This Retro Wine Bus Takes You to Lake Balaton’s Secret Vineyards in Hungary

On the northern shore of Hungary’s Lake Balaton, Central Europe’s largest freshwater lake, Balatonfüred has drawn visitors to its waterfront promenade and historic villas since the 19th century. For wine lovers, the old-world spa town also makes a convenient base for exploring the vineyards in the surrounding hills. The challenge is reaching the smaller wineries without a car, especially when you plan to taste their wines.

46° Balaton Wine Bus in Lake Balaton in Hungary

The 46° Balaton Wine Bus connects these producers. Launched in 2026 by Virág Szabó, the service uses a retro bus brought over from the Netherlands. It leaves Balatonfüred and winds roughly 35 miles through the Balaton Uplands, with passengers hopping off at wineries along the way. Buses return about every two hours, leaving time for a tasting without worrying about who will drive. Szabó wanted visitors to venture beyond the lakeside and immerse themselves in the landscape, slow down, sip the wine, and get to know the winemakers.

In Pécsely, two wineries sit within walking distance of each other. At the family-run Balogh Winery, Mónika Baloghné Király introduced us to Hibernal, a disease-resistant white grape I’d never tried before that requires fewer vineyard treatments. We also tasted one of her favourites: a sparkling Kékfrankos, known elsewhere as Blaufränkisch. Nearby Mórocz Winery produces fewer than 5,000 bottles a year. Its winemaker, former musician Tamás Mórocz, sat with us on the terrace overlooking the vines and hills, talking through his wines and how he got into winemaking, and how photographs from his family album appear on the bottle labels. The Chardonnay was a highlight, though I also enjoyed his Traminer and Olaszrizling with a plate of local charcuterie and cheeses. 

Further west, Hungary’s Lake Balaton wine bus climbs into the Nivegy Valley, where vineyards spread across the slopes above the lake. At Gergely Winery on Szent Balázs Hill, the tasting room occupies a traditional Balaton farmhouse, a whitewashed building with a column-flanked entrance. Its hegybor, or “hill wine,” is made from Olaszrizling, also known as Welschriesling. I tasted citrus and a rounded, buttery texture while looking out over the vineyard and lake.

Dombi Winery occupies a small, triangular stone house amid the vines near Szentantalfa. Winemaker Károly Dombi greeted us and explained that the family produces fewer than 5,000 bottles annually. Winemaking is a part-time passion for Károly, whose family has lived and farmed in Szentantalfa for generations. Walking through the vineyard, I noticed red grapes among the whites more commonly associated with this part of Balaton. Dombi uses Kékfrankos for a rosé and also makes a Traminer with an elderflower aroma.

At Tagyon Estate, the tracks between the vines are too narrow for Hungary’s Lake Balaton wine bus, so the winery sends a car to collect visitors from the stop.

By the time the wine bus returns to Balatonfüred, we’ve tasted wines with the people who made them, from cellars scattered across the hills behind the lake. Without the bus, visiting several of these small wineries in one day would have been difficult, especially if we all wanted to drink. Stops vary by day, so check the current route before setting out.