From Budapest to the Velence lake we fly over the Brunszvik castle famous of its castle park.

The above view clearly shows the ancient bed of the Danube, now called Váli -víz.

A special attraction of the Velence lake can be seen only from the air. The water is green, lilac, and brown with fantastic transitions.

In the summer there are often jet-ski races in the lake, and it is very romantic to fly among plenty of hot air balloons in the quiet sunset.

After crossing the lake we head to the north to reach Csákvár. The main attractions are an abandoned military airfield and, more important, an Esterházy castle. The Esterházys make one of the biggest Hungarian noble families.

From now on we will fly over the hills called Vértes. We move around the hilltop castle ruin of Gesztes (again, Esterházy), and reach a wonderful place called Majk. The small houses (see the picture below) were built by Esterházy and other nobel families for the monks of the Camaldul order, who spent their lives there all alone and talkless. They couldn't even see each other, except for three days in a year when the order of silence was suspended. You can get some of the feeling if you see these photos of Majk.

The next bit is Tata and the Tata lake. It would be too long to list all the attractions there. Tata is a place of history and relaxation. You can see the old, medieval fortress, another Esterházy castle, the ex Piarist monastery, golf courses, and horse farms. The most funny thing is the one single boat, almost as long as the lake. She seems like a trapped mouse, hopelessly trying to find an exit, that does not exist.

The next town Tatabánya is an industrial town in a valley. Its really impressive, but not in the same sense as Majk is. The mythical Turul bird can be seen here, offering a sword for the Hungarians (kind regards, Sir Arthur).

The last attractions we can see before landing are the temple and monastery ruins in Zsámbék.

Click on the picture to see a larger version of the trip map.

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