The 41st annual Lake Balaton Cross Swimming took place on Sunday
It was originally scheduled for the day before
it had to be moved due to bad weather conditions
the event could boast over 10,000 attendees
as per the reporting on its official website
9,500 actually made it through the 5.2 kilometres (3.2 miles) to be covered in water
Among them was none other than Katalin Novák
The Head of State jumped into Lake Balaton at the Révfülöp beach along with the other attendees
in a one-piece bathing suit donning the Hungarian red-white-green national colours
She was accompanied by her husband—as well as two agents from the Counter Terrorism Centre (TEK)
tasked to protect the President at all costs
which included crossing Lake Balaton this time
It was Hungarian tabloid daily Blikk which first took notice of a man and a woman constantly shadowing President Novák
TEK confirmed that the two individuals were in fact their agents
serving in the protective detail of the President
‘It is mandated by law that the President is entitled to personal protection for both official and personal programmes
This is in line with international standards
as the Head of State in any country is a protected person
For the protection of her life and physical well-being
the President is entitled to personal protection 24 hours a day…and [the protection] extents to her trips abroad as well’
the counterterrorism force wrote in their official reply
President Novák safely made it to the other shore of Lake Balaton
where she took to a nearby canteen to have the traditional Hungarian beach food
The President said that the event is ‘simultaneously about athletic performance
and our homeland; as well as about Lake Balaton
“the Hungarian sea”—all this is manifested in the Lake Balaton Cross Swimming.’
Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political
philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective
you don’t have to buy all-in-one admission in order to visit the lookout – but you can always stop by the park for a ride on the summer bobsleigh.To reach it
turn off Main Road 7 at the statue of Count Pál Teleki or at the local sports field
into Kilátó utca and follow it until the Adventure Park
the 165-metre-high hill on which this lookout stands
even from the north shore of Lake Balaton. It was landowner Gaston Gaal who planted pines in the area
and these trees define the hill's appearance to this day
they would do if it wasn’t for one thing: the giant structure of the Gömbkilátó
Officially called the János Xantus Gömbkilátó
this iconic Balaton structure started life far from Balaton
It was inspired by the Brussels Atomium
A team of young Hungarian engineers designed it
and the metal workers of Székesfehérvár finished the aluminium globe by 1963
It was then exhibited at the Budapest International Fair
The globe is 15 metres in diameter and made of 240 triangular plates
The council of Somogy County purchased it in 1966 and then it was moved to where it stands in Balatonboglár today
and since then it has been a part of the night-time panorama
the lookout tower needs a little renovation – though in the 2000s
This thorough refurbishment was completed in 2012 and an adventure park built next to it
more than 40,000 visitors a month scale this landmark
Three bastions on the south shore that pull towards west – in every sense
they are located on the western part of the coast
but there’s also the fact that they are open to innovations that are typical of the western part of Europe
Here we can find the south shore’s serious wine county
wines and champagnes that are renowned not only nationwide but also on an international level
there’re multiple sandy beaches reminding of seashores; we can also find quality ports here
we will stumble upon some decent restaurants as well
Of course the past is still present in the form of holiday homes from the communist era
but they mingle with the signs of innovation
We rounded up the best things to do amid this eclectic atmosphere
The Xantus János Gömbklilátó in Balatonboglár got 3901 votes thus won the Lookout of the Year title
In September, Active Hungary launched a competition called the Lookout of the Year
from which the professional jury selected the 10 finalist
They also took into account the condition of the building
the quality of the hiking trail leading to the lookout
the panorama and the importance of ecotourism
An important aspect was that only a lookout tower that had been built in the last ten years or underwent major renovations could enter the final
the audience could vote on the Aktív Magyarország Facebook page between October 7 and 16
The Xantus János Gömbkilátó in Balatonboglár is an important symbol for the city
The lookout was built according to the plans of István Kádár in the 1950s; then it was moved to its current location in the 1960s
a toboggan run and adventure park were built next to the lookout
Picnics and concerts are also organised in the area
128,000 people turned up at the Gömbkilátó all over the country
Aktív Magyarország is looking for the Tourist House of the Year
The selected ten best applicants can be voted on the Aktív Magyarország Facebook page from October 19
and website in this browser for the next time I comment
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More than 7,300 people participated in this summer’s cross-Balaton swim
The athletes traditionally start off Révfülöp, in the north
and swim 5.2 kilometres to reach Balatonboglár on the south side
Organisers told MTI that the fastest swimmer
covered the distance in 1 hour and 26 seconds
Papp holds the cross-Balaton record of 58 minutes and 33 seconds
The fastest female swimmer was Mexico’s Fernanda Armenta
Eighty-two year old Elemér Bucsányi and Zsuzsanna Kertész (80) were the oldest participants
Veteran swimmer Béla Gurbán has participated in all 36 events
Participants arrived from all over Hungary and nearly 40 other countries
the popular destination of Lake Balaton offers amazing landscapes and breathtaking panorama to its visitors
In order to immerse yourself in the wonderful sights
it is worth visiting the most special lookout points of the Hungarian Sea where the magical visual experience is guaranteed
the lookout point of Balatonboglár offers a fantastic panorama to its visitors
as a result of which it won the Lookout of the Year title in 2020.
The special viewpoint that received its name after its unique shape also serves as the main symbol of the city
from where we can admire Lake Balaton and the so-called “Witness Hills” on the opposite north coast
the lookout tower opened its doors to visitors in 2012
we have been able to enjoy its wonderful panorama that is worth a stop when visiting the Hungarian Sea
The Maritime History Visitor Centre in Balatonföldvár is a special
while in the internal part of the building
visitors can enjoy an interactive exhibition
offers an unparalleled view of Lake Balaton
The top of the lookout tower can be reached by climbing 166 stairs
but the designers also thought of less adventurous visitors who can take an elevator to reach the top
The building opened its doors in 2016 and gained great popularity
it is temporarily closed due to the pandemic
its fantastic panorama will await visitors in post-pandemic times as well
Located on the Tihany Peninsula, the 16.5-metre-high lookout tower, built of wood and local stone, offers a beautiful panoramic view, from where we can see the Abbey, the Outer and Inner Lakes, Balatonfüred, and, of course, the beautiful Hungarian Sea. As Csodálatos Balaton reports
the shape of the lookout tower evokes the former Roman watchtowers
or the Kőröshegy Valley Bridge on the other side.
Balatongyörök is the ideal destination for those who are not keen on climbing but would like to admire the picturesque beauty of Lake Balaton
and the Szigliget Bay from the Beautiful Lookout Tower
The horizontal viewpoint offers a fantastic panorama all year long
As the Hungarian news portal 24.hu reports
the newest lookout point of Lake Balaton can be found in Balatonlelle
The panoramic and relaxing terrace is made of wood
from where there is an amazing view of the Hungarian Sea
From the building that blends into the landscape
we have a beautiful view of the Witness Hills of the Balaton Uplands
as well as the heights of the southern shore
such as Fonyódi Hill and the previously mentioned Sphere Lookout in Balatonboglár
On the M7 motorway connecting Balaton and Budapest
eight cars collided at km 141 of the M7 motorway in the Balatonboglár area
Police closed this section of the highway yesterday for the duration of the investigation and rescue efforts
Last night, a video of the pile-up accident was posted on the Bp.-i Autósok website: the video shows the white car that caused the accident driving at brutal speed into several vehicles ahead
An ambulance and a medical helicopter arrived at the scene
only two people had to be taken to hospital with minor injuries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITgrDOomrxo