Route description
The trails on this tour are: Balaton Cycling Circuit, 244, the tour is marked as K & J. Low-traffic public roads: 6.2 km, public roads: 2.6 km, bike paths: 14.2 km, sidewalks: 0.3 km.
Difficulty factors in the tour
The main difficulty factor of the route is climbing up to Tihany, which is approximately 1 km long from all directions.
Ambience
From Füred to Tihany, you get more than just the reeds on the shoreline: you can enjoy a truly intense experience of nature when you get in the saddle and set out on this discovery ride. The tour can also be easily completed on a tandem bicycle, as the route follows a cycle path in good condition, so you can really devote yourself to relaxation. There are many attractions to be recommended to the riders in both saddles of the tandem: enthusiastic naturalists can explore the fauna of Lake Balaton, taste sour water, inhale the fresh air of the forests, listen to the humming of bees at work in the lavender fields, encounter horses and Hungarian grey steppe cattle, even meet rabbits and European ground squirrels. It is a fascinating and charming living environment, amazing natural phenomena that you can hear and touch, and thus feel closer to Mother Nature, and beyond that, the unmissable moment when you hear your own thoughts reflected from the distance. Yes, you can also experience the unique phenomenon of the Tihany echo. Besides the bustling life at Lake Balaton, you can also get something new here: relaxing sounds, unforgettable scents, palpable experiences.
Detailed tour description
The starting point is the Tagore promenade and the Balaton Cycling Path, which leads on a flat stretch to the harbour of Tihany. Unfortunately, the cycle path between Balatonfüred and the outskirts of Tihany has not yet been reconstructed, and because of the heavy bicycle traffic particular caution is required, especially when transporting a visually impaired or disabled person on a tandem. After arriving in Tihany, the first rest stop can be made at the Gödrös Open Beach, with various catering facilities, WCs and washrooms available. Continue cycling on the bike path along the shore of Lake Balaton to the harbour of Tihany where you will find a rest area for cyclists with a snack bar and a food stand selling lángos, the local deep-fried flatbread, as well as the e-bike rental point of Balaton Bike Tour, which also operates a bicycle repair shop. After passing the impressive building of the Limnological Institute, the cycle path ends and you ride uphill on the serpentine road to the centre of Tihany. This stretch is the most difficult part of the tour as you have to ride carefully because of the traffic. In the centre of Tihany, the bike path turns left and leads to Lake Belső where you can unwind on the terrace of the Kotyogós café. On the way back, enjoy a relaxing ride along the designated bike path, joining the Balaton Cycling Circuit and returning to Balatonfüred.
Municipalities on the route: Balatonfüred, Diós, Gödrös, Óvár and Tihany.
Source: https://www.balatonbike365.hu/en/tour/tandem-tura-tihanyban