinizsi Pál, a young miller who fought heroically against the Turks.