Balatonlelle

Balatonlelle is a resort town located in Hungary on the southern shore of Lake Balaton, about 35 km west of Siófok.

Holiday destination
During the summer, the town becomes a holiday destination for many Hungarian and German families, and is known for its tourist attractions, including a 3 km long beach, an aqua park, a go-cart course, an annual wine festival, a numerous bars and restaurants. It's accessible from Budapest by train, taking approximately 2.5 hours.

Since the settlement forms part of the Balatonboglár wine region, a wine festival is often held in the first week of August.

History
In 1211, the area around Balatonlelle came under the jurisdiction of the Tihany Abbey. The first written mention of a settlement here from a 1229 letter, referring to the village as "Lela". In 1550, the town fell under Turkish control. Its population fell dramatically under Turkish occupation, and Turkish tax documents only record 8 families living here by 1580.

In the 18th century, the land was controlled by Hungarian noble families; first the Majthényi family, and later the Szalay family. The town's first school was opened in the 1720s, however, notes from a 1778 canonical visitation reveal that this first school burned down not long after it was built.

In 1848, the town was elevated to market town status, and in 1864 it gained its current name of "Balatonlelle". In 1895, a two-classroom schoolhouse was constructed, and during the short-lived 1919 Hungarian Soviet Republic, a third room was added to the school. A public elementary school was built in the town between 1941 and 1942.

Between 1979 and 1991 Balatonlelle formed a single settlement together with Balatonboglár under the name Boglárlelle.

Demographics
As of 2023, the town's total population was 5018. As of the 2022 national census, the town was 87.3% Hungarian, 2.1% German, and 2.1% of non-European origin. The population was 38.9% Roman Catholic, and 5.8% Reformed.

Sport

 * Balatonlelle SE, association football team

Twin towns — sister cities
Balatonlelle is twinned with:


 * 🇷🇴 Vlăhița, Romania
 * 🇩🇪 Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany
 * 🇨🇿 Loučná nad Desnou, Czech Republic