The village of Tihany is proud to have been given a EUROPEAN DIPLOMA from the European Council on 1st July, 2003!

The Tihany peninsula is unique in several apects, not just in Hungary, but also in Europe. Its special geographical position, the uniqueness of its formation, the appearanc of today's scenery, the geological and historical relics along with its rare plants and wildlife all enhance its status as one of our most beautiful and most valued treasures.
Natural historians and nature preservationists have been familliar with the treasures of the Tihany peninsula for a long time. The first landscape protection area in Hungary was developed here in 1952. Today it is part of the Balaton Uplands National Park. The BALATON National Park DIRECTORATE is responsible for the nature preservation, ecotourism and the environmental education duties associated with its regional management.
The objective is twofold: to show and to protect. The contradiction can be resolved, the solution is with You. Please follow the restrictions described in this publication!

1. The Shore of the Lake Balaton and the Bozsai Bay
The south-western shoreline of the peninsula lies in a near natural state, in particular the section from the part below Gurbicza to the harbour has remained intact. The shore preserves its natural state at Sajkod and in the Bozsai bay.
Bozsai bay is one of the last almost undisturbed reed bays of the Lake Balaton. White water-lilis (Nymphaea alba) bloom on islets within the reed. Hay-fields, meadows and the remains of fenlands accompany the bay on the shore, growing Orchids laxiflora, and Eriphorum angustifolium and Siberian iris (Iris siberica) along with a host of other protected plants.
The reeds offer nesting sites to many rare bird specied, like the summer goose (Anser anser) and the brown meadow hawk (Circus aeruginosus).
Of the mammals the numbers of the increasingly protected otter (Lutra lutra) are noteworthy.

2. The lakes of Tihany
Three lakes each play important roles in the beauty of the Tihany landscape: the Balaton, the Outer lake and the Inner lake. The list however is not complete, since a fourth lake also appears in wet years: the Rátai-csáva. All three internal lakes of the peninsula are located in what were once volcanic craters, simply through the collection of rainwater. There are no springs or streams supplying them, this explains their periodic drying out, as has happened to all three lakes at some point during past centuris.
The Inner lake is situated directly under the village, it is almost perfectly roundwith the clear water surface. It lies 26 m above the level of the Lake Balaton in the sunken caldera following volcanic eruption. Once it was famous for its rich flora and fauna. The Inner Lake today is a favourite fishing spot.
The Outher lake, once formed in the main crater ofthe peninsula's volcano is a heavily filled up shallow lake 116 m above sea level. During th early 1800s drainage canals were dug to carry the water away via the Aszófõ-séd stream into the Lake Balaton.
The drained area was utilised for hay-making. In 1976 management of the area was granted to the nature preservation authority of the time. This is when, by blocking off the drainage canal the restoration of the original condition of the lake began. During the two and half decades since then, the water flora has totally resettled and fauna characteristic of wet habitats have also appeared. Insect life relying onwater is diverse, several rare dragonflies have found suitable conditions for survival here. Of the large number of amphibians and reptiles living in the lak, there is an outstanding abundance of swamp terrapin (Emys orbicularis). Of the birds the summer goose (Anser anser) and the brown meadow hawk (Circus aeruginonus) hatch their eggs here, in later years there has been evidence of red heron (Ardea purpurea) nests too. This is an important autumn meeting place for heron species since the shallow water is ideally migration 20-25 large heron can frequently be seen together on the lake.

3. Remnants of the caldera rim
100 m below the surface the base of the peninsula is made up of upper-Miocene shallow sea limestoneand marl, layered on Triassic sediment, Permian sandstone and fillit. A series of hiatus in the Pliocene-Pannon sedimentsettled on the base. Basalt volcanic activity followed the withdrawal of the Pannon sea and the centre of this activity was where we find the Outer lake today. The basalt tufa layers and their red sandstone bombs, visible in several places, were formed during this time. The remains of the volcanic crater rim appear as separate hills today around the Outer lake; the Csúcs-hegy (Peak mountain), the Nyereg-hegy (Saddle mountain), the Apáti-hegy, the Kiserdõ-tetõ (Little forest top) and the Óvár (Ancient Fortification).

Csúcs-hegy
As a result of post volcanic action a whole row of geyser cones were formed on the peninsula, one such peak is the Csúcs-hegy. From the highest point on the peninsula (235 m), visible even today is the spring cone and the hot water bubbling up from the deep. The geyserite "cap" above the basalt tufa resisted the forces destroying the mountain, the current interesting shape was thus formed. The cliffs rising like cones are made up of sheet layers of hydroquarzite, silicic limestone and mass geyserite. Folklore has it that the spring cave on the western side was once used by the famous outlaw of the Bakony hills, Jóska Sobri.

Nyereg-hegy
The Nyereg-hegy is a narrow cliff ridge connecting the Csúcs-hegy to the Apáti-hegy, offering a wonderful view of the Balaton Uplands, towards the southernbasin of the Balaton and Bozsai bay in one direction and the insid on the peninsula in the other.
This wedge shaped side is one of the most valuable geological formations on the peninsula. Post volcanic activity brought boiling water to the former surface. Lake hydroquarzite bearing plant residues and thinly layered silicic limestone were formed in the small and large warm water lakes. The shape of the capriciously creased limestone sheets is the result of former movement of water and the Earth's crust.

Apáti-hegy
This is the unit of the caldera rim closest to the Outer lake, on the eastern side the surace level drops via steep basalt-tufa cliffs to the mark of the destruction caused by the wind. An unforgettable experience is offerd by the view to inside the peninsula, the Outer lake, the Inner lake and the ancient village, and in the distant background lies Balatonfüred. On the North side indicating the site of the former Apáti settlement are the Apáti church ruins which was under reconstruction, but from 1999 you can visit it.
The Apáti-hegy provides one of the most valuable habitats on the peninsula. Onthe top of the mountain a whole line of Mediterranean and sub-Mediterranean plants grow on secondary meadows, among them the Sternbergia colchiciflora, the autumn ox-eye daisy (Scilla autumnnails), the Convolvulus cantabricus, and the Valerianella pumila. Here also there is the prickly lucerne (Medicago rigidula), several species of feather-grass (Stipa sp.) along with the dwarf iris (Iris pumila). Flowering on the eastern side of the cliff is the Gagea bohemica, the Cotoneaster matrensis and the Coronilla emerus. This southern climate also favours insects, large bodied species generally rare in Hungary can be found here such as the Tibicina haematodes and the Cicada orni.
This however does not conclude the list of distinguishing features of the Apáti-hegy. The southern side retains the last of the once famous lavender plantations of the peninsula. In this area we also find the wooly foxglove (Digitalis lantana), reverted back to the wild probably from former cultivation, which has now become an increasingly protected plant species. Of the protected insects here the almond capricorn beetle (Lioderina lineraris) is noteworthy.

Kiserdõ-tetõ
This is the remnant of the caldera rim rising between the Outer and the Inner lakes in the central part of the peninsula. The basalt cliffs formed during volcanic activity have been dislodged from their original place by later land movement. Wind has demolished the softer rock, leaving the harder basalt tufa to withstand the destuctive force. This explains the formation of the "windswept cliffs" which can be seen here. The summit of the mountain is covered by cliff grass and prairie grass sloping steppe, several species of oak bush forests grow round the sides. In the autumn the reddish colour of oak is very picturesque with the Outer lake in the background.

Óvár
This striking ridge marks the easternside of the peninsula with its picturesque basalt tufa rock formations facing Lake Balaton. Along its summit is the most beautiful Iron Age earth fortification in the Balaton region. So-called pannon-grasslandslie close to the remains of this former earth fortification, its characteristic protected plants include the ant thistle (Jurinea mollis), the Polygala maior, the Adonis vernalis, the Cotoneaster tomentosus, the Pulsatilla grandis, the Centaurea sadleriana and the Aster amellus. This is one of the only two habitats in Hungary where Pomatias elegans snail lives.
A series of caves carved into the 20 m high basalt tufa cliffs on the eastern side of the Óvár, are the so-called Barátlakások (Monkresidences). Russian monks are reputed to have lived here brought here from the Great Pricipality of Kiev by the wife of the Hungarian king I. Endre around 1050 A.D. Only three groups of cells are visible today, the rest were buried in 1952 by a rockfall. In 1984 archeologikal and geologicalexcavations revealed several skeletons. The cliff face and the still existing cells were stablished in 1994. The only layer spring of the peninsula the Orosz-kút (Russian well) rising to the surface nearby was named after them. (A more common name used today is the Cyprian-spring.)

The Sarkadi-erdõ
Most of the hills on the rim of the peninsula are covered in the forests, the most beautiful of these lies on the south-western side and is called the Sarkadi forest. The characteristic main species of tree is the oak, containingsome Quercus pubescens, flowering ash (Fraxinus ornus), field maple (Acercampestre) and field elm (Ulmus minor). Some special oaks grow here like the Italian oak (Quercus virgiliana) along with the Quercus virgiliana x pubescens, being a natural hybrid with the Quercus pubescens, there is also a dry tolerant variety of the nonpedicle oak, the Quercus polycarpa. Beneath the rich canopy of oaks there are many valuable soft stemmed plants such as the protected Orchis purpurea and the Dictamnus albus.
A characteristic member of the wildlife in the Sarkadi forest is the capricorn beetle (Cerambyx cerdo), the stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) and the little stag bettle (Dorcus paralelepipedus), of the amphibians the spotted newt (Triturus vulgaris) and the brown digging frog (Pelobates fuscus). The forest grass-snake (Elaphe longissima) is common amongst reptiles, and the birds, as well as the black woodpecker (Dryrocopus martius), the Picus viridis and the Picus canis, of the day-time birds of prey the sparrow-hawk (Accipter nisus) is present, whilst a night-time one is the tawny owl (Otus scops), a real rarity in the south.

4. The Gejzírmezõ (Geyser field) and the Aranyház (Golden house)
The geyser field stretching out between the Sarkad forest and the Inner lake was formed in the forth geological era, three million years ago. After the basalt volcanic activity during the volcanic post-activity which followed, boiling water gushed out over the surface. The hot water sprigs, similar to those currently active in Iceland - come to the surface in the form of temporary geysers. Mud containing lime and silicic acid precipitated from the boiling water and from the hot water lakes, gradually forming a solid rock (hydroquartz). Depending on the activity of the geyser and the movement of water and the Earth's crust the geyserite hardened in a mass, in layered creased formation, bringing about 100-150 geyser cones of various sizes. Only 50 of these are visible today. The largest of these is the Aranyház geyser cone, which got its name meaning Golden house from the masses of yellow and green lichen growing on it.
From the top of the geyser cone looking towards the Inner lake and the ancient settlement a beautiful view awaits visitors, whilst at the foot of the cone an old wine cellar housing a stone exhibition can be seen.

5. The Lóczy Nature Trail
The sites described in detail so far can all be seen when hikers follow the Lóczy nature trail. The starting point is at the Apáti church ruins next to Sajkod leading on over the Apáti mountai, the Nyereg-hegy and Csúcs-hegy into the Sarkadi-erdõ, and then via the Gejzírmezõ and the Aranyház to the ancient settlement. From there the trail leads along the Kiserdõtetõ - Óvár - Barátlakások route to the Tihany harbour. There are 7 stops along the trail each attached to a noteworthy place, detailed information about these places can be found here.
The stops are:

• Nyereg-hegy (Saddle mountain)
• Csúcs-hegy (Peak mountain)
• Gejzírmezõ (Geyser field)
• Aranyház (Golden house)
• Kiserdõ-tetõ (Little forst summit)
• Óvár (Ancient fortification)
• Barátlakások (Monk residences)

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