Six attractions that make it worthwhile cycling around Lake Velence

Especially in the summer, it is a good idea to take a break at the sandy beach of the promenade in Velence, where you can dip your toes into the lake water, which is rich in sodium and magnesium, and then cool off under the beach umbrellas. If the crowds are too much for you, there’s a retro public beach nearby.

The landscape looks quite different in the southwestern bay of the lake. With its contiguous reeds, the 420 hectares of the Lake Velence Bird Reserve Nature Conservation Area provide a home for rare bird species. These include the great egret and the Eurasian spoonbill and, in the more shallow areas, the little grebe builds their nests. In the autumn, you can come across the taiga bean goose, the greylag goose and the hen harrier in the thick layer of reeds. If you’d like to get to know these special birds even better, don’t miss the birdwatching hideouts and hiking trails on the Madárdal (Bird Song) educational trail nearby.

This tiny settlement on the shore of Lake Velence awaits you with a unique outdoor exhibition that even made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. The exhibition shows models of Hungarian ruin castles and, just like their real counterparts, the 35 buildings are made of stone, wood, bricks, twigs and mud. Apart from the exhibition, you can also visit a village museum presenting the Árpád era and some cute backyard animals.

The Military Memorial Park exhibits the military history of several decades. In the 1.6-hectare park, you can take a peek into WWI officers’ barracks, hide in WWII trenches, and even find yourself face to face with a real T-55 tank at the 1956 memorial. The Don Riverbend Memorial Chapel, 500 metres from the park, is also a must-see feature of the exhibition.

The Pákozd-Sukoró Arboretum and Wildlife Park is the home of wild boars, pheasants, roe deer and deer, where the animals graze on spacious meadows. You can take a look around the Park area from the lookout tower on Mészeg Hill, where the view toward Lake Velence is simply breathtaking. The Arboretum offers a unique opportunity to use the little fire pits for barbecues.

This tiny but imposing castle is found in Kápolnásnyék, and making a detour to visit the Neo-Baroque building and the 1.5-hectare castle park is truly worthwhile. The recently renovated complex has a visitor centre and an exhibition space where you can learn more about the history of Lake Velence and its surroundings.