Circular route on the Tihany Peninsula with wheelchair

Itinerary:

• From the parking lot, we start on the bike path towards Tihany.
• At the end of the climb, turn right into Major Street, which leads down to the Inner Lake.
• We take a round trip walk on the lakeside.
• We go up to the main road on Aranyház Street, where we turn left.
• At Borsos Miklós Square, we turn right and go up to the abbey.
• We pass along the Pisky promenade to the Echo Hill, then back.
• We reach the main road again, this time going down to Akasztó Hill.
• At the parking lot, we turn left onto Fürdőtelepi Street, which leads to the shoreline road.
• From the harbor, we go all along Lepke Row on an independent bike path.
• Approaching road 71 — a little before it — we turn left following the bike path and soon return to the parking lot.

Detailed description of the route:

We start from the pleasant, tree-surrounded parking lot of the Őrtorony Lookout. Although the lookout itself is not the goal, this gravel terrain is an ideal starting point for wheelchair users for this very substantial, highly complex, and beautiful route.

From the Lavender Lake to the Inner Lake

From the parking lot, we immediately turn onto the bike path leading toward the settlement of Tihany. The road winds continuously with varying slopes on the gentle hills; on the right, the Őrtorony Lookout rises in the distance, before it a flowering field blooms. Looking left, behind the main road leading to Tihany, the hills climbing up to the peninsula slowly unfold in the foreground, showing the lavender plantation. Ahead of us, the winding road stretches for two kilometers, edged with old poplars, rising and falling. Since it is an open area, as the road climbs, looking back, the view of the Balaton Uplands gets more and more beautiful. Meanwhile, on our right, the silhouette of the Outer Lake unfolds, surrounded by reeds and marshes, with sunlight sparkling on the water here and there.

Reaching Tihany, we travel a few hundred meters on the main road leading into the settlement and then turn right at the second intersection into Major Street. The previously continuous ascent turns into a definite descent, flanked by neat houses and holiday homes with geraniums on both sides. It is advisable to descend slowly — persistently and braking safely — to reach the economic buildings of the Tihany Abbey, currently maintained by the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, a nicely kept building complex with historical grain silos and former economic buildings. Behind it opens a spectacular view of the Inner Lake, our next destination.

After a short observation, continuing onwards, we reach the stylish, architecturally fitting buildings of the Lavender House Visitor Center in the immediate vicinity, where a permanent exhibition about lavender processing and the formation of the volcanoes that once operated on the peninsula can be seen. Not least, a buffet and accessible, well-kept toilets for the disabled are also located in this modern complex.

We reach the well-kept, grassy shore of the Inner Lake, where we can descend to the lakeshore accessibly at an economic entrance. The gravelly, shallow lake shore has rich wildlife "worth a mass"; heading west on the lakeshore, we reach mostly accessible lakeside groves and bays, from where we can directly go down to the water’s edge. From here, a beautiful view opens over the settlement, crowned by the impressive, double-towered main church of the abbey rising above the colorful, charmingly layered buildings. Circumnavigating the Inner Lake would greatly extend our route, so depending on stamina, mood, and equipment, we travel along the lake shore until benches and resting places appear in the completely open, tree-free area, accompanied by some shade. On the left, a classic enclosure for Hungarian Grey cattle is also located. It is worth taking a longer rest here and enjoying the view, as during our trip this symbolizes the lesser-known, quiet side of Tihany, the island of peace. On this short, grassy section, pay attention to bumps and hollows caused by the burrows of ground squirrels and hamsters, as careless wheelchair users may encounter surprises, but overall, easy terrain conditions prevail.

The heights of Tihany

Turning back, we reach the edge of the village and join the main road crossing the village on a straight, short but massively ascending road (Aranyház Street). Here we turn left to get up to the abbey, the largest historical landmark of the area. The main road has heavy traffic, so it is a matter of choice whether to travel on the varying quality, sometimes cracked pavement or on the edge of the asphalt road. Around the village square, there are plenty of eateries and shops where we can quench our hunger and thirst.

The abbey founded and built by the Benedictines, the oldest Christian order in Hungary, rises above Lake Balaton, enduring the storms of history. From the gently sloping main road, we reach the church on a cobbled, very steep connecting road opening to the right from the village center; this is physically the most demanding section of our route. It is worth gathering momentum several times to tackle it for the brave wheelchair user and their helper. However, the view welcoming hikers up there is worth every effort: in front of the east-facing abbey church, the long-stretched bird’s eye view of Lake Balaton makes it clear why our largest lake is called the "Hungarian Sea." The observation in this breathtaking panorama is extended by a carefully built and maintained stone-walled accessible promenade starting from the church, leading to the peninsula’s most famous tourist attraction, the "Tihany Echo" hill.

Along the length of the peninsula

From here, we could continue our clever route on a very steep and long descent on the serpentine road leading to the shore of Lake Balaton, which is home to folk architectural heritage and ultra-modern villas. However, this road is so long and steep that it is not recommended even for extreme wheelchair users and their companions! So we turn back towards the church, follow the village’s main street to the already known Aranyház Street, and a little further. At Akasztó Hill, before the parking lot, we turn left and descend the peninsula’s eastern shore on Fürdőtelepi Street, which has a much gentler slope. Continuing along this road, we soon reach the harbor — unfortunately, this route considerably lengthens our hike, but it is the safe route.

Arriving at the eastern tip of Tihany, we reach a modern harbor tastefully equipped with buffets and even find an accessible pier, with the greenish endlessness of Lake Balaton stretching out in the background.

From here starts the 71 main road connecting path, Lepke Row, alongside which runs the cycling path cooled by the hill rising with vegetation on our side. Following this straight, we return to the neck of the peninsula, but the chain of the most beautiful sights does not end on the way. On the right are anglers’ piers and the gentle, humid Balaton; in the background, the colorful houses of Balatonfüred stretch across the horizon. Following the several-kilometer gently and long left-turning curved bike path, we reach our starting point, along the way finding resting places, a beach, and buffets. This unforgettable, extremely varied hike offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all visitors here.