A 150-mile, surprisingly easy biking adventure welcomes newcomers in Central Hungary. If you like wine, nearly empty bike lanes, and friendly locals, I invite you to bike around Lake Balaton outside the busy summer season.

To be honest, I am not a serious biker. I don’t clip-in, or wear nifty tights. I don’t do 100-mile days. I bike with only 6 or 12-speeds. And of particular note, I look rather quirky riding on the 16” wheels of my Brompton folding bike. All that said, you will rarely see me on my bike without a mile-wide smile.

But I do enjoy biking and I ride everywhere I can. We don’t own a car. Living on a Maine island as we do, borrowing and lending things is a way of life. A neighbor lends us his old hybrid Toyota during the summer months (thanks Jeff!). That’s for transportation needs while on the island. Other friends lend us their cars in Portland. Surprisingly often, my bike and a 30-liter bike bag become my in-town vehicle for shopping, hardware runs, and for just finding fun rides in the area. Lighthouses, coffee houses and nature preserves are amongst my favorite destinations.

But you don’t need biking tights, 21-speeds or clip-ons to bike Lake Balaton in Hungary. A few things might help: an appreciation for paprika and goulash, a love of good local wines, a willingness to “put -up” with Budapest (that said tongue-in-cheek), having about 9-10 days available to let go, decompress and enjoy keeping a beautiful lake on your immediate left.

Biking Balaton, I bike roughly 25-40 miles a day starting out about 9AM. I usually roll into my destination sometime in the late afternoon. High points of a typical day? Miles of golden autumnal bike lanes. A lunch perhaps featuring Langos, Hungary’s local pizza-like dough covered in sour cream, cheese and garlic. So good, they can easily become a habit. Delicious local red and white wines that are shockingly inexpensive. And countless lakeside village scenes featuring swans, lapping water and magical vistas.

I first biked Balaton in the fall of 2018. Taking advantage of a national holiday, I was able to turn-off my high school English teacher role in Hungary for a few days. There is an easy train connection from Budapest right to the lake. It’s only a several hour train ride to Balatonfured, or other fascinating lakeside towns that can easily remind you of a New England village in the fall. This most recent circumnavigation was my third around Balaton.

I typically bike Lake Balaton over 4-days, riding counter-clockwise around the azure-hued lake. The north shore is filled with vineyards and small hills that melt down to the water. Its southern shore is more densely populated with summer communities playing the role of escape-valve for Hungarians who live in busy Budapest. Everyone seems to have a family place on Lake Balaton, or has a family member or friend who does.

But during the Spring or Fall (my favorite time), Balaton is yours for the taking. Its bike lanes are quiet. It’s easy to find a place to stay (I often stay at AirBnB or similar apartments), and the lakeside nooks and crannies reveal their secrets. I can leave the annoying state of American politics behind and somehow ignore the wild politics of Hungary. In many ways, Balaton is a kind of oasis.

And I’ve yet to address the exciting bonus. Before and after biking Balaton you get to spend some time in the country’s capital, Budapest. For me, Budapest is a magical city–the beautiful Danube meandering its way between hilly, voluptuous Buda, and its exciting and gritty partner, Pest. There’s entirely too much to do. But if you are smart enough to decide to bike Balaton, you’re no doubt up to the task of deciding how to joyfully spend your time in Budapest.