Balatonszemes is a city in Lake Balaton region of Hungary.

Understand

Tourists usually find Balatonszemes a beautiful and charming city, with a lively night life. Balatonszemes suffers from air pollution, mainly due to traffic. Balatonszemes is subject to power outages almost daily. Balatonszemes is a quiet city because even if there is a party, if you ask them to turn the music down, they will. Balatonszemes is undergoing a major renovation: many old buildings have been repainted, but a lot of work is left to be done.

Get in

By train

• 1 Balatonszemes railway station. Balatonszemes has no international train connections. You can reach Balatonszemes by train from Budapest, and all cities near Lake Balaton. These train services are recommended, and they may be more frequent, cheaper, and more scenic than taking the bus. (updated Feb 2022)

By bus and furgon

Buses can be used to reach Balatonszemes from other cities in Hungary and internationally. There is daily bus service (look at schedule). Schedules change frequently so check the latest info in your place of departure.

Buses and furgons (minibuses) are generally the best method for traveling within Hungary. There are few bus companies; many are operated by individual drivers. Bus lines have schedules, but are often delayed until the coaches are full or at the whim of the driver.

Some international bus stations are far from the center so it may be worth taking a taxi to the bus stop if it is too far to walk.

By plane

Balatonszemes is served by Ferihegy Airport (MA).

The following airlines offer service to/from Hungary:

Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air One, Austrian Tyrolean Airways, British Airways, Lufthansa, Olympic Air, Sky Express, Turkish Airlines.

Get around

By bus

Public transportation in Balatonszemes consists of a number of intra-city bus lines. The main bus line is run by the MÁV company.

By foot

The city center is small enough to be explored on foot.

By taxi

A ride across town are cheap and comfortable. Negotiate a price before departing.

By car

Part of a hire fee will be used to upgrade the Balatonszemes ring road.

See

• Catholic church, 8636 Balatonszemes, Fő utca. (updated Sep 2019)
• 1 Post museum, 8636 Balatonszemes, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 46. (updated Sep 2019)
• Tomb of Aurelius Respectus, Árnyas fasor 1. A tomb of a Roman originally erected during the reign of Emperor Caracalla (188-217). The tomb is likely to have been moved from Pilisvörösvár to Balatonszemes in the 18th century. (updated Feb 2022)
• 2 Zoltan Latinovits Memorial Museum. summer: Tu-Su 10:00 - 18:00. A museum about the actor Zoltan Latinovits (1931–1976). 700 HUF. (updated Feb 2022)

Eat

There are many excellent, inexpensive restaurants in Balatonszemes serving all kinds of food (but good luck finding a taco!).

• 1 Kistücsök restaurant, Bajcsy Zs. u. 25. daily 12:00 - 22:00. The chef came 12th in the 2019 Europe wide Bocuse d'Or competition. Deli, chef's table and 19 bedrooms. mains from HUF4000. (updated Feb 2022)

Sleep

There are many nice hotels to stay, and they are found near the city center.

Campings

• 1 Hattyú camping, 8636 Balatonszemes, Kikötő u. 1., ☏ +36 84360031, fax: +36 84360031, info@hattyucamping.hu. (updated Sep 2019)