Summer is almost here and its time to head down to Lake Balaton in Hungary to cool down and to party! Lake Balaton is Central Europe's largest freshwater lake. It is affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea" by Hungarians. It is Hungary's foremost tourist destinations. The mountainous region of the north shore is a major wine region. During the 1960s and 1970s, Lake Balaton became a major tourist destination for the average Hungarian. The Balaton is still very popular with Hungarians today as Hungary is a landlocked country. Hungary has no access to any oceans or seas. Staying at the Balaton can be pricey. Prices have risen steadily since the 1990s. But Hungarians still continue to flock to this vacation destination.
The lake even received tourist from the former Eastern Bloc. East Germans and West Germans would visit the lake and its resorts during the 1980s. The high tourist season extents from June till the end of August. The average water temperature during the summer is 25°C. There are several resort towns along Lake Balaton. The major resorts around the lake are Siófok, Keszthely and Balatonfüred. Siófok is known as the "party capital" of Hungary. It has many nightclubs and discos. Many younger people frequent Siófok because of the night clubs and the nightlife. Most recently Balatonfüred City Council banned public alcohol drinking as public drunkenness had become a major problem in the town!
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