Bike tour around the Lake Balaton, Part III.
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Bike tour around the Lake Balaton, Part III. : the north-western shores
Cache coordinates are: N46°53,zwy, E 17°42, yxy, where:
X: Date on the monument 2xx1 at N 46° 45,183' E 17° 19,912'
Y: carved in stone 186y at N 46° 47,762' E 17° 28,539'
Z: date on the sign 19z2 at N 46° 49,593'E 17° 37,671'
W: date on the memorial 186w-19w6 at N 46° 50,309' E 17° 38,851'
The bike tour on the Balaton’s north-wetern shores is a multi-cache (as the other two, see. part I.-II.), there are some virtual points and a real cache.
Circling the whole Lake Balaton without engine power, it’s an amazing performance, you could be proud if you did it! After cycling round the eastern bay and the southern shores of the Balaton, here is a good opporunity to complete the circle ! This third part –between Keszthely and Tihany - is the hardest due to the elevations. But because of these elevations, at several points you can find some spectacular panoramas of the Lake ! Choosing the waypoints, our main goal was the easy acces of these points from the bike-road. So, there are uncountable places of interest along the road, it’s worth to find them, depending on your free time; you can accomplish the range without difficulties within a day at an easy pace. (If you are after the southern shores tour and it’s too late, you can find at least two camping at Keszthely : one with usual comfort, and the „very rustic”- but cheap other . If you dont’t want to carry a tent, it is easy to find a room leaving Keszthely : only a few kilometres, and at the pictoresque villages of Gyenesdiás, Vonyarcvashegy or Balatongyörök you ’ll surely find a room for yourself)
The points of this multicache could be approached by car and by train as well, but the track was designated mainly for bikers ! The order of the points not so important, you can start with the last, if you wish… but the recommended route ends with the cache.
A Recommended Route :
This tour starts near to the Railway Station of Keszthely, so let’s go !
Beware : In case of rainy weather, there are some shallow ponds on the road, but those aren’t dangerous at all. So, follow the bike road and at the first waypoint N 46° 45,183' E 17° 19,912' on the top of the hill, you can find –besides the beautiful sight – a Monument in Rock.
On the Monument is written 2xx1.
Continue to the next waypoint thru a nice alley at N 46° 45,097' E 17° 21,270'.
Cycling further along with the bike road through the Tapolca Basin, you can see the Castle of Szigliget. (There is no waypoint int he castle, because it is ont a hilltop, but if you have enough stamina, you can try it….)
The road comes around the Badacsony Hill at the lakes side. Be careful, a short, steep part of the bike road is made of cobbles here. At Badacsonytördemic, the wine-cellar owners realized the potentialities of the bike-road, so here are many vaults opened with excellent wines and meals ! (Erm… I think that you know, it is forbidden to be drunk and cycle….:) )
Here, in the hillside of the Badacsony, you can find the third waypoint at a carved stone: N 46° 47,762' E 17° 28,539'".
Here is in stone 186y.
So, lets go on via the road. Arriving at Badacsonytomaj, there is waypoint four : N 46° 48,223' E 17° 30,892'. Beware ! The well-known green sign will bring you into the mountains (well, into So Beautiful Mountains, so consider that stamina stuff again…), away from the shore. So I recommend you turning to the right at here and return to the beach. There is an almost-ready new cycle road, but at some short sections you need to use Road #71.
In case of missing this right-turn, you’ll find yourself int he village of Káptalantóti. Don’t panic or turn back, go further to the direction of Kékkút and Salföld, and soon you’ll be back to the lake at Ábrahámhegy.
The next waypoint is at Révfülöp N 46° 49,593'E 17° 37,671'. There is a memorial pole with signs of it’s each side. Stand to see the sign and the lake together and…
…on the sign 19z2.
Not so far from here, right before Balatonszepezd, at N 46° 50,309' E 17° 38,851' there is waypoint six, a memorial again.
on the sign 186w-19w6.
Reaching Balatonszepezd, you’ll find that the local authorities –
surely being in a joking mood- marked the most high lying streets as bike roads.
We had a temporary blackout there, didn’ t remember whether the temperature was 35 centigrades or the steepness of the streets… perhaps both…
Be careful, at the end of the village you’ll „get” back the gained altitude in one dose, beware of the crossing with Highway 71at at the end of the slope ! N 46° 51,594'E 17° 40,268' HIT THE BRAKES!!!!
The route continues to the cache.
Cache coordinates are: N46°53,zwy, E 17°42, yxy.
After the cache you should follow the next waypoint N 46° 55,296' E 17° 51,423'. From here you can go south to the ferry or continue the whole-lake cirle by the waypoints of the cache Balaton bike-tour I.- Heading to Balatonfüred!
Have a nice tour!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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