Lake Balaton, Hungary: One of the World’s Top Filming Locations You’ve Never Heard of
zita kisgergely
We’re looking at the curious case of Lake Balaton, sitting at number 14 of the world’s most popular movie locations for 2022. Surprising, considering it’s a place that is not very well known outside of central Europe.
The ranking was compiled by Giggster, a company that secures filming locations for feature films. It seems they simply added up the number of major movies that were shot in certain locations and then ranked the ones used most frequently around the world.
Lake Balaton. Picture from Wikipedia.
Lake Balaton sits between Gamla Stan in Sweden and Senaatintori in Finland (on the list, that is) with a total of 36 movies filmed there last year. It even outranks St. Mark’s Square in Venice. According to Imdb, 99 films have been shot at the lake over the last hundred years.
A great oblong shaped body of water with a surface area of 600 km2, a maximum length of 78 km and maximum width of 14 km, it’s not called the Hungarian sea for nothing. Lake Balaton is the largest freshwater lake in central Europe and is a major holiday destination in Hungary. The lake also attracts many tourists from surrounding countries. In fact, visitors have been enjoying the delights of the lake for millennia; well-to do Romans used to holiday in the area two-thousand years ago.
Beach Bum Lifestyle
Despite being a landlocked country in central Europe, there’s still plenty of scope at Balaton for sunset cocktails by the shore, sandy beaches, yachts, windsurfing and wake boarding. If you’re Hungarian, it’s considered de rigueur to spend at least some of your summer here. And since this is Europe, a lot of people, especially families, will spend a big chunk of August by the lake.
The southern shore of Balaton tends to be more brash; it’s the Ibiza, if you like, to the northern shore’s Mallorca. There are markets, malls and a lively nightlife scene that goes hand-in-hand with a beach-style holiday. Balaton Sound, which touts itself as Europe’s biggest electronic beach festival, also takes place in a town on the southern shore.
Balaton Sound Music Festival. Picture via Tripadvisor.
Provence of the East
The towns and villages of the north shore offer, overall, a more chill atmosphere. Here the terrain is dominated by forests, hills and valleys, and dotted with numerous vineyards thanks to the volcanic soil.
It’s worth noting that Lake Balaton’s microclimate is Mediterranean. Travelling inland away from the northern shore through the gently rolling hills reveals a whole different side to the lake. It’s like taking a trip through Provence, with cute villages, artisan restaurants, lavender fields and small family-run farms selling organic produce such as honey and cheese.
The towns of the Káli valley in particular, the village abodes of which have been lovingly restored, are a cinematographer’s dream. The artistic vibe of the area is well-utilized by several annual cultural festivals, the most well-known being the annual Valley of the Arts festival.
There’s an old-world, gentry feel to Balatonfüred, the oldest (and possibly prettiest) resort town on the lake. It’s a spa town and popular yachting destination which features several listed buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Balatonfüred. Picture via www.csodalatosbalaton.hu.
Natural wonders
But Balaton is not just about beach life, art, and wine culture. There are so many scenic spots worth visiting: Roman ruins, remnants of monasteries and castles, cave lakes (reminiscent of the Blue Lagoon in Capri) and vast arboretums.
Then there are the surprisingly eerie yet beautiful sights such as huge basalt columns and inselbergs–isolated mountains of rock that jut dramatically out of the ground–formed with the help of extinct volcanoes. The Stone Sea, an area dominated by huge rock formations, is also a feature of this area that encompasses the Balaton Uplands National Park.
Hegyestū. Picture via Wikipedia.
Flatpack Films has years of experience servicing international brands, agencies, and production companies. Filming in Hungary is easy when relying on their knowledge of the market and ability to solve complex needs. They bring the best that Hungary has to offer in terms of unique locations, exceptionally skilled crews, top-of-the-line equipment and technical solutions. Backed by an impeccable track record, Flatpack Films has worked with world-class clients including Samsung, Samsonite, Toyota, Braun, Chivas Regal and many more.
Get in touch and learn more about Budapest film locations, Hungarian film incentives, film tax credits in Hungary and how Flatpack Films can bring your project to life through a highly bespoke approach.