This summer puts the northern shore of Lake Balaton in a whole new perspective. The 46° Balaton Borbusz, Hungary's first hop-on hop-off wine bus service, is setting off in the Balatonfüred-Csopak wine region. Guests can now explore the region's finest wineries at their own pace, without a car, a taxi or a pre-booked wine tour.
The name 46° Balaton Borbusz refers to the geography of the Balatonfüred-Csopak wine region: the area lies close to the 46th parallel north, in the same European wine belt as many iconic wine regions – Bordeaux, Burgundy or the Rhône Valley.
The Balatonfüred and Tihany area already proved to be the flagship of domestic tourism in 2025: according to the Hungarian Tourism Agency, the number of guest nights in Balatonfüred exceeded 1.4 million for the year, while according to Bahart, the ferry service between Szántód and Tihany also broke a record. During the sailing season, nearly 1.5 million passengers crossed between the two shores. The new service can now make the summer holidays of more than one million holidaymakers even more memorable.
The idea was born of personal experience. The founder, Szabó Virág, had seen a similar concept abroad; at home, she has spent her summers in Balatonfüred for years, but year after year she always ended up at the same wineries – because most of them cannot be reached without a car, and a taxi back from even the nearest vineyard hill costs a small fortune.
The service runs four days a week – Wednesday to Saturday – from mid-May to the end of September. Buses depart in the morning from Vitorlás tér in the centre of Balatonfüred and return there at sunset.
Two routes, two different worlds
Wine lovers can choose between two routes.
On the Old Friends (Régi Barátok) route, buses run on Wednesdays and Thursdays and visit the region's best-known wineries in a single day, calling at Balatonfüred, Aszófő, Pécsely, Balatonszőlős, Csopak and Paloznak, with a bus every 90 minutes.
On the Hidden Treasures (Rejtett Kincsek) route, on Fridays and Saturdays, passengers are taken on a journey of discovery of almost 60 kilometres among the hills of the Balaton Uplands, visiting mainly smaller, family-run wineries in Balatonfüred, Pécsely, Mencshely, Óbudavár, Szentantalfa, Tagyon and Balatonakali; this service initially runs every 120 minutes.
“It was important to us to show not only the best-known wineries, but also the smaller family places away from the crowds, where wine is still truly personal. Where there is time to talk to the winemaker and to taste. That is how the two routes were born, which together reflect the true diversity of the wine region,” says the founder.
The journey itself is part of the experience: guests travel in a retro 1984 convertible DAF vehicle, whose front half is covered and rear half completely open – entirely unique of its kind, the only such bus in the world.
The organisers aim to use this special retro bus as the project's main vehicle as soon as all the necessary permits and insurance are in place.
A separate transfer is provided for holidaymakers in Tihany: a return shuttle, also calling at Tihanyrév, picks up and drops off passengers at a total of five stops – from Tihany to Balatonfüred in the morning and back in the evening – so that visitors arriving from the southern shore and those staying in Tihany can also join the programme with ease.
The programme starts with 22 wineries
A total of 22 award-winning wineries await visitors on the two routes – a number that is expected to grow during the season. Most of the stops offer wonderful views of Lake Balaton or the Pécsely Basin.
The following wineries are taking part in the programme at launch:
Balogh Pincészet (Pécsely)
Balaton Wines Látogatóközpont (Balatonszőlős)
Dobosi Birtok (Szentantalfa)
Dombi Pince (Szentantalfa)
Fodor Vinotéka (Aszófő)
Fülei Pince (Balatonakali)
Gazdag Pince (Mencshely)
Gyukli Pince (Balatonfüred)
Homola Borterasz (Paloznak)
Jásdi Pince és Borterasz (Csopak)
Kisspince (Szentantalfa)
Koczor Pince (Balatonfüred)
Madaras Pince (Mencshely)
Martinus Borterasz (Tagyon)
Mórocz Pincészet (Pécsely)
Palo Borbirtok (Paloznak)
Petrányi Pince (Csopak)
ST. DONAT (Csopak)
Tagyon Birtok (Tagyon)
Végh Testvérek Borálda (Óbudavár)
Villa Gyetvai (Balatonfüred)
Zelna Borbisztró (Balatonfüred)
Advance booking on the 46balaton.hu website is required to use the wine bus.
Source: Turizmus.com
