Tihany

This tiny settlement, which is located on Tihany Peninsula, is one of the most popular destinations at Lake Balaton and has a scenic view. The peninsula reaches into the lake on the northern shore. On its top is the symbol of Tihany, the two towers of the Benedictine Abbey which can be seen from a long distance. In addition to the experiences offered by the beach, historic memorials, the fauna of its inner lakes, the sweet-smelling lavender meadows and several other sights can easily entice anyone.

The founding of the Tihany settlement happened in the Middle Ages, when in 1055 Andrew I of Hungary built the burial ground for the royal family and the monastery above it where he settled Benedictine monks. This was the time when the earliest Hungarian text fragment in Latin was written: it is the charter of the Benedictine Abbey of Tihany and its original copy is exhibited in Pannonhalma.

The monastery, which was turned into a castle during the Turkish wars of the 16th and 17th century, was ruined. The crypt under it survived and has guarded Hungary’s only royal grave which has remained in its original place for a thousand years, and it still can be visited.

The present form of the church was founded in the 18th century in Baroque style. Its frescos were made by renowned artists, so visitors will find a compelling view when entering the church. Unfortunately its hundreds of years old organ became damaged during the Second World War after being hit by a shell. After the change of the regime the Benedictines were able to regain one of the abbey buildings attached to the church, thus it could play its original role again.

Nevertheless, not only do they think about the past in the abbey, but also about the future. In 1999, at the eclipse of the Sun, five thousand bottles of wine were walled up in the cellar of the abbey, which can be opened only when the next eclipse comes.

The Open Air Ethnographical Museum

This Museum can be reached with a short walk from the church. Here visitors can familiarise themselves with local architecture. They can learn about a fishermen’s guild, the house of a potter or a farmer looked like, and what kind of tools and pieces of furniture were used in the past.

The monks’ dwellings (Barátlakások)

These monks’ houses on the peninsula are a unique spectacle, as they are the only intact hermit settlement in Europe. They were carved into the twenty metre high basalt tufa wall by the monks who were settled here with the help of Andrew I.

Castle ruins

The peninsula contains not only the abbey, but a castle as well. The base walls of the residential tower from the Árpád era can be seen on Csúcs Mountain.

Outer lake and inner lake (Külső-tó, Belső-tó)

The water of The Outer Lake used to reach Lake Balaton when the water level was high enough. Because of the decrease in the water level the lake can only be filled when it rains. At other times the surface water practically cannot be seen. On the other hand its fauna is significant; there are endangered birds and even otters here. The Inner Lake has much more water and thus it is popular among anglers.