Lake Balaton

Lake Balaton, located in west-central Hungary, is the largest lake in Central Europe. Its surface area is 592 km², it has a length of 77 km and a width ranging from 4 to 14 km. Its depth varies up to 12.2 m, the mean depth being 3.2 m. The lake is surrounded by a wine-producing region.

It has many tourist and health resorts. The high tourist season extends from June until the end of August. At this time the average temperature of the water is 25 °C, making bathing and swimming very popular. The lake's surface freezes during colder winters. It is often possible to fish through ice-holes or skate. Since Hungary is landlocked, Lake Balaton is sometimes called the "Hungarian Sea".