Balaton detour reloaded: performance and hedonism on the KalandKör400!

Perhaps we can all agree that the cycle path around Lake Balaton is one of the most popular cycling performance circuits in our country, both in the pre- and post-season. Bicycling the 204-kilometre trail encircling the Hungarian sea undoubtedly provides great active recreation with friends, family or even solo, but those adventurers and athletes who have already circumnavigated our wonderful lake several times can rightly seek for new challenges. Of course, it is difficult to break away from Lake Balaton; its sight is almost never boring and it always shows a different face. The BalatonBike365 team, who dreamt big and created the thematic route circling the entire Lake Balaton under the fancy name KalandKör400, is trying to capture this change of perspective. Although the KK400 is twice as long, we can say that it can offer at least twice as much experience to those who want to cycle (also off-road)!

The KalandKör400 is actually a reimagined Balaton detour, which waits for bikers on the length of almost 400 kilometres, divided into several sections. A uniform signal system guides cyclists along the trail, and about 263 signposts help with easy orientation. The KK400 winds its way around the Hungarian sea back and forth to the coast. The thematic route is a trail that includes existing BalatonBike365 routes, which leads through challenging and varied terrain, but does not represent an extreme challenge, so it can be completed by almost anyone. While in the case of the classic Balaton detour, for example, only the northern shore has a level rise, the southern part of the KK400 follows the relief all the way, so it is more spectacular and it has serious sporting value.

“Those interested can choose between easier and more difficult sections, as the route has been divided into 12 sections, which are described in detail on the BalatonBike365 subpage and the downloadable application (link to the kk400 subpage: https://kk400.balatonbike365.hu/hu). Along the sections, you can find route signs with uniform markings, and at the junctions you can also see information about other BalatonBike365 routes," says László Szilasi, the professional leader of the BalatonBike365 project. He adds that the new trail also offers a great opportunity for competition, as after a quick online registration we can "collect" the sections completed, and in the results list we can also compare our own races with the time results of others.   

A rumbling stomach, aching limbs or a flat tire: situations that can easily embitter a tour. On the entire route network of BalatonBike365, however, we can find more than 4,000 points of interest providers and other stations (that is, POIs), which can be a solution to every break and need, and even more: desire. Be it restaurants, playgrounds, cafés, bicycle-friendly accommodation, viewpoints, beaches, castles, water intake facilities and BalatonBike365 ports, you can freely search and filter services and attractions on the BB365 website and downloadable application.

During the coronavirus, "gravel" bicycles, i.e. bicycles equipped with tires similar to road bikes but also suitable for wider terrain, appeared in the manufacturers' range worldwide. Since the product itself became more and more widely available on the market, the use of gravels gained momentum, which was naturally responded to by the sports industry. The gravel discipline was established, which was followed by international championships, and at the beginning of 2024, the Hungarian Cycling Federation included the gravel discipline in its competition system. It is a matter of curiosity that this year the BalatonBike365 routes in Balatonfüred and Gyenesdiás will host two races, which can be great experiences as a competitor, as well as a fan or an interested party!  

The sections of the KK400 can be completed with almost any type of bicycle, except for the road bicycle. But we do not have to despair even if we do not have the right bike, because at the ports of BalatonBike we can choose from a fleet of nearly 700 pieces. We can rent two-wheelers on site or even online: children's bikes, mountain bikes, e-bikes, trekking bikes and – as the only one in the country – gravel bikes in fleet quantities, with extremely varied equipment and a full range of sizes. László Szilasi adds that there is also interoperability between the ports, their extra services include guided tours and package delivery, but they even arrange for us to return the bikes to the ports after a razzle-dazzle.