Lake Balaton

Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton
Location of Lake Balaton within Hungary
Location	Hungary
Coordinates	46°51′00″N 17°43′12″E / 46.85000°N 17.72000°E / 46.85000; 17.72000
Type	Rift lake
Primary inflows	Zala River
Primary outflows	Sió
Catchment area	5,174 km2 (1,998 sq mi)[1]
Basin countries	Hungary
Max. length	78 km (48 mi)
Max. width	14 km (8.7 mi)
Surface area	600 km2 (230 sq mi)
Average depth	3.3 m (11 ft)
Max. depth	12.2 m (40 ft)
Water volume	1.9 km3 (0.46 cu mi)
Residence time	2 years
Shore length1	235 km (146 mi)
Surface elevation	104.8 m (344 ft)
Settlements	Keszthely, Siófok, Balatonfüred (see list)
Ramsar Wetland
Designated	17 March 1989
Reference no.	421[2]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Balaton (Hungarian: [ˈbɒlɒton]) is a freshwater rift lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe,^[3] and one of the region's foremost tourist destinations. The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water to the lake, and the canalized Sió is the only outflow.

The mountainous region of the northern shore is known both for its historic character and as a major wine region, while the flat southern shore is known for its resort towns. Balatonfüred and Hévíz developed early as resorts for the wealthy, but it was not until the late 19th century when landowners, ruined by Phylloxera attacking their grape vines, began building summer homes to rent out to the burgeoning middle class.^[4]