Whether you are looking for a peaceful weekend in the Hungarian countryside, or you just want a day trip from Budapest, you should consider Tapolca. Located on the Northern side of Lake Balaton, this small town is famous for its beautiful Tavasbarlang, the Lake Cave, but there is much more to discover.
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The city of Tapolca
Let’s start with some basic information about Tapolca:
- Tapolca is located here, in Western Hungary, on the Northern side of Lake Balaton, surrounded by hills and vineyards
- There are 15000 inhabitants
- It’s a popular destination during the summer months; it’s more quiet during the cold months
- From Budapest, you can reach by train in approx. 3 hours from Deli Palyaudvar station, or by car in approx. 2 hours (you should take the highway, so the vignette is required).
- Train timetables are on Elvira Mav Start. Screenshot it from your phone and look it up later! Lots of ticket machines are available at Deli station in Budapest, and ticket booths are present in Tapolca and Badacsony.
- If you leave early in the morning from Budapest, you may make it a day trip. Or you could spend the night in Tapolca! Check out our Hotel recommendation further down the post.
Tapolca was on our bucket list because of the lake cave and the wineries. However, to contrast my overwhelming planning manias while travelling, I took this trip as a spontaneity exercise: I chose a nice hotel, checked the opening hours of the lake-cave, and nothing else. No restaurants, no wineries, no plan for the afternoon, for the morning, for the rain or the sun. What could we make of a couple of days, just by following our inspiration?
Check out more ideas and travel destinations in Hungary!
What is the Lake Cave of Tapolca?
The Tavasbarlang Lake Cave is a tortuous system of underground caves situated in the heart of the city of Tapolca. The Lake Cave is the most iconic one: rowing a boat on its perfectly transparent water, surrounded by magical reflections and glimmering lights, is a wonderful experience.
The Lake Cave was formed 13,7 Millions of years ago, but it was only discovered in 1903. It opened to the public in 1912; round boat trips are possible since 1937. It achieved a status of high protection in 1982.
The incredibly clear waters of the cave are the result of two water supplies: karst-water arrives through lime-stone, and thermal water surges up thanks to volcanic activity (no worries, the volcanoes are extinct since millions of years, their remains just contribute to the richness of the area).
Tips and tricks
There are a few important things to know about the Lake Cave of Tapolca (Tavasbarlang in Hungarian):
- You should buy tickets in advance on Jegymester (no print-out necessary), or you risk finding it sold-out. It’s a beautiful place and a popular destination not only for individual travellers, but also for locals, groups, and even schools.
- As of 2019, the ticket costs 2200 HUF (approx 6-7 EUR).
- Check out the closing days here (should be only December 24-25th and Dec 31 + Jan 1)
- We didn’t buy the ticket online, so went to the ticket booth 30 minutes before opening time. There were already three families queueing outside. Be efficient and buy it in advance!
- Consider 1.5 hours to see the exhibition and the Lake Cave
- The tour guides speak Hungarian; English audio-guide is available.
- It’s chilly down in the cave: bring a jumper.
- Even though the water is hypnotically crystal-clear, the ceilings are really low. A claustrophobic person should keep this into account.
- Taking pictures without anyone behind you or in front of you is almost impossible.
- There is a camera mounted in the cave, right at the beginning. Smile and buy the picture at the exit! (We were both looking the other way 😀 )
Visit the geology exhibition
The visitor centre is located in the centre of Tapolca, above the entrance of the Lake Cave. The crowd flow is regulated by Hungarian-speaking tour guides, who take small groups through an interesting exhibition on Hungary’s geology, geography and history. English captions are well-written, and an English audio-guide is also available.
Even though we understood very little, the content of the exhibition was very interesting. Did you know that this was a volcanic area? We learned so much about different types of rock formations, not only in Hungary but in the rest of the world too! We stayed with the group, but perhaps it is possible to follow your interests and go straight to the cave.
After the exhibition, there is a 10-minute video, unfortunately only in Hungarian. Anyway, the images are gorgeous, so you can enjoy it thanks to what you just learnt in the exhibition.
Visit the Lake Cave
Finally, it’s time to go down to the cave! Even though the stairs and the corridors felt quite spacious, it could be problematic for a claustrophobic person. You will feel the temperature drop, especially if you have to wait a bit for your boat.
The cave is circular and about 300 meters long, so you will start rowing your boat in the Lake Cave towards the right, and you will come back from the left. Usually 2 adults sit on a boat, but a child could fit too. I could not believe how clear the water was, the magical reflections against the light brown of the stone, illuminated by lights in perfect positions.
Quite obviously, not everybody rows at the same rhythm, or wants to take the same pictures. I sometimes felt a bit pushed by the boat behind us, but I was also pushing the boat in front of us, curious to see the next stretch of cave. It’s a shame that the circular itinerary lasts maybe 5 minutes, so make sure you enjoy it!
What to do in Tapolca
Besides visiting the Lake Cave, there are many things to do in Tapolca and in the surroundings.
Walk through the city centre of Tapolca
The city centre of Tapolca is very small and easy to visit. Right next to the main square, Fő Tér, there is the prettiest sight of the town: Malom-tó, the Mill Lake (map).
It was so relaxing to walk around, enjoying the beautiful golden light of the late afternoon. The waters were shallow and clear, all shades of green and blue, and they rushed through a small waterfall out to a peaceful stream.
The Mill Lake itself was created after damming one of the numerous springs and brooks in the area, in the late 1800’s. There are a few restaurants around it, perfect for a snack or a meal in this fairy-tale atmosphere.
For you art lovers, make sure you check out the street art on the stairs by the Mill Lake. Also, find the Little Princess Statue by László Marton in Fő Tér (Kiskirálylány): its twin is located in Budapest, near the Vigadó, by the Danube! Tapolca is László Marton’s hometown.
Here’s 30 seconds of Tapolca from the sky!
Taste Hungarian wines in Tapolca
The whole area around Balaton Lake is famous for its vineyards and wine production. The soil is very fertile, which is perfect for many types of grapes and wines.
Our search for local wines brought us to a place with incredible reviews, Borbarlang, the Wine Cave (map), but unfortunately open only from 10 to 18.
Hike to Mount Csobanc
Besides the Lake Cave, the hike to Mount Csobanc provides amazing views! We didn’t have time to do it, so we kept it for next time. We Love Balaton provides some tips here.
Go to Lake Balaton at Badacsony
It takes only 15 minutes by train to reach Badacsony (map), a small town by lake Balaton. It’s the perfect destination to enjoy the warm sun and the view of the Hungarian sea.
Badacsony is perfectly organized for tourists, with lots of kiosks offering local food, from fried fish, to fried “langos” bread, and desserts. A couple of palacsintas later – Hungarian pancakes, the most traditional ones are filled with ricotta cheese “túró” – and we were ready to come back to Budapest.
Lake cruises are available in Badacsony, and you might also want to visit one of the many vineyards in the area.
Hotel in Tapolca
We were really satisfied with Hotel Gabriella, located right by Malom-tó, the Mill Lake. It is named after the wife of famous poet János Batsányi, who was born in Tapolca. The staff was kind, and our room was very cozy, welcoming and clean.
Following our nose, we stayed at the Hotel for dinner, where we enjoyed local meat and wine. After dinner, disappointed by Borbarlang wine bar being closed, the Receptionist had us covered: not only he served us local wine produced by his father, but he proposed that we bring it up to the room! Perfect comfort and satisfaction 🙂
Hotel Gabriella has very few rooms and is quite popular. I suggest booking in advance! Support them by making your reservation directly on their site.
Should you go to Tapolca?
Absolutely! We cannot recommend it enough. We spent a wonderful, peaceful and relaxing weekend there, between fairy-tale lakes and underground caves.
Have you been to Tapolca? What did you like about it? Let us know in the comments! Cheers 🙂
