Lake Balaton: Tihany
This may come as a surprise to many that know me well but I did not spend all day every day at wineries. Walking to the Balatonfüred harbor, I caught the ferry to the nearby village of Tihany which sits on a peninsula jutting out from the north shore.
A truly lovely and quaint village, and the perfect place to just wander and explore. The entire peninsula is an historic district and the charm of the thatched roofed houses never disappoints.
The village is known for its Benedictine Abbey which sits on top of the hill overlooking the lake, it was founded in 1055. Interestingly the founding charter for the Abbey is the first surviving record of the Hungarian language.
Tihany is also know for its lavender plantation and production. Lavender is sold in all forms everywhere in town. In the mid 1920's, Gyula Bittera, a renowned herbalist, set the first lavender plantation here. He brought the plants straight from France, and proved his talent for growing lavender by the fact that the essential oil content of his lavender here in Tihany was higher than that of the French.
I was delighted to see they even have lavender-colored butterflies in the field!
