Tihany

The picturesque location, the geological curiosities, the historical landmarks, the botanical and zoological rarities of the only peninsula of Lake Balaton attract nearly a million tourists each year. Its landscape has been shaped by volcanic forces millions of years before. Remains of craters formed Lake Inner and Lake Outer, both above the level of Lake Balaton itself. Archeological findings uncovered in the area of the peninsula demonstrate that it has been inhabited since the Prehistoric... tovább Age. The forebear to today's town of Tihany was founded in the Middle Ages when King Andrew I. had the royal burial grounds and the monastery above it built in 1055. He populated the monastery with Benedictine monks, thereby starting the life of the Benedictine abbey. The monastery, converted into a castle during the Ottoman Wars in the 16th-17th centuries, was destroyed but has been rebuilt in the 18th century in baroque style and to this day stands on the eastern pinnacle above Lake Balaton as the ancient symbol of Tihany. A few years back Benedictine monks have once again become the owners of the baroque abbey and preservers of the Benedictine Abbey Museum. Beyond the geological curiosities, the peninsula is also host to rare plants and animals and the peninsula is the first to have been declared a landscape-protection area in Hungary and is being overseen by the Directorate of the Balaton-Highland National Parks. Countless hiking opportunities present themselves: the Monk Lodgings, the Goldhouse, and the Kiserdő hilltop - the list goes on. The settlement is home to about 1400 residents who live off of tourism either directly or indirectly. Tihany is a gem of not only Lake Balaton but of Hungary itself, one that offers interesting sights in every season. Its major attractions are the historical and cultural memories and programs connected to the abbey, as well as its unique natural surroundings combined with the recreational possibilities offered by the lake.