Balaton, the Hungarian Sea

This photography project is about Lake Balaton, the biggest lake in Central Europe. The pictures show the Central European flavour that is fading away year by year because of cultural changes. During the 1960s and ‘70s, it was a major tourist destination for working class Hungarians and people from the Eastern Bloc. It also served as a meeting point for Eastern and Western Germans who were separated by the Berlin Wall until 1989 but could still travel and meet here. After the collapse of Communism, the region become less popular, slowly becoming dilapidated, visited only by Hungarians. However, a new renaissance can be felt now; foreign tourists appear again, and the old charm can still be experienced. At first glance, the scenery of Lake Balaton evokes a coastal resort with an endless horizon. But in fact, the water is very shallow, reaching only ten feet on average. The illusions unfold and Balaton remains only a lake although, among the local people in Hungary, it is still said to be the Hungarian Sea.