Tihany: Volcanic Landscapes, Lavender and Abbey

Crater Lakes, Protected Area and Geyser Cones

Külső-tó and Belső-tó formed in former volcanic craters, where rainwater collected. Together with Lake Balaton, the two lakes shape the landscape. The 1,658-hectare Tihany Landscape Protection Area is now a landscape unit within the Balaton Uplands National Park. Within the protected area, Bozsai Bay and Külső-tó are the two strictly protected zones—a useful distinction if you would like to get a more precise sense of the peninsula’s natural environment.

Geyser cones are another distinctive feature of the landscape: around 50 are still visible on the peninsula today. The largest is the Aranyház geyser cone. It owes its name to the yellow lichens that grow densely on it. Tihany thus combines geological formations with striking details that make for a topic in their own right alongside the lakes as you explore the peninsula.

Walking Routes and Special Discoveries

The 4.7-kilometre Legenda Loop starts at the Tihany ferry landing and passes, among other places, Echo Hill, the Benedictine abbey and the Barátlakások. If you are looking for a different way to find your bearings, try the Lóczy Educational Trail: it passes seven stations, each linked to a place of interest. The different route concepts can help you choose the focus of an outing based on your interests, rather than simply listing individual destinations.

At Echo Hill, shouted words are reflected back from the abbey’s north side, about 300 metres away. The sound takes roughly two seconds to travel there and back; its total path is almost 700 metres. The echo is therefore not just a name on the route, but a tangible natural phenomenon on an unusual scale.

Experience Lavender

The Levendula Loop starts at the Lavender House and ends at Lavender Tihany and its distillery. Along the way, visitors can see Hungarian Grey cattle and ground squirrels introduced by Balaton Uplands National Park. At the Lavender House Visitor Centre, a short film and an interactive exhibition present the volcanic landscape, the centuries-long coexistence of people and nature, and the lavender culture that grew out of it. The centre also offers an adventure park and craft programmes—a practical option for families who would like to include activities like these in their stay.

The Lavender Tihany visitor centre focuses on lavender and how it is processed; Tihany’s lavender distillery is among the topics presented there, too. The distillery produces trademark-protected lavender oils. If you are especially interested in this cultivated plant, you can take that focus into account alongside the area’s natural and historical attractions when choosing a holiday apartment and planning your stay.

Rock Settlement and Abbey

The Remetetelep, locally known as Barátlakások, comprises cells, a chapel and a refectory that Orthodox monks of the Greek rite carved into the rock face on the eastern side of Óvár between the 11th and 14th centuries. The caves are set in 20-metre-high basalt tuff. Following a rockslide in 1952, only three of the cave group remain visible. Remetetelep is considered the only relatively well-preserved hermit settlement in the Carpathian Basin and Central Europe—a striking historical counterpart to Tihany’s natural attractions.

The exclusive tour of the Benedictine abbey includes a detailed guided visit to the Baroque church and a visit to the crypt of King Andrew I. It also includes a tasting of various monastic products: the “King Andrew” and “Queen Anastasia” liqueurs contain 40 and 35 percent alcohol, respectively. In winter, visitors can taste herbal tea by Father Gellért; in summer, lavender and lemongrass syrups are served. The abbey’s savoury snacks are included as well. During your stay, cultural and culinary interests like these, alongside walks or lavender, may help determine what kind of holiday you are looking for in Tihany.

Discover More Places

You can also find these places in the same travel context: Lovas, Óbudavár, Balatoncsicsó, Balatonudvari, Tagyon, Vaszoly, Szentantalfa and Balatonszolos.

For the broader travel overview: Balatonfüredi.