Its greatest attraction and the treasure that makes it famous is of course Lake Balaton, yet there is much more to see here, as the video below shows.

The sunshine, magnified and yet still tamed by the lake surface, the marshland areas, the plains and valleys, as well as the volcanic soils and the water have brought rise to a rich variety of plant and animal life in the area. 

The total area of 56 997 hectares mainly consists of these six landscape protection areas: Kis-Balaton, Keszthely Hills, Tapolca Basin, Káli Basin, Pécsely Basin and Tihany Peninsula.

Unique animals and plants live in tiny habitats throughout the area and several species of specially protected plants enjoy a safe haven: the extremely rare Notholaena fern, the bird's-eye primrose, Ophrys orchids, the Sword Lily – over 200 plant and several hundred animal species.

The basalt hills - the result of erratic volcanic activity that occurred millions of years ago - form a unique landscape with their characteristic shape. The Tihany Csúcs (Summit) Hill, the White bank of the Tihany peninsula, the hot spring vents, sinkholes and caves are all well known.

Know more about Balaton Highlands National Park by clicking here.

This 'Xploring Hungary' feature is part of a series on XpatLoop sponsored by U-Save Auto Rental - Wherever the road leads… U-Save!