Churches, Wine, and Beaches Tour, Balaton Uplands

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Vaszoly to Balatonudvari, Balaton Uplands National Park

Churches, Wine, and Beaches Tour, Balaton Uplands

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Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 9.6 miles / 15.5 km
Duration: Half day

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Overview: This is a very special trip where you will have the opportunity to visit 13 churches (4 of them ruins from 11-13th centuries), 1 medieval bridge, 3 beaches and even a vinery. The active churches on your way are catholic, evangelical, and reformed.

You bike through intimate little villages of Balaton Uplands National Park, including Vaszoly, Dörgicse (Little-, Upper-, and Lower-Dörgicse), Balatonakali, Fövenyes, and Balatonudvari.

While the first part of your trip will be more on the cultural side, especially with the 4 church ruins of Dörgicse, in the second part you might want to enjoy the beaches of Lake Balaton, where you can also fill up your energy store with beer, sausage and other typical "Hungarian beach food".

This an ideal half or full day family bike trip - required time depending on how long you wish to stay, rest on the beaches.

Tips: The trip is recommended mainly for road biking, however, appr. 10% of the GPS recorded path is dirt road. If you wish to get around those dirt road sections, you can do so on asphalt roads found in each case in the immediate vicinity.

Beaches on Lake Balaton can be visited all year but swimming is pleasant usually from June-August.

Take a camera with you as there are plenty of breath-taking views during the ride.

Food and drink: during Summer the grocery stores, little pubs in the villages, the beach buffets, and country restaurants (between Balatonudvari and Vaszoly) are open. Out of the season, however, it is recommended to take some snacks with you.

The church ruins on your way can be visited any time. The active churches are open only during masses, ceremonies but of course you are always free to have a look at them from the outside.

Points of Interest

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St. Jacob catholic church, Vaszoly

Construction of the church was completed in 1803. Today under "national monument" protection.

Catholic masses are held every Sunday. During Summer classical concerts, within the framework of the "Vaszoly Summer Cultural Days".

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Evangelical church of Kisdorgicse

Build in the 17th century, in a north-south orientation. As in the past this little settlement was inhabited mainly by well-off nobles, the church has a richer outer appearance and higher standard walls and domes, compared to other churches in the region.

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Church ruins of Kisdorgicse

Built in the 12th century, in an East-West orientation. Size: 10 x 6 m. There are 3 roman style porthole windows on its southern facade. Sanctificated in honor of St. Nicolas (Szt. Miklós).

The ruin is located a couple of hundred meters west of the village of Kisdorgicse, in the middle of a picturesque meadow.

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Medieval bridge

This bridge, built centuries ago, was still in use at the beginning of the 1990's. Today, traffic is going on a new piece of road, bridge built only a couple of meters away.

If you want to have a look at the real old part of the bridge, you should walk down into the small ditch and investigate it from below.

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Entering Felso-Dorgicse (Upper Dorgicse)

The village of Dorgicse consists of 3 parts: Kisdorgicse (Little Dorgicse), Felso-Dorgicse (Upper Dorgicse) and Alsó-Dorgicse (Lower Dorgicse). Although from administrative point of view the 3 parts belong to the same settlement, each part has their own churches. Little Dorgicse has a presently functioning evangelical church and a 12th century ruin, Upper Dorgicse has functioning evangelical church and an 11th century ruin, and Lower Dorgicse has functioning roman catholic and evangelical churches plus a ruin from the 13th century. Pretty much for a village, with a present population of 270!

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Pántlika Wine Cellar

Located in the center of Felső-Dörgicse (Upper Dorgicse), in a former granary, built in 1923. They grow vine on 40 ha, assortment including Italian Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignong Blanc, Grey Monk, Ottonel Muscatel, Rosé, Cabernet Sauvignon, Blaufränkisch, Sheep's Tail (very dry Hungarian white wine). Yearly production between 1000-1200 hl, which is bottled into 0.75 and 1.5 l bottles. Appr. 75% of production is white wine, the rest is rosé and red.

Contact: Zsuzsa Torocskei, managing director, or Zsolt Szoke, sales rep., Tel:
+36-70-3-222-777

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Evangelical church and 11th century ruins

The two buildings, the today functioning evangelical church and the 11th century ruins are standing next to each other.

The 11th century ruin, once a catholic church, was consecrated after St. Peter. This is the oldest church in the village (among the 7). The northern part was built on the remains, walls of a Roman building. Many stones of the Roman building were used for the church built in the 11th century by the Bogát-Radvány families, right after the settlement of the "Magyars" in Hungary. In the 13th century it had to be enlarged, which was simply solved by attaching 3 extra walls to the existing building. A new door was opened on the old church and the original 11th century door was walled up.

! Note: from here to the next point of this trip you can either take a picturesque dirt road (this is recommended on our map) or you can bike through the village on asphalt road.

Felsodorgicse - evangelical church Photo

Felsodorgicse - evangelical church and ruins Photo

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Lower-Dorgicse church ruins

Consecrated in honor of the Blessed Virgin, built in the 12th century, an imposing building even today. It was enlarged with a presbytery, a couple of annexes and hedged in in the 15th century. In the 17th century got burnt down. A famous lutheran priest, Istvan Zsedenyi, was deported from the church for galley-slave work in 1674, but he was able to return in 1677.

Today, around the ruins, you will find a well maintained picnic area, with beautiful view on Lake Balaton.

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Roman catholic church of Lower-Dorgicse

Built around 1820, in a late baroque style. North-south oriented, with the tower on the southern end. There is an organ-loft under the tower, with an organ from the 19th century. Its speciality are the internal paintings in a secession-folklore style.

Roman catholic church - Alsodorgicse Photo

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Evangelical church of Lower-Dorgicse

Built in 1794, in late baroque style.

It's amazing to realize that there are 3 evangelic churches in the village of Dorgicse (Little-Dorgicse, Upper-Dorgicse, Lower-Dorgicse) for a present population of less than 300.

At the entrance there is a memorial tablet remembering lutheran priest Istvan Zsedenyi who was deported to galley-slave work in 1674 as part of the religious persecutions of his time.

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Balatonakali catholic and evangelical churches

There are two churches - a catholic and an evangelic - located in the center of Balatonakali, standing next to each other. According to locals, the proximity of the two churches demonstrates the friendly relationship between the two religions.

The catholic church (in the back on the picture) was built in 1787, in late baroque style and it was renovated by the piarist order in 1827 . Inside you can see protected paintings from Janos Pesky, e.g. one of St. Ignatius of Loyola, painted in 1838.

The evangelic church was built in 1890 by Antal Reizler, master builder from Nagyvazsony.

Evangelical and catholic churches - Balatonakali Photo

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Beach - Balatonakali

Temperatures are good for swimming mainly during summer months (June, July, August). You will have to pay an entry fee during this period.

Services at the beach include: showers, toilet, beach section for kids, playground, sand box, beach volleyball, streetball, beach soccer courts. Buffets, food and drink, grocery.

Boats, water bicycles for rent.

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Roman catholic church - Balatonudvari-Fövenyes

Fovenyes, although physically a separate settlment, from administrative point of view belongs to Balatonudvari. This recreational area was established by the Young Christians Association in 1930 (that time it was called St. Anton settlement). The church was also built around that time. In the entrance hall there is a memorial tablet listing the people and organizations who donated over 100 pengő (Hungarian money in the 1930's) for the construction of the church (second picture). On a personal note: one of the donors on the list (Antal Eberhardt) is the great-grandfather of the author of this guide.

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Beach - Fövenyes

One of the few free beaches on the northern shore of Lake Balaton, operated by the local government. General "beach services" available: buffets, kayak / boat / water bicycle rent, dressing cabins, playground, free parking, toilette.

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Beach - Balatonudvari

Beach on Lake Balaton. Small bars, buffets (sausage and beer) are open during Summer months. Small boats, "water bycicles" for rent. You will have to pay a fee to enter the beach. Volleyball and "sand soccer" fields. Playground for kids.

Air view of the shore of Balatonudvari Photo

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Catholic and reformed churches of Balatonudvari

Roman catholic church, consecrated in honor of St. Martin. The original church was built in the 13th century, in Roman style. It was reconstructed in classicist style around 1840.

The reformer church was built around 1790, in late baroque style. Its pulpit and other internal installations are originating also from that time.