7 super tips if you only have one day to spend in Tihany!

A full-day exploration tour can be started with a hearty breakfast – which can be scheduled as soon as you arrive in Tihany. At the Kotyogós Coffee Terrace, you can enjoy a really hearty breakfast, including a variety of sandwiches, salads and a menu. As regulars will tell you, it is worth leaving a little room in the ‘dessert stomach’, as the cake selection is constantly changing, so there is always something new to try. The coffee selection is also sumptuous, and in fine weather, you can even enjoy your first sip of coffee from a sun lounger as you gaze out over the Belső-tó (‘Inner Lake’) in the morning sunshine.

Once everyone has had their fill and the necessary caffeine levels have been reached, it is time for a pleasant walk to explore the mysteries of the aforementioned Inner Lake and its associated nature trail. Wandering around the small lake in the quiet of the morning, you can enjoy the tranquillity of nature, or hire a boat to take in the unique view of Tihany from the middle of the lake: the distinctive towers of the abbey and the beautiful houses of the village.

Not far from here, on the lakeside, you will find the Lavender House Visitor Centre, which is dedicated to the centuries-old coexistence of the people of Tihany and nature. In the interactive exhibition, you can learn about the history of lavender and the tradition of lavender cultivation. If you arrive just as lavender is in bloom, the peninsula’s primeval lavender can be an exhilarating experience, where walking through the endless sea of lavender can feel like walking in a fairytale world. But thanks to the visitor centre, you can enjoy Tihany’s emblematic plant not only when it is in bloom: all year round you can find a whole range of homemade products: soaps, massage oils, jams, syrups and many other local specialities.

And once you have had your fill of aromas, it’s time to indulge your taste buds and try a refreshing lavender lemonade or even a zestier lavender gin and tonic in the Lavender Garden’s garden area. After all that walking, you will probably be starving: take a look at the burger menu, too: it’s a real retro speciality wrapped in a retro bun.

In the afternoon, let’s visit the most famous sight of Tihany, the Benedictine Abbey of Tihany. The abbey, founded in the 1000’s, is one of the oldest monasteries in the country, and much of it is open to visitors: breathtaking views, architectural and cultural monuments, beautiful interior gardens. It’s worth buying a combined ticket when you visit, which entitles you not only to entry but also to a special tasting at one of the best patisseries on the peninsula, the Abbey Rege Confectionery. During the tasting, you can taste Father Gellért’s tea, locally made lavender syrups, and choose from the bakery’s daily selection of cakes. A few minutes’ walk from the abbey, you can travel back in time and visit the Tihany Farmhouses, which showcase real peasant life, not only in the typical peasant architecture of Lake Balaton, but also the lifestyle of the fishermen who once lived here.

Venturing further up the hillside, our tour of Tihany includes the Visszhang-domb (‘Echo Hill’), home to the town’s most famous legend, where we can experience the unique acoustic phenomenon for ourselves. If you stand on a stone pillar on the hill, known only as the echo stone, and give a loud shout, within seconds you can hear your voice bouncing off the north wall of the abbey. 

And after a full day of exploring, what better way to round off a perfect day out than with dinner and a beautiful sunset panorama. Echo Restaurant’s panoramic terrace with 240-degree views of Lake Balaton’s eastern basin and Tihany Abbey is the perfect place for an intimate family meal. For a taste, you can try the delicacies from the monks’ pantry in Tihany: homemade sausage, ham, Tekeres-valley cheese, pickled vegetables, lavender cranberry jam and fresh homemade bread, and from the main courses, you can even choose a classic Balaton fish soup.

1 tip: The BAHART's ferry services between the settlements run from May to the end of October, thanks to which you can also get from Tihany to Balatonföldvár, Siófok and Balatonfüred, and between Tihanyrév and Szántódrév ferries transport vehicles and passengers all year round. It is really worth getting on the water, especially if we end the day with a glass of wine: a pleasant rocking in the Balaton sunset can be a fitting end to our jaunt to Tihany!