Home -> Europe -> Hungary -> Travelogue 2003 -> Saturday 28 June

Veszprem and a quiet day at the campsite

We could make a long story about today: getting up, trying to get awake, drinking coffee, drinking tea, sunbathing, washing, reading, and so we could go on like this. An endless series of things to do, but we won't tire you out with these useless stories. Shortly, we have a resting day. On the grass along the lake it is very busy with sunlovers, so we stay near the tent with all our things within reach. We can sit in the sun or in the shadow of the trees, just whatever we want.

When the temperature gets almost under 30 degrees we decide to leave the campsite for a short trip. We go to Veszprem, not far away from Balatonfüred and probably the only town in the neighbourhood where there is something interesting to see. The village is build on 5 hilltops and the differences in height in the town are huge. We park as near to the centre as possible and refuse to pay for the parking meter: HUF 800 for one hour, that is € 3,50!

The town centre is small, but we see some interesting buildings like this church with its small neck, like a funnel. But the most important part is the castle which has been build on the highest hilltop. It has a length of more than 500 meters and there are several churches and baroque buildings inside its walls and some nice fountains.

We often see Japanese people in a row, taking pictures, but these Japanese are drawing the view instead of photographing it. For us a unique sight!

It is a nice town to walk through and we are not the only ones who think like that. But it is very quiet compared to the shores of lake Balaton. At a bar we take a coffee and a softdrink and to our surprise we only have to pay HUF 365, that is about € 1,65. So, Hungary can be cheap in some places.

At the end of the castle we look out over the old town which has been build mainly under the hilltops. It looks very pretty, but to the right (just off the picture) are many apartment complexes by which the view is spoiled.

Driving back along lake Balaton we try to find a quiet piece of beach or just a quiet shore, but we don't find any. There is almost no beach, just quays where one can sit and swim. Next to these places are car parkings: € 3 per hour (at least). We'll do with the grass on the campsite.

There seem to be more beaches on the eastern side of the lake, but it has a length of more than 75 kilometers, so it is a long way to drive there and undoubtedly it will be busy there, also. This place is much too touristic and too crowded for us, although it is nice to sit by the water with these temperatures. We will probably move next week to the Czech Republic and look there for nice places to stay.

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with Elisabeth and Teije