Kőhegy Lookout: Where You Can Truly See Almost the Entire Lake Balaton!
Even the Romans...
Kőhegy was inhabited by the Celts (from the 4th century BC) and the Romans (Roman legions arrived in the territory of present-day Transdanubia in 12 BC). The remnants of former buildings still surface during agricultural work, and the artifacts of the Celtic urn cemetery are preserved in the National Museum.
Its name likely comes from the protruding stones in the soil, as such formations are nowhere else to be found in the nearby hills.
Until 1948, there stood a press house belonging to the vineyard estate of the Tihany Abbey.
Finally, the lookout tower was built in its place, which was inaugurated in 2000.
Official Tourist Route Available
The yellow-marked tourist trail starts from the railway station, passing through the folk house and the legendary Donkey Stone.
Of course, this is just one of the options among many; we can choose from longer or shorter routes according to our preference. As shown in the accompanying image, it’s a 3.6 km walk from Bonrila Sun Apartment, so with a leisurely stroll along the shore, it can make for a pleasant half-day outing.
However, if you prefer not to walk that much, you can drive right up to the base of the lookout tower.
It’s worth coming here multiple times; the video highlights some spectacular opportunities.
Where is this lookout?
On the hilly side of Zamárdi, south of Lake Balaton.
How to get there?
Walk
To get to the center of Zamárdi, the easiest way is to walk to Dessewffy (pronounced: /deʒɜ:fi/) Street, turn right there, and continue straight until you reach Aradi Street. Here, turn left, and you’ll soon arrive at the junction near the railway station. Cross the rails, then up the steep street to the village, then turn right… Then you will see the signs.
By car
Just as if you walked.
Cost
Free