The northwestern part of the lake was a favourite place of the Hungarian nobility centuries ago. To prove their presence they left evocative castles, country houses and churches to posterity. Baroque and Gothic architectural relics can be found mainly in Keszthely, which is the oldest city on the shore of the lake. The ancient palace of the Festetics family is nowadays a museum and a concert hall. The medieval nave and the frescos of the Roman Catholic church are among  Hungary's most attractive Gothic monuments. In the vicinity of Keszthely, you can visit the castles of Rezi and Sümeg, the Buddhist sanctuary of Zalaszántó and the Africa Museum of Balatonederics. Those looking for cures or recuperation go to Hévíz in large numbers all year round. This is a spa built on the shore of a sulphur lake formed in an ancient crater. Those who suffer from locomotive ailments can be helped not only by the water of the lake but also by the mud from the bottom.

The marshy area of the Small Balaton, belonging to the Balaton Highland National Park in the western corner of the lake, is a real rarity for tourists in search of untouched nature. They can fish on the island of Kányavár or take pictures of rare bird species.

The county of Somogy offers its most valuable treasure, untouched nature, to families who are locking for relaxation. Thanks to the shallow incline on the southern shore, it is possible to walk up to 500 metres into the lake. Children and adults can safety splash about on the continuous line of beaches. Cool, inviting wine cellars nestle into the hillsides, and where there is a wine harvest, no autumn is complete without a wine tasting festival. There are woods nearby sheltering the beauty of an ancient wilderness, which you can explore on foot or by bicycle. Visit the galleries between Balatonberény and Lelle, or find peace and quiet inside the churches. The world of complicate embroideries and hand-woven fabrics wake memories of the ancient rural idyll. Even today women draw the narrative designs by hand with a black-lead pencil, in the traditional way. Visitors who trust in their manual skill can embroider the hand-woven fabrics themselves. 

Perhaps the liveliest place on the lake is Siófok, where you can lose yourself in the ever-enewing world of summer, happy meetings and amusements. Many figures of the Hungarian artistic world and literary life chose this rainbow shore for their holiday resort. Get to know them and visit their memorial places. Take an inside look at the secrets of lace-making, and make a detour to the port of Balatonföldvár, from where you can see the entire 200-kilometre shore of the Balaton in clear weather. After a day spent swimming, many activities await the visitor. In Siófok, a place of pilgrimage for young people, known as the "capital of the Hungarian summer”, there are bars, places of amusement and discos. lmre Kálmán, the world-famous composer of operettas was born in this town, and every summer a two-month festival of operetta is organised in his honour.

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