Balaton (Plattensee)

Lake Balaton (Balaton) in Hungary is with 591 km² the largest freshwater lake in Central Europe, which is also called "the sea of Hungary". Already the Celts and Romans were cultivating wine here at the turn of time. The area is also considered to be one of the most beautiful landscapes in Hungary. Especially the northern shore with its sheltered location and excellent sunshine is perfectly suited for viticulture. The large body of water has a positive regulating influence on the climate. The soil is a combination of sand and peculiar volcanic cones, the most famous of which is Badacsony. Mainly white wines are produced here, the most common grape varieties are Olaszrizling(Welschriesling), Skürzebarát(Pinot Gris), Chardonnay and Rizlingszilváni(Müller-Thurgau). There are several wine growing areas around the lake, these are Badacsony, Balatonboglár (former Dél-Balaton), Balatonfüred-Csopak, Balatonfelvidék (former Balaton-Mellék) and Zala (former Balatonmelléke).

Map: CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Landscape: From txd - originally posted to Flickr as Landscape, CC BY 2.0, Link