Balatonfüred has been the first therapeutic holiday resort in Hungary since the Balatonfüred acidic water was pronounced to be medicinal water in 1971. To the present day, many cardiac patients continue to recover their health in the renowned Füred cardiac hospital, including the Hindu poet Rabindranath Tagore, who has given his name to the famous Balatonfüred lakeside promenade. Development of the city began in the Reform Period, in the 1800s. It became a beloved meeting spot for artists, writers and poets. Lujza Blaha, the nation’s nightingale, spent her summers in the city for many years. One of the symbols of Füred is the domed, round church in the heart of the Reform-Age quarter, as is the Jókai villa, where there is a permanent exhibition of Jókai’s life.
Cultural events include the Balatonfüred Arts Festival, Füred Fest, the Anna Ball and the Romantic Reform Age procession and programmes. In our city and the Balaton Uplands the culture of vine and wine production looks back on many centuries of history, and in the spirit of this the Wine Weeks are held every year in August, where the wine-lovers among our guests can taste the famous wines of the Uplands.
A number of regattas are held in Balatonfüred which qualify as European and world-class competitions, the best known being the Blue Ribbon Regatta.
For those keen on sports we definitely recommend the cycle path around Lake Balaton and horse-riding in Pécsely-Klára Puszta, as well as various water sports (wind-surfing, yachting, water-skiing, pleasure boats).
