The town is one of the oldest settlements on the south coast of Lake Balaton. Mention is made in the oldest Hungarian record - the Founding Document of the Abbacy of Tihany (1055) of Lelle's St. Kelemen Cathedral which stood by the grand Hadiút (War Lane). Located centrally, the settlement suffered from the attacks of the Tatar and the Turks, but ist population survived again and again. In 1896, the year of Millenium, the population of Budapest started to discover the usesful effects of Lake Balaton. A swimming and bathing association was founded in 1904, with a major influence on the development of the settlement, making it become a real cultural and recreational area.

In 1928, as an acknowledgement for having developed a beautiful chain of villas („Villasor"), the town was classified as a „health resort" and took up the name of Balatonlelle. In the subsequent years a number of scientits and artists chose Balatonlelle as their place of recreation and work, and still continue to do so. Between 1946 and 1948 the summer residence of the Hungarian Republic's president was in Balatonlelle, located in the centre of Villasor. In 1979, with the union of Balatonboglár and Balatonlelle, the settlement was named Boglárlelle became an independent town once more. Lelle, also known as the „town of flowers", has kept its traditions and strives to protect the values of the resort culture. Its people are famous for their hospitality, awaiting tourists wishing to spend their holidays in this beautiful town.

Experience bath on the Lake Balaton

Balatonlelle lies on the southern shore of the "Hungarian Sea" offering a more than 2 km long public beach for those who love bathing.

In particular, families with small children prefer the shallow and slowly deepening water.

Popular services offered at the public beach: water soccer and beach volleyball facilities, tennis court, giant chute, water bycicle and surf rental.

In addition to the public beach, the new experience bath located directly by the water at the Sunshine beach guarantees perfect leisure facilities including experience pools and swimming pools for adults and for children, together with saunas, Turkish bath, solarium, and massage.

The pools are heated, so they are available in cool weather as well.

In 2003 the Ministry of Environment and Water awarded a "Blue Flag" to the beaches of Balatonlelle in acknowledgement of excellent water quality.

Accomodations, restaurants

Visitors arriving in town can choose from a wide range of accomodations, depending on their requirement and budget. These accomodations include family houses, boarding houses, hostels an hotels.

All those, who fancy typical Hungarian dishes and specialities can enjoy the wide range of selection served at restaurants, snack bars and open-air fisch restaurants.

In addition to an enjoyable meal, several restaurants offer visitors romantic and subdued surroundings, often with the performance of live bands.

Guests of Balatonlelle can enjoy superior quality services - hairdresser, cosmetician, solaium - and enjoy shopping in one of our departement stores.

To please the children, there is a circus and a fun-fair operating throughout the summer in the town offering entertainment for the small and young ones.

Among the cultural programmes the choice of musical events are in particular rich: there is an organ concert on every Saturday in the Roman Catholic Church, Caesar evenings, and Musical Evenings of Rád offering unforgettable classical music concerts.

There are several rock and pop concerts or festival events held on the open-air stage of the cultural centre.

There are regular festivals making the summers at Balatonelle more colourful: Balaton Boat Exhibition, festival in July and fish-soup cooking contest, Wine Weeks of Balatonlelle, musical water parade and fireworks on the 20^th of August, regional stuffed raised cake baking contest.

Museums

Balatonlelle is proud of its red-stone church, the only one of its kind on the southern coast, designed by architect Bertalan Árkay. It's internal adornments, it's unique painted glass-windows, the mosaic above the altar, and the paintings all represent exceptional artistic value.

In the park of the church stands the statue of the cardinal archbishop, László Lékay. (Balatonlelle, Kossuth str. 81.) The Kapoli Museum is hosted by a rustic cottage, built in the late 18 th century. (Balatonlelle, Kossuth str. 35.)

The ground floor gives room to town permanent exhibitions, displaying the works of two exceptional folklore artists, the shepherd wooden carvers Antal Kapoli senior and his son, Antal Kapoli jr. From Somogy, along with the works of Rodin's student, the sculptor Miklós Ligeti.

On teh loft gallery of the Museum visitors can take a look at the periodic exhibition of eminent contemporary artists. In the Africa Museum - which was first opened in the summer of 2000 - we can view the African trophy collection of count Pongrách Sommsich. In addition to the large number of enormous trophies, the exhibited objects include cultic statues, original articles of personal use, as well as photos and illustrations, showing the complete florae and fauna of Central Africa. This exceptional private collection is awaiting visitors with foreign-language information material all year round.

Let's embark on the trip!

Wine growing is still the major activity at Kishegy, which is part of Balatonlelle, but is also a fine place for visiting tourists with its special atmosphere and picturesque view. On the top of the nearly 200 m hight mountains stands a small historical Barocque chapel, and on the opposite side is the house and wine cellar of the vine-dresser, which was built in the 18 th century. There is a concrete road leading from settlement to the vineyard.

Over and above the vineyard is a 136-hectare Forest Park, developed particulary for tourism.

The foot of the hill is place worth stopping for lovers of horse riding. The well - designed and built horse track has hosted a number of horse races, along with show jumping and coach driving championships.

Starting in the direction of Budapest, we can reach Rádpuszta by the interconnecting road, which is the exit of M7 motorway.

Those arriving to Rádpuszta will enjoy the benefits of the traditional Hungarian atmosphere and hospitality.

The horsse - riding centre and the restaurant are the favourite spot of children and adults alike.In addition to horse programs, we can take a closer look at some traditional Hungarian animal species, and can also taste the wines of the region at the wine cellar located below the restaurant itself.

While here, we can also visit the excavated remains of a late- Romanesque-style church, which was built in the 13 th century. In summer music fans can enjoy the chamber music evenings held here

The swampy forest surrounding the plains is a place for lovers of the wild, unaffected nature.

Programm offer

Szt István Square is the bustling centre with Mediterranean atmosphere of the summers at Balatonlelle.

Thousands of people gather here at nights listening to the music of amateur bands around the fountain or shopping at the mall which starts on the square, but the portrait drawers are popular as well.

Balatonlelle, the stop over the Southern-Balaton Wine Tour

The winegrowers of Lelle organise a one-week Wine celebration in every August called the "Lellei Borhét" to honour "Villáműző Szent Donát" (Thunder-stopoing Saint Donatius) who is considered to be the patron saint of vineyards.

Visitors of the celebration can enjoy the best of Hungarian and ethnic folklore all week long. During the event, wine lovers can get a taste of the best wines of Lelle, and a wide selection of Hungarian traditional food, such as piles of tasty and savoury pork knuckles, ham, sausages and wonderful pickles.

In the intermission of programs, visitors can buy souvenirs from the local masters of folk art: pottery, wooden carving, embroidered tablecloth, or heart-shaped honey cakes.

A great way of ending an enjoyable evening is by joining the traditional dances, the so-called traditional dance houses.