Lake Balaton (Hungarian Balaton; German Plattensee; Slovak Blatenské jazero, meaning approximately "muddy lake", probable origin of the name), located in Hungary, is the largest lake of Central Europe with a surface area of 592 km². Its length is 77 kilometres and the width ranges from 4 to 14 kilometres. The lake's surface is 104 m above sea level; depth is up to 11 m (mean depth 3.2 m). Since Hungary is landlocked, Lake Balaton is sometimes called the "Hungarian Sea". The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water. The Sió Canal provides outflow as needed.
Tourist information
High season is from June until the end of August. The average water temperature during the summer is 23° C, which makes bathing and swimming very enjoyable. Other tourist attractions include sailing, fishing and other water sports as well as visiting the countryside and hills — wineries on the north coast and night life on the south. The Tihany Peninsula is a historical district.
Chief resorts include Keszthely , Balatongyörök , Badacsony , Balatonrendes , Révfülöp , Balatonakali , Tihany, Balatonfüred, Balatonalmádi , Balatonkenese , Balatonvilágos , Siófok, Zamárdi , Balatonföldvár , Balatonlelle , Balatonboglár , Fonyód , Balatonmáriafürdő , and Balatonberény .
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