Keszthely & Lake Balaton Holiday in Hungary, Things To Do

Keszthely and Lake Balaton are fantastic places to visit for a holiday in Hungary. There are lots of beaches, things to see or do while visiting the area.

Lake Balaton - Boat

Keszthely is a city on the western shore of Lake Balaton in Hungary and is a rather nice place to visit. Lake Balaton is the largest lake in central Europe and is a popular holiday destination. The lake has many towns to visit for a lakeside holiday, including Siófok, which is referred to as the Ibiza of Hungary.

There are lots of things to see and do in the Keszthely area of Hungary, including some interesting tourist attractions. Also, visitors have many options for beaches to visit, some of which are dog friendly.

Festetics Palace - Wow Hungary

The city is also home to tourist attractions like the Festetics Palace, a beautiful baroque palace to visit. Other attractions include museums and in the nearby town is the Thermal Lake of Hévíz. To the north of the lake are some fantastic vineyards and wine producers to visit. Overall, Keszthely and the rest of Lake Balaton are great for outdoor activities. This includes watersports, hiking and cycling.

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Lake Balaton Beaches near Keszthely Hungary

There are many options for beaches in Keszthely, some of which are private and linked to resorts and others for the public. These are interlinked by cycling and walking trails, which are rather nice places for a walk.

Libás Strand a Great Holiday Beach

Libás Strand - Swimming

The beach at Libás Strand is a sandy beach and a rather nice place to hang out near to Keszthely Yacht Kikötő. The water in June is warm and great for swimming. It’s also not too deep in the swimming area at 1.2 metres’ depth.

Libás Strand - Beach

The beach has a swimming area, reeds and sand to play with. They also hire kayaks, canoes and SUPs from here. They also have some cool pedal boats that have a slide and steps, these look great fun.

Libás Strand - Bars

The grass area at Libás Strand is great for sitting and enjoying the views of the lake. They also have changing rooms and showers for bathers to use after a dip. Libás Strand is also home to a few street food venues and bars, which are great for chilling out and enjoy the nice weather.

Városi Strand a Beach

Városi Strand

Városi Strand is a public beach and is the oldest of the beaches in the Lake Balaton region. It also has a park area that is dog friendly. The strand has many things to see and do, from restaurants to hanging out on the waterfront.

Városi Strand - Ferris Wheel

They also have a beach, some piers and a very colourful park to explore or relax in. At Városi Strand, that also has a massive sandpit, playgrounds, a pool and free water slides. They certainly geared the Városi Strand up to have fun.

If visiting with your dog, south of Városi Strand is a dog beach and park. This is great for dogs who like to play in the water or meet other pets.

Things to Do in Keszthely & Lake Balaton in Hungary

There are many options for tourist attractions in Keszthely and the other places on Lake Balaton. Also, there are lots of options for things to do in the area, including water sports on the lake and hiking in the nearby countryside. The city centre is easy to navigate and they have maps to make all the tourist attractions easy to find. You can also arrange tours of the entire area via the Viator website.

Festetics Palace a Must See Attraction

Festetics Palace - Kastélypark

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Keszthely is the Festetics Palace. The Festetics Palace is a Baroque palace that Kristof Festetics started construction in 1745. The Festetics Palace is one of the largest country houses in Hungary.

Festetics Palace - Front Garden

It is a very grand place to visit and is home to a few museums. You can visit inside and the museums at the site. However, it is also a great place to explore its gardens, Kastélypark.

Kastélypark Lake

You can visit Kastélypark and see the entire exterior of the Festetics Palace for free, and the outside is also dog friendly. Kastélypark has a lake, lots of fountains and colourful gardens to see.

When visiting you can also buy tickets to see inside the palace which is rather nice. With tickets to the palace, you can opt to see 5 other exhibitions. One of the key attractions at the palace is the carriage exhibition. Just outside of the grounds are the Hunting exhibition and Historic Model Railway Exhibition, both of which are interesting. Other things to do here are to peruse the exhibition of aristocratic travels and see the Palm House and Bird Park.

Kjavse Harbor on Lake Balaton

Kjavse Harbor

Kjavse Harbor is a pretty place to see while walking along the shore of Lake Balaton to the east of Keszthely. There are lots of boats moored up in the harbour, which is surrounded by reeds. If walking along the shore, there is a wooden bridge with superb views of Kjavse Harbor.

Island Bath

Plovárna Keszthely

The Island Bath is Keszthely is a pier that you can visit which has ornate features and splendid views out to see. It looks a bit like a wooden castle and has changing rooms and a cafe to use. Its entrance has two towers at the end of the walkway. This was the first bathhouse built on the water back in 1864. It has been restored and added too since then. It’s a rather nice place to visit when visiting the municipal beach.

A Day Out at the Thermal Lake of Hévíz

A relaxing thing to do nearby is to visit the Thermal Lake of Hévíz. Lake Hévíz is in the town of Hévíz, a 20 minute bus trip from Keszthely. It is the largest swimmable thermal lake in the world and is rather impressive.

Things to Do - Lake Heviz

The lake has warm waters which are reputed to have health benefits. It’s also a great place to swim or float in the water and enjoy the views. They also have both an indoor or outdoor spa with a variety of services. You can also choose from many sun loungers around the lake for sitting or visit one of the cafe-bars at the site. Lake Heviz is a must visit attraction if visiting the Balaton area of Hungary.

See the Keszthely Sign Next To Lake Balaton

Keszthely Sign

At Városi Strand, on the shore of Lake Balaton, is the Keszthely sign. It is a popular spot with people taking photos of the sign with the stunning lake in the background. It can get popular and you might have to wait your turn.

Fő tér The Main Square

Fő tér - Architecture

Fő tér is the main square in Keszthely and is home to the stunning Our Lady of Hungary Church. Beautiful buildings surround the entire square, including a theatre, a school and a former monastery.

Fő tér - Keszthely

It is a lovely place to sit and relax or peruse the sights. There are also some statues to see and lots of information boards about the area.

Our Lady of Hungary Church

Our Lady of Hungary Church

In Fő tér, the main square in Keszthely is the stunning Our Lady of Hungary Church. The tower of Our Lady of Hungary Church dominates the square and is a must see attraction. They have a garden at the side which is rather pretty and a great place to see the entire church. You can also visit the inside for free, it’s rather pretty and also a great place to cool down.

Our Lady of Hungary Church - Inside

This is a gothic church that they completed in around 1390. As such, Our Lady of Hungary Church is the oldest building in the city. The wall paintings inside are some of the largest Gothic frescoes in Hungary. A recent addition to the church building is the tower that they added in 1878 above the rose.

Visit Bars & Restaurants

Jóbarát Vendéglő - Dog Friendly Keszthely

There are many fantastic bars and restaurants to frequent while in Keszthely. This includes some great eateries for local food, including fish from Lake Balaton and Hungarian staples. Some of these are dog friendly inside and many more have outside seating areas too.

Móló Terasz fish and chips

A fantastic thing to do in Keszthely is to enjoy the fresh fish from the lake. They cook this in a variety of ways, from coated to being part of a soup.

Carriage Museum

Hungarian Bride Coach 1770

The carriage museum is a fascinating place to visit. It covers a variety of transportation topics and gives visitors the chance to see historical transportation methods up close. The horse carriages in the museum are fascinating and have many unique designs. They also had carriages used for different purposes, including a few elaborate hearses and wedding carts.

Historic Model Railway Exhibition

Historic Model Railway Exhibition - trains

Upstairs in the hunting museum in Keszthely is a Historic Model Railway Exhibition, which is basically an elaborate train set. The model railway has 1.8 miles of track and has 25 train stations. It is one of the longest in Europe and a must see attraction for model railway enthusiasts.

Exhibition of aristocratic travels

Exhibition of aristocratic travels coach

The exhibition of aristocratic travels is in the same building as the castle’s ticket office. It is a rather interesting and apt topic for a long-term traveller. The museum covers how the Hungarian and Austrian aristocracy used to travel.

This includes exhibitions on coaches pulled by horses, holidays travelling by paddle-steamers on the Danube, and luxury train travel.

Visit the Palm House and Bird Park

Palm House and Bird Park Pond view

Count Tassilo Festetics II built the palm house in 1880 in the gardens of the palace. They made parts of its structure in Gustave Eiffel’s workshop. They originally used the palm house to keep the palms and the pot plants of the palace. Currently, the Palm House evokes the tradition of orangeries and tropical plant houses typical of the aristocratic lifestyle. It’s a great visitor attraction, especially for those that enjoy gardens.

The Palm house and gardens are full of exotic plants to see and is a lovely place to visit. The giant cacti are nice to see and wander through. There is also a bird park to see, this include many breeds of wildfowl and beautiful peacocks. The area also has a pond which is home to some big koi carp.

Do a Boat Trip on Lake Balaton

Balaton Boat Trips

A fun thing to do while on holiday in Keszthely is to go on a boat trip on Lake Balaton. These are an excellent way to see the lake. Nosztalgia Sétahajó is a paddle-steamer boat that is based at Keszthely Molo where you can purchase tickets. They have a variety of tours available, including those with refreshments and a sunset boat trip. You can also arrange a Lake Balaton boat trip via their website.

Seven Small Museums of Keszthely Tour

Nostalgia Museum Keszthely

A fun thing to do in Keszthely is to get a ticket for the 7 small museum tour. The tickets cost 3600 HUF, which is about £8-9. The museums are rather interesting and is a great way to spend a few hours.

Nostalgia Museum

Nostalgia Museum

The nostalgia museum was rather interesting and was full of memorabilia and things used in a bygone era. They had a rather fascinating collection of homeware, uniforms, and cigarette memorabilia.

Toy Museum

Toy Museum Keszthely

The toy museum was the busiest of the seven and was full to the rafters with toys. This included soft toys, toy cars and a massive barbie collection. They also have a display of 100s of kinder egg toys to see, which was a highlight for me.

Erotic Renaissance Wax Museum

Erotic Renaissance Wax Museum

The Erotic Renaissance Wax Museum in Keszthely is an adult only museum and rather interesting. There are lots of renaissance paintings inside which they have turned into wax model displays. This is not the sort of place for prudes.

Doll Museum

Doll Museum

The doll museum had 100s if not 1000s of dolls in display cabinets from many eras. These were immaculate and dressed in some fantastic costumes. On the top floor were some impressive wooden dolls’ houses.

Snail Parliament

Snail Parliament Keszthely

The snail Parliament is a must visit attraction while in Keszthely. Basically, it is a replica of the Hungarian Parliament Building made from snail shells. Apparently, it took Aunt Ilona Miskei 14 years and 19 million sea snails to complete.

Horror Museum, Museum of Torture

As with many places, they had their take on a torture museum. They had lots of wax models to display the torture techniques during medieval times.

Historic Panopticon

Historic Panopticon

The Historic Panopticon was a collection of wax models of the influential people throughout Hungary’s history. This included lots of kings and told the story of Hungary in an engaging way. The information boards were informative and were in English, which was handy for me.

Watch Sunrise & Sunset on the Shore of Lake Balaton

Keszthely sunset

Lake Balaton in Hungary is a fantastic place to watch the sunset and sunrise. I find this a relaxing thing to do and is a fantastic time of day to take some photographs. The Ferris wheel in Keszthely is excellent during the late sun with some colourful views of the lake.

Balaton Museum

Balaton Museum

An interesting thing to do in Keszthely is to visit the Balaton Museum. They house the museum in a neo-baroque building that was completed by 1926. The Balaton Museum covers a variety of topic regarding the lake. This includes history, geology, wildlife and the people that lived on the lake. You can also see how people enjoyed their holiday in bygone eras. You can find out more about visiting or book tickets on their website.

Do A Day Trip to Szigliget

Lake Balaton Day Trip

A short bus trip along the shore of Lake Balaton is Szigliget, a pretty village with lots to do. The chief attraction is the castle on the hill that has splendid views of Lake Balaton. There are other sites to see and wineries to visit. The village also has some fantastic places to dine out.

Relax in Helikonpark

Helikonpark Autumn

Another pleasant place to see while in Keszthely is Helikonpark, especially during the autumn. This is a park that links the central attractions and the beaches of Lake Balaton. The park dates from 1905 and it covers 17 hectares. Many of the trees in the park are quite old and nice to see.

Helikonpark

During the summer holidays, it’s a nice place for shade to get some rest from the sun. Also in Helikonpark is the Helikon Monument that they created in 1921. After the second world war, they had to reconstruct this.

Is Keszthely Dog Friendly?

On our visit to Keszthely, we found it to be reasonably dog friendly. Obviously, there are restrictions when travelling with pets. This includes some attractions and beaches that were off limits.

Dog Friendly Keszthely

Finding dog friendly accommodation was rather straightforward, and we had options for places to choose from. There are many pet friendly places to dine out in the city and on the shores of lake Balaton. Some allow dogs inside and others have covered terraces, which are nice. The covered areas are handy both during the rain to keep the dog warm and also provide shade on hot days.

Public transport is also accommodating of dogs. The train requires you to buy a dog ticket. You must also keep them on a lead and wear a muzzle.

Dog Friendly Holiday Accommodation in Keszthely

Rigo Apartments - Dog Garden

On searching Booking.com, there were lots of options for accommodation that was dog friendly. You need to use the pets allowed feature they have, then you can delve deeper in to the terms of each property. They had options for both hotels and holiday homes to choose from. We opted for Rigo Apartments, one of the cheapest options when we were booking.

Rigo Apartments a Dog Friendly Place to Stay

Rigo Apartments - Keszthely

Rigo Apartments is a 20-minute walk from the centre of Keszthely and the train station. It is also 15 minutes from the lake, which is a fantastic area for a dog walk. The holiday home is rather nice, with a big kitchen and dining room. It has 2 bedrooms with 2 double beds and a single thus can sleep up to 5 people comfortably. Their beds are comfortable and clean with fresh bedding and was great for sleeping.

Rigo Apartments - Dog Friendly

The kitchen and dining room have all the equipment needed for a self-catering holiday. They also have a dishwasher and coffee machine for the mornings. Their garden is extensive and shared with a few other apartments.

Rigo Apartments - Pool

The garden has lots of seating, a pool to relax in and is well maintained. It is also completely dog secure so pets can have some freedom. Henry loved to play in the garden. Overall, this is an impressive holiday home and the free Wi-Fi makes it easy for working or blogging.

Getting to Keszthely From Budapest By Train

Keszthely Train Station

The most relaxing way to reach Keszthely is by train from Budapest Kelenfold. The train journey takes 2.5 hours and is direct. This route runs every 2 hours during the day.

Railway Track Keszthely

The journey is rather pleasant and traverses some of the beautiful countryside of Hungary initially. Then it follows the southern edge of the lake, passing through all the holiday resorts of Lake Balaton.

Are Keszthely & Lake Balaton in Hungary Worth Visiting?

Is Keszthely Worth Visting

Both Keszthely and Lake Balaton are well worth visiting and are a fantastic holiday destination. The Lake is a fun place to spend time relaxing, hiking or doing activities on the water. The city is beautiful with many options for things to do, most notably visiting the place and museums. Also, the dog friendly options make it a great holiday destination if you travel with pets.

2 thoughts on “Keszthely & Lake Balaton Holiday in Hungary, Things To Do”

  1. The gardens at that palace look beautiful and the bathhouse on the lake looks like a pretty interesting place. I’d enjoy most of those small museums. Such an odd combination of concepts; I wonder what the impetus was to create them. I hope Henry enjoyed his beach time!

  2. It’s not somewhere I’ve even heard of but it all looks gorgeous. I could definitely see myself enjoying a few days by the lake. I’d love the Toy Museum and, of course, I’d have to go in the Erotic Wax Museum!

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