Most outdoor swimming venues in and outside Budapest, including the beaches of Lake Balaton, opened with safety precautions in place a couple of weeks ago. Along with the beach openings, the annual round map of the prices of tickets has been completed and luckily, there are still some places where visitors of the Hungarian sea can still swim free of charge – mainly on the Southern shore.
Due to the epidemic situation, many people are not planning a holiday abroad this year, but since the first wave of the pandemic is coming to an end, Lake Balaton may be one of the number one summer destinations. Although a bit later than usual, beaches still opened at the popular holiday resorts and now everyone can enjoy the Hungarian sea again – of course with precautions, due to the coronavirus epidemic.
Last week, we have reported how most places around Lake Balaton have increased their prices, but luckily, there are still a couple of free beaches around the Balaton, mainly on the South side. And when choosing a destination for a family holiday, it should also be considered whether there are free beaches nearby, as for a larger family it can be a serious expense to buy a weekly ticket.
Summer at Lake Balaton: Beach Entry Ticket Prices Increased in Most Places
This is why the opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) announced that they would table an amendment obliging all municipalities around Lake Balaton to designate free beaches, as Hungarian families with average income will find it even harder to take a holiday at the Balaton this year. The party said that Lake Balaton is a “shared treasure” and every citizen should get the chance to enjoy it.
Although not in a large amount, there are some places where holidaymakers can enjoy the lake free of charge. The Csodálatosbalaton regional website collected the cities and beaches where people can swim for free. In most of the places, more modern, safer, and more comfortable free beaches await visitors this year.
Those who consider it more important to swim for free should target the south coast, but one can also find free beaches on the north side as well. However, the website warns that parking is not free in most places, even around free beaches – but most free beaches have restaurants, or at least buffets, and there are water blocks, playgrounds, and in some places even lifeguards. What is more, many free beaches have just been recently renovated.
You can find a list of all the free beaches around Lake Balaton below:
featured photo: György Varga/MTI