Balatonfüred has been taking the waters since before anyone thought of calling it a holiday. On the north shore of Lake Balaton, Hungary's inland sea, this town of about thirteen thousand grew up around its mineral springs, which were known for treating heart conditions, and in the nineteenth century it became a fashionable resort for the aristocracy and writers. The old spa park and the promenade are still the heart of the place, and the long line of plane trees along the lakeshore makes a pleasant, shaded walk after a day on the bike.
Balaton is shallow and wide, nearly eighty kilometres long, and the light on it is unlike anything else in the country. The north shore is the hilly side, with vineyards climbing the volcanic slopes behind the towns. This ride ends here, but you should not skip the neighbours: Csopak, a few kilometres west, is wine country with the local Olaszrizling, and Tihany, just east on its peninsula, has an abbey and a famous echo. The roads along the shore are mostly gentle, with the corners saved for the little lanes up through the vines, where the surface can be patchy.
The lake is the reason everyone comes and also the reason traffic is heavy. Summer weekends can be slow, with Hungarians and Germans packing the road 71 and the shore towns. Aim for a weekday, or ride in May, June or September, when the wine festivals begin and the water is still warm for a swim. Afternoon thunderstorms roll across the lake in summer with startling speed, so keep an eye on the sky over the south shore.
As a finish, Balatonfüred is easy. It is large enough to have fuel stations, supermarkets and a pleasant choice of restaurants, with freshwater fish such as fogas, the lake's pike-perch, on the menu, plus paprika-heavy stews and the sweet pastries Hungary loves. Rest in the park, grab a glass of the local white at a terrace on the harbour, and watch the sailing boats tack across a lake that seems to have no far shore.