Discover Tapolca and the Lake Cave

You know that feeling, when your hands are itchy, and you feel like you *have* to book a trip or you will freak out? (First-world problems, I know.)  Well, not even a month passed since our return from Sicily, we were back home in Budapest, sweating on our sofa in the terrible August heat: that’s when the itch made me book a night in Tapolca, close to Lake Balaton, in Hungary. I pictured it as a last summer break to explore a small town and the beautiful Tavasbarlang, the Lake Cave; to recover from the it’s-already-September shock, and enjoy some quiet time out of busy Budapest.

Crossing the Hungarian countryside, between tidy fields and wild woods, was already a pleasant break from the noise of the city. I even got excited when we reached Lake Balaton, yet another sign that I am underestimating my need for swimming and sunbathing. In just three hours from Deli Train Station, we reached our destination.

Tapolca (map), a small town of some 15000 inhabitants, was on my 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 by a small lake, 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?

Straight out of a fairy tale!

Best located Hotel: nailed it

Unexpected street art

Our accommodation, hospitable and authentic Hotel Gabriella

Perfect relax by the stream

Well, it turned out that there was little to see: our pretty Hotel Gabriella was right by Malom-tó, the Mill Lake (map), which was the most beautiful sight of the town. We headed straight to the Lake Cave, hoping to visit before closing time, but all tickets were sold out. Well, it turned perfectly well: we had a snack by the lake and explored the surroundings, bathed in a beautiful golden light. The waters were shallow and clear, all shades of green and blue, they rushed through a small waterfall out to a peaceful stream. 
Here's 30 seconds of Tapolca from the sky!

Following our nose, we stayed at the Hotel for dinner, where we enjoyed local meat and wine. Our search for more local wine brought us to a place with incredible reviews, Borbarlang, the Wine Cave (map), but unfortunately open only from 10 to 18. A bit disappointed, we passed by a couple of half-empty restaurants and found ourselves back at the Hotel (that’s how small the city centre is, and how peaceful out-of-season is). 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 :)

A magical sight!

Only 2-3 people per boat, and you get to paddle!

The Tavasbarlang Lake Cave is much more popular and crowded than we expected. The ticket booth opens at 9.30, so we got there at 9.05, but there were already three families queueing outside. The crowd 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. 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, really interesting beautiful, but unfortunately only in Hungarian. 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. I could not believe how clear the water was, the magical reflections against the light brownish of the stone, illuminated by lights in perfect positions. It’s a shame that the circular itinerary lasts maybe 5 minutes, and the pressure of the boats behind you is strong!

It took only 15 minutes by train to reach Badacsony (map), a village by lake Balaton. It was just perfect to enjoy the warm sun and the view of the Hungarian sea. Perfectly organized for tourists, lots of kiosks offer 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.

TIPS AND TRICKS

• Hotel Gabriella has very few rooms and is quite popular. I suggest to book in advance!
• You may book tickets to the Lake Cave in advance on ticket website Jegymester .
• It's quite chilly down in the cave, bring a jumper!
• 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 :D )
• Train timetables are on Elvira Mav Start. Screenshot it from your phone and look it up later! Lots of 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.
• Besides the Lake Cave, the hike to Mount Csobanc provides amazing views! We Love Budapest provides some tips here.
• Lake cruises are available in Badacsony.