Sightseeing from the water surface of the Old Lake in Tata

The water entry point at the start of the route is comfortable, as a flat, sandy, grassy shore is available next to the New Kayak House and Ecotourism Center, which you can use free of charge. Looking around from here to the left, you can see the undisturbed bird paradise in the southern corner of the lake, embraced by trees and dotted with reeds. In front of and to the right of us, the city and its historical monuments line the water surface of the Old Lake. Starting our water tour to the right, we row along the shore of the lake, following the promenade in a northwest direction.

Shortly after rowing about 200 meters, the former bourgeois villas and holiday homes, as well as characteristic travertine rock formations and caves around the lake will appear. Then a real speciality appears: the so-called water cutting bridge, an industrial monument, emerges in the water. From here on, the shore is fortified with a stone wall; docking and landing are only possible in a few places. For example, near the water cutting bridge, 100 meters away, there is a small protrusion in front of the Pötörke mill, although caution is needed when docking on the rocky-grassy shoreline. Of the numerous water mills in the town, some were built directly on the lake shore, utilizing the water from streams and springs entering the lake and the water flow regulated by sluices. Landing before the mill, we can visit the Pötörke mill building. Based on the limestone-engraved map here, we can orient ourselves regarding the location of monuments around the lake.

Continuing along the high shore, we soon reach the northwest corner of the Old Lake. Here is the only truly high stone-built shore or dam that aims to raise the water level of the lake. The 250-hectare lake is the oldest artificial lake in Hungary. Its current open water surface was formed in the 18th century based on designs by the famous water engineer Sámuel Mikovinyi commissioned by the Esterházy family, through drainage of the swamps and construction of dams in the area.

Paddling past the Cifra mill, we arrive at the Tata Zsigmond Castle, a symbol of the lakeside and city. It is a special experience to pass along the base of the high Renaissance castle walls. After the castle, the route shortly takes us near the Esterházy family's mansion centre; here the shore is also high and supported with stone. Docking is only possible a few hundred meters south of the building, where a small stepped staircase opening in a corner of the stone wall provides access. From here, paddling further along the western shoreline of the lake, we pass the former Esterházy riding hall and, in the background, the imposing building of the Eötvös József High School standing on the hilltop.

The high artificial shore gradually gives way to the natural environment characteristic of the southern part of the lake. Our route continues along a tree-lined shore covered with reeds, then we stop for a short break on the sandy beach of a former public beach. Continuing our route, we can make a short detour into a reed hide of a hidden bay of the lake. Here many bird species can be observed: cormorant, grey heron, night heron. After leaving the "hidden bay", we only need to row about 100 meters northeast to reach the Ältal-ér estuary, the largest surface water inflow feeding the lake, which offers another detour. Here, on the dammed, standing-water river formed by the lake, we can paddle 200-300 meters. If we are lucky and move quietly, we can also spot marsh turtles basking on tree trunks.

In the last section of our route, heading north along the shore, we can dock almost anywhere. Passing the bird watching tower, after rowing about 500 meters, we arrive at a buffet row where we can satisfy our hunger. From here, just 300-400 meters of comfortable paddling remains until we return to the starting point of our route.