5 romantic lakeside promenades around Lake Balaton with magical sunset views

Perhaps one of the most spectacular of the high banks is the 1 kilometre long Kisfaludy promenade in Balatonakarattya at a height of about 30 metres. At the eastern tip of the lake, from the steeply sloping shore, you can spy the lake in a longitudinal direction, and the sun setting in front of you offers a sight that can take your breath away. Huge building complexes, busy roads and busy beaches do not disturb the calm romance, it is just us and nature. If you would rather sit somewhere, on the panoramic road you will find a specialty cafe made from a special container. In the Rusty Coffee Box, you can enjoy one of the most unique sunsets on the Balaton shore with a cup of excellent flat white. In the southern part of the promenade, there is a covered viewing point, from where a steep flight of stairs leads down to the waterfront.

Hello Hungary tip: If you are in Balatonakarattya, you should definitely try the nationally renowned ice cream parlour, Sissi Ice Cream! Just a few minutes walk from the shore, you will find the counter featuring colourful flavour combinations, where in addition to classic flavours, you can also taste dessert-inspired specialities, refreshing fruit ice creams, allergen free options and of course Sissi favourites, such as floating islands, pistachio or "raffaello". You can take excellent photos of scoops in front of the ice cream parlour for social media platforms, or you can even walk down to the panoramic beach bathing in the sunset to take the pictures of your life there. Several Sissi Ice Cream Parlours await guests across the country: in addition to the two units in Gödöllő, you can also taste award-winning scoops in Veresegyház!

The town's beautiful promenade pays tribute to Jenő Kvassay, one of Balatonföldvár's outstanding hydraulic engineers. On the approximately 1200-metre-long lakeside stretch the road of those walking on the shore is framed by plane trees on one side and an unparalleled panorama of Lake Balaton on the other. In the embrace of the wooden giants, you also find the patinated Hotel Anna Villa, in which the family-friendly, relaxed, but elegant little sister of the Fricska from Veszprém, the Fricska Balaton, found its home. In the summer, you can enjoy the sunset from the cozy garden with a great wine, but you do not have to give up the romance of the Lake Balaton in the colder seasons either. The restaurant is open all year round and awaits guests with excellent street food dishes in a unique, Balaton themed interior.

One of the popular and historically important promenades of Lake Balaton offers a unique panorama of the Hungarian sea. On the edge of the high bank of Fonyód, along hundred-year-old trees and patinated villas, the Szaplonczay promenade stretches at an altitude of about 70 metres, from which you can see from Keszthely all the way to Balatonkenese. But this part of Fonyód is special not only because of the view: thanks to Dr. Szaplonczay Manó County Chief Medical Officer, in the 1890s, an impressive row of villas was built here for Hungarian celebrities who liked the area. A few minutes' walk from here, you can sit down and watch the sunset with excellent coffee and cake. The Kripta (Crypt) Villa, as its name suggests, is really a café made out of a crypt, and its legendary history appeals to romantic visitors to this day.

The Tagore Promenade in Balatonfüred probably needs no introduction. The wonderful stretch of coast is named after Rabindranáth Tagore, the Nobel Prize-winning Indian poet who recovered from heart disease in Balatonfüred. Out of gratitude, he planted a linden tree on the beach, and his example was later followed by many Hungarian and international celebrities. The planted saplings now form a magical grove. The bustle of the summer evenings is almost expected here, as in the shadow of the special memorial tree park, the best restaurants, ice cream parlours, and cafés are almost next to each other. ÉgSzínKék, known for one of the largest range of gin & tonic in the country, is a must-stop for cocktail lovers, and if you want to taste the Füredi Poppy Flower or Honeycomb Toffee Vanilla, then you should visit the Füredi Fagyizó before or after sunset.

One of the most unique promenades on the southern shore can be found in the Jankovich holiday complex, located between Fonyódliget and Balatonboglár. The stretch of coast parallel to Radnóti Miklós Street preserves an exceptional natural value: here is the only protected double row of plane trees on the Balaton shore. The giant trees are nearly 100 years old, and with their robust stature they provide pleasant shade to the entire lakeside stretch. The local community pays special attention to the well-being of the plane trees, for example, in recent years the residents launched an adoption campaign, in the framework of which numbered tickets were placed on the trees. You can even enhance your summer evening dawdling and romance with stargazing, because there is no artificial lighting on the Vejtey Ferenc Promenade - only the lights of the sky shining like tiny candlesticks.