Size of protected area: 57.020 hectares, out of this 11.134 hectares are protected to a greater extent.
Location: The National Park comprises a number of separate areas. Their location is described at the detailed survey of each area.
Visiting: Different regulations apply to each area, most of them can be visited without restrictions, but there are parts that can only be visited with a permit or only guided tours are available. For further information apply to the centre of the National Park (Veszprém, Vár u. 31.), and also signboards inform visitors at the boundaries of each area.
Things seen and experienced on a daily basis are often known the least, such as classical music turned to background music, or a neoclassic facade of a building along the road one passes every day. Famous, well-known regions can be like this. That is also the case with the Lake Balaton. The ordinary tourist's clichés about Hungary don't go any further than Balaton or Budapest, beaches, ice-cream, beer or clubbing.
Yet how many people know the real face – still recognisable – of Balaton under the imposed mask? How many of them know the dozens of legends and myths about the lake, or the origins of the tectonic masses of mountains in the northern part? The rich flora and fauna of the uniquely varied scenes of the lake and surroundings.The relics, the still surviving traditions and culture of people living around the lake for thousands of years. This rich historical and natural heritage of these unparalelled landscapes is preserved and attended by the National Park.
The protected area comprises the northern shore of the approximately 80 km long lake, the territory of Kis-Balaton (Small-Balaton), the 20-25 km wide belt called Balaton-felvidék (Balaton Uplands) in the north of the lake, the environs of South-Bakony mountains together with the Tapolca Basin.
The well-known volcanic circumdenudated mountains (remnant hill) on the northern shore are remnants of volcanoes, which were active four-five million years ago. The area was once covered by the Pannon sea, then later the ancestor of the Danube ran here. That is why sedimentary rock can be found under the volcanic rocks. The geomorphology of the area is very varied, it comprises bigger and smaller basins, basalt and lime-stone mountains.
The lake, with an area of almost six hundred square km, is much younger, just slightly more than twenty thousand years old. The lake reaches its extreme breadth - fifteen kilometres- at the Fűzfő bay, whereas from the western side of the Tihany peninsula the average breadth varies between four and seven kilometers. In addition to the several active springs on the bottom of the lake, the lake is also fed by a several thousand square km catchment area with more than a hundred and eighty larger and smaller water-courses, some of which are just seasonal ones. However, substantial water-supply is provided merely by the river Zala and the rainfall, therefore the water level can be rather low. The only outlet of the lake is the Sió canal, where, a lock towards, the lake was built for the first time by a Roman emperor called Galerius at the end of the 3rd century. The rather rich flora and fauna is resulted on one hand by the remarkably indented, diverse environment, and on the other hand by the flora and fauna of the Mediterranean, Balkan and Pannon landscapes bordering and merging right around the lake.
1. The Tihany Peninsula (The area: 1698 hectares. Protected to a greater extent: 195 hectares. It can be visited without restrictions.)
The Tihany peninsula was once an island, it was connected to the shore just by the decline of water level. The peninsula is one of the nicest areas of the Balaton and – without exaggeration – of Hungary, too. Besides its amazing landscape values, it preserves unparalleled geological, botanical, zoological and historical relics within just a few square kilometers. Unfortunately the once famous Tihany echo, because of building up, is a thing of the past now. Likewise, it is just a sheer luck if someone comes across a 'fairy-stone' (fossilized Congeria shell reminiscent of the Pannonian epoch. These relics both are preserved only by legends of the Balaton area.
The peninsula is a self-contained geological museum, where both traces of volcanic, post-volcanic activities of old ages and Pannonian deposits can be come across all the time. Perhaps the most attractive is the geyser field in the west of the village Tihany, which is made up from spring limestone and precipitated silicic acid. Out of the one hundred and fifty geysers the biggest is called Aranyház (Golden house), because of the yellow moss thalluses settled on it.
On the eastern side of the peninsula the volcanic tuff of Óvár mountain is also a historic relic. The hermit's reclusories were hollowed out in the rock by Basilii monks, resettled here by I. András in the 11th century. Something of the kind can only be found in the Krím peninsula and in the Gobi desert. The walls of the hermit's reclusories give an insight into the history of the rocks of the mountain. Masses of basalt forms - shaped by deflation - have been in the neighbourhood, especially in Apáti mountain and on Kis-erdő plateau for millions of years. The Külső lake (Outer lake), becoming swampy and covered by reeds, together with marsh-meadow associations in the vicinity, is situated in the northern part of the peninsula. It is literally a paradise for birds. Besides costal birds and reed songbirds, it is also the nesting place of the gray leg goose (Anser anser) protected to a greater extent. The Csúcs mountain towers on the western side of the peninsula, where the remnants of laveder plantations, grown at large areas in the past, can still be found together with the almond grove planted in the lavender plantations . The Belső lake (Inner lake), in the south of Külső lake, twentyfive meters above the level of the lake, is located in a deflated hollow. Several duck species come to feed in its open waters.
The peninsula originally belonged to the wooded steppe zone, however its downy surface is covered by dry sloping steppe meadows and silicate rocky lawns with such Mediterranean rarities as the summer Michaelmas-daisy (Aster amellus), the slender sternbergia (Sternbergia colchiciflora), the bindweed (Convulvulus cantabrica) and the cornsalad. The dominating association of wooded areas is white oak-manna ash-smoke tree forest.
The avifauna of the peninsula is also very rich, nesting of 112 bird species has been documented so far. The most renowned is the scops owl (Otus scops) with a characteristic voice, normally living in Mediterranean areas. The hobby (Falca subbuteo), barn owl (Tyto alba), the black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) all nest here, too, as well as the bee-eater (Merops apiaster), which is getting more and more common. The insect fauna of the area with several thousands of species is also remarkable. The cicada (Cicadidae) conjures up the nicest Mediterranean nights in the Balaton landscape.
Besides the already mentioned hermit's reclusories, the Tihany Benedictine abbey is an outstanding cultural historical monument of the area. In 1055 it was established by I. András still lying in the undercroft at present. There are several listed cottages in the village, because they carry signs of construction of old times.
2. The Pécselyi basin (Area: 5600 hectares. It can be visited without restrictions.)
The area north of the Tihany peninsula comprises three connected parts: the Szőlősi-, Pécselyi- and the Vázsolyi-basins, all of which were named after the biggest settlement of the basin.
This area, belonging to the southern part of the South Bakony, is surrounded and divided into smaller parts by limestone mountains, and there are not any traces of the volcanic mountains of the Balaton Uplands. Because of this, the atmosphere of the landscape is also different. The visitor is welcomed by a peaceful landscape of downy slopes, smaller hills, flat hilltops and wide valleys. In the overwhelming majority of the area locals predominantly live on small-scale farming, therefore large, contiguous, untouched natural scenes are not typical of the basins. Nevertheless, there are quiet vineyards (mainly in the Szőlősi /'vine'/basin, of course), spring-moors, patches of karst scrub forests, dry oak forests, small patches of beeches and thermophile meadows with tall sedges. Among the plant rarities of this varied scenery there are several orchid species (military-, lady-, dense-flowered- etc.) burning bush (Dictamnus albus), pasque flower (Pulsatilla grandis), yellow adonis (Adonis vernalis). The most valuable part of the fauna is the insect fauna, especially the large carnivorous beetles(Caraboidea) and the longhorn beetles (Cerambycidae), which can easily be observed even by non-professionals. The (Kisanthobia ariasi) only lives here.
The characteristic village-scape of Pécsely, the ruins of the Himfy castle next to Pécsely, the peasant cottages in Balatonszőlős, the 12th century remains of a church in the fields of Kisdörgicse and the ruins of a church in Dörgicse all stand out of the cultural historical relics of the basin.
3. The Káli-basin (Area: 9111 ha. Protected to a greater extent: 394 ha. Except for certain strictly protected marsh meadows it can be visited without restrictions.)
This romantic peaceful idyllic scenery is one of the greatest ornaments of the fascinating natural-landscape of the Balaton Uplands. Besides its unparalleled landscape values, its petrographic, botanical and zoological treasures are also outstanding. However, what makes this area truly outstanding is hope. The hope that it is possible to live like people do here, in fact as they have lived here for centuries according to the evidence of the landscape. The way that does not take away or does damage, but that gives and unite. The basin is surrounded by basalt mountains in the north, Permian red-sandstone hills in the south, limestone and dolomite mountains in the east and sandstone hills in the west. Uncommonly valuable geological formations can be found in the interior of the basin, too: basalt statues shaped by wind, stone sacks, volcanic cones. The Hegyes tű ( sharp-pointed needle) volcanic cone was almost literally demolished by stone quarrying,, though now not only basalt columns but also the volcanic funnel with the solidified lava, the basalt in it, can closely be seen from the abandoned yard of the quarry. The basalt plateau from Köveskál to Kapolcs is an absolutely extraordinary sight. In the hollows of the bare rock, tiny lakelets gleam. All of them are separate habitats. What is more, the visitor is welcomed by an even internationally unparalleled, immense 'stone field' near Szentbékálla.
The majority of the land is cultivated by the people living in the villages of the basin, but mosaics of the original steppe meadow have survived at a lot of places. The most well-known of them is the Sásdi meadow near Köveskál. This place is the last known habitat of glacial remnant bird's-eye primrose (Primula farinosa). Marsh meadows, remarkably rich in species have survived in the wet areas, periodically or completely drenched in water. These wet areas are surrounded by drying out marsh meadows with purple moor-grass (Molinea coerulea). The most beautiful of them is perhaps the cottongrass (Eriophorum) marsh meadow in Tódi-kút. These more or less natural areas ensure the survival of such rare plant species as orchid species (marsh helleborine, military orchid, loose-flowered orchid, early spider-orchid etc.) irises, gentian (Gentianapneumonanthe), bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliate). The peat-moss marshes of Barkás lake and Monostori lake are also highly protected. In the wooded areas of the basin there are calciphobic oak forests, lime tree fragmentary forests, smoke tree-white oak forests, and hornbeam-beech forests in the northern parts.
The butterfly, dragonfly and insect fauna is exuberant in the basin.
The little villages of the Káli-medence provide just as many sights as the natural environment. The area was inhabited as early as the Roman age, which is manifested in the relics of Kékkút. Later the Kali clan took possession of the land. Today the scenery is characterized by tiny reviving villages, small cellars, centuries-old tidy peasant cottages and water mills. The relics of wine growing viniculture, dated back to the Roman Age, are renowned, too.
4. Badacsony and the circumdenudated remnant hills in the surroundings. Protected to a greater extent: 773 ha. (Except for a few highly protected areas, it can be visited without restrictions.)
The sight of these volcanic remnant hills of this landscape of outstanding beauty is generally known by most people, both nationally and internationally. The coffin shaped Badcsony is located in the center, the Szigliget castle is to the left facing Badacsony, the Szent György hill is in the background , and to the right are the Tóti hill, the cone shaped Gulács and further away Csobánc. The good quality basalt of the hills was quarried for long decades inflicting serious wounds in the landscape, mainly on Badacsony , but neither Csobánc nor Gulács or Tóti hill escaped.
Sometime at the beginning of the Pleistocene during volcanic activities, the out flowing lava covered the marine deposit. The quickly cooling down basalt got broken up in layers during contraction. This is how the so called basalt 'organs' were formed. During further cooling, a part of these basalt 'organs' got broken horizontally, too. This is how the formations resembling to rolls of coins came into being. The tuff layers were formed by later eruptions, from looser, crumbly rocks with finer granules. The most well-known basalt 'organs' and tufacoeus breakings can be seen on Badacsony, which are absolutely fascinating in spite of the wounds of quarrying. Several footpaths lead up to the 436 m high basaltic plateau. Footpaths lead down to the Kőkapu (stone gate), too, by which the Balaton landscape is set in a huge basaltic frame. Except for the downy, friendly Szigliget castle, the same formations can be observed on all of the other volcanic hills around Badacsony, just in a bit smaller scale. Nevertheless, each has its own characteristics: the breakings can be wilder, or the colour of the rock can be entirely different. Each hill – as natural lookouts - has magnificent views of the lake Balaton, the remnant hills and the basins on the northern side of the lake.
The Badacsony and the other hills are poor in water, so their flora is made up from rich mosaics of drought resistant associations and species: calciphobic manna ash-beech forests, hornbeam, lime-ash forest fragments. The alyssum, (Alyssum saxatile), the black bryony (Tamus communis) and the butcher's broom (Ruscus acukeatus) can be found on rocky areas almost everywhere. The special feature of the Szentgyörgy hill is the ancient beeches, where no wood-cutter has walked among its centuries old trees for a long time. The thermophilous hardy cloak-fern (Cheilanthes marantae) only grows here in Hungary, but the rustyback fern (Ceterach jávorkaeanum) and the pink (Dianthus lumnitzerii) also live here. Two species of Pasque flower (Pulsatilla nigricans) and (P. grandis) bloom, and saxifrage (Saxifraga paniculata) live on the rocky lawns of the Tóti hill and the Csobánc. Several orchid and iris species bloom in the marsh meadows of the basins among the hills.
The fauna is rather exuberant owing to the several different habitats. The insect- and especially the beetle fauna can boast of several valuable species. The slow-worm (Anguis fragilis) and the snake-eyed skink (Ablepharus Kitaibelli) are common sights here. The grass- (Natrix natrix) and the dice snakes (Natrix tesselata) live in the basins and in the costal reeds. The otter (Lutra lutra) is becoming more and more common. The rock thrush (Monticola saxatillis), the kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) brood in the forests on the hills, while several reed songbird species nest in the reeds.
The most important cultural-historical assets are associated with vine growing viniculture. The foot of hills are mainly occupied by well-kept vineyards, as the good quality of wines from Badacsony, Gulács, Szent György hill, and Szigliget is nationally and internationally acknowledged. Several hundred year old wine cellars in the vineyards, houses built from natural stone (ashlar work) in the villages are all masterpieces of folk architecture. Roman stone carvings paying tribute to Bacchus and Diana can be found at a couple of places. Apart from these carvings, the area is remarkably rich in other cultural historical monuments, too: ruins of castles can be found on almost all of the hills, while old mansions in the hillsides, chapels, cellars with wine-presses in the vineyards dominate the Balaton landscape.
5. The Keszthely mountains and the Tapolca basin. Area: about 3000 ha. It can be visited without restrictions.
The Keszthely mountains, absolutely different from the surroundings, are situated in the north-west corner of the lake. A full range of karst phenomena can be observed in this dolomite block. Its diverse surface is characterized by canyons, caves (the Vadlányik- and the Szobakő caves), sink-holes, water-holes, karst plateaus. The narrow and dark Szent Miklós-, Vár-, and Kígyós valleys are all captivating sights. There is a picturesque view of the nearby basins and the Balaton from several places on the top of the mountains.
In the area mainly covered by forests, unfortunately, the original arborescent vegetation had been cleared at several places and fast-growing black pine woods were planted. Albeit the mountains are exceptionally interesting in terms of botany. Thermophilous plant associations of areas with southerly exposure mix with the flora of cool canyons. The result is karst scrub forests mixed with relicts, where the thermophilous manna ash mixes with the beech, the tree of cold areas. At cool areas oaks and beeches can be found, while on the bare karst and broken off places it is the dolomite-steppe meadow that grows. There are eighty highly treasured plant rarities in the mountains e.g. leopard's-bane (Doronicum) in the southern canyons, auricula (Primula auricula) the variegated small-reed (Calamagrostis varia) several species of pasque flower, orchid and pink on the northern slopes.
The basalt area belonging to the mountains (Kovácsi hill and Tátika) is also valuable in terms of botany. Rare marsh (uliginous) plant species grow in the small moors of the hollows of the basalt. Plants, similar to the ones in volcanic mountains, live on rocky precipices. The ancient beeches of Tátika are also a captivating sight. Gyöngyösi brook, meandering through the mountains, is lined with alder fenwood forest. The small wet marshy, boggy habitats in the Tapolca basin had suffered serious damages because of the decreasing level of underground water on account of bauxite mining. Nowadays, since mining discontinued, the first signs of regeneration can be spotted at more and more places (the marsh meadow in Lesencetomaj, or the wet swamp meadows in the Zsidi- Vidornyai basins)
The most precious members of the fauna in the Keszthelyi mountains come from the insect fauna, whereas because of the frequent occurrence of karst holes and caves, the bat colony is also very rich. The pine-marten and the beech-marten are becoming more and more common in the forests.
6. The Kis-Balaton (small lake). (Protected to a greater extent: 14.745 ha. Visiting is not allowed, though the bird-watching towers in Kányavársziger near Balatonmogyoród and in Papsziget near Vörs can be visited without restrictions.)
The story of the Small Lake of Balaton is rather stormy. In the 18th century it was still a shallow basin in the westernmost part of Balaton. The area was getting more and more boggy, peaty ,because the river Zala spread its deposit around here. In the 19th century the basin, which was getting shallower and shallower, was detached from the lake, after that the river Zala was canalized and as a result, the area began to get accreted. At the beginning of the 20th century hoping to get more crop land, draining was started. The former bird-paradise was almost destroyed, when experts realized the hazards of that and because of reasons of environment protection and nature conservation, restoration of the Kis-Balaton was begun. The scenery is again a wetland of international importance – come under the ruling of the Ramsari convention.
The vegetation of the Kis-Balaton consists of typical marsh plant associations. Around the vast open water and on the islets, there are alder and willow marshes, boggy-sedge associations, swampy meadows and extended areas of reeds. Its rare and endangered plant species are the nettle (Urtica kioviensis) the sweet-flag (Acorus calamus), the moonwort (Botrychium lunaria). The backbone of the fauna in the area is made up from birds. In the Kis-Balaton and surroundings two hundred and fifty bird species have been listed. A hundred of them also nest here and twenty seven are highly protected. Except for the species associated with natron lakes, practically all of the reed and water birds of Hungary can be found here. The white-tailed eagle (Haliaetus albicilla) come to feed here from the forests of Somogy county. The osprey (Pandion haliaetus), and the Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) appear here from time to time, while the short-eared owl nests here. Tens of thousands of birds squawk here during migration of birds.
Among fish species, the otherwise rare weather-fish and the European mud-minnow abound here. A rare mammal is the root-vole (Microtus oeconomus), while the otter, the pine-marten and the stoat is quite common. The insect and the inferior fauna are even richer, with species that occur only here in Hungary or in the whole of Europe.
7. The northern shore of the lake Balaton
The northern shore of the lake Balaton between Balatongyörök and Balatonalmádi also belongs to the National Park. First it might seem unbelievable that beside the crowds of swimmers, tourists, there are still untouched or almost untouched areas that can be and must be protected. But that is the way it is!
At several places along the northern shore, there are still such bigger and smaller reedy bays, closed basins opening to the lake that are reminiscent of the original state of the lake Balaton. E.g. reeds, wide stretches of willows along the shore, swampy meadows, boggy meadows at areas situated at lower levels. Several orchid species, gentian, cottongrass might grow at these places. Reed songbirds, coots (Fulica atra), crakes (Porzana sp) and moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) brood in the reeds. Two types of toads (Bombina) and (Bufo), edible- (Rana esculenta) and marsh-frogs (Rana ridibunda), grass snake live on the shore and traces of the otter can be noticed more and more often.
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