Hungary

We stayed in the unknown east of Croatia for two more nights: on a small agriturismo and by a small lake where we actually wanted to go cycling. But things are not going well at the moment: even on the Drava cycle path, you never really cycle along the Drava, and when we tried to get closer, we got lost in the marsh, helpless against the mosquitoes. A little later, the trailer got a flat tire. Of course, we had repair kit with us, but unfortunately we left the pump at home.

We crossed another border without any problems, this time to Hungary. Hungary is the country of baths and spas for us. And practically all spas also have a thermal campsite, very convenient. In Zalakaros, we enjoyed the giant thermal baths with a children's paradise, water slides, wave pool, etc. Of course, there is also a spa area with a sauna and healing bath, but for our children, the fun program was the main attraction. There are many people here, but since the area is huge, everyone can find a shady spot, and with the huge range of playgrounds, food, etc., you can easily spend the whole day here.

We continued to Lake Balaton. We had heard a lot about it, but still had no idea. It reminded us a bit of Lake Constance. It is a beautiful lake with surprisingly natural sections full of reeds and trees (we had a funny encounter with a fox). In between are smaller and larger towns with a lot of tourist infrastructure. There is a bicycle path all around the lake, but here too, our hopes for a longer tour were disappointed. But that is also because it was simply too hot. Lake Balaton is not very deep (maximum 12 meters), and the shore is mostly sandy and muddy. As a result, the lake has the same color as the healing water in the spas: as soon as your hand is in it, you can't see it anymore. We first went to the smaller town of Badascony and then to Keszthely. The children enjoyed the campsites and beach baths with many cool playgrounds and made new acquaintances since the language is mainly Eastern German besides Hungarian.

We made a detour to a great knight's castle because Hungary is also the country of castles and palaces. At Sümeg Castle, all the staff were dressed like in the old days, and there were small knight's games and demonstrations, so it was very entertaining.

After many days with temperatures over 30°C (86°F), we were a bit cold after a change in weather. With an outside temperature of 20°C (68°F), we therefore sought refuge in the cozy indoor pool near Zalaerszeg, as if we hadn't swum enough lately.

We only saw a part of Hungary but felt quite comfortable here. The language is already adventurous and foreign, and the people are often a bit rough. On the other hand, we liked the wide natural landscapes and the variety of food.