KK400 in 3 days

KK400: the 400-kilometre KalandKör around Lake Balaton

Looking for something beyond the classic lap of Lake Balaton on the lakeside cycle path? If you want to discover the region's hidden corners and are happy to take on rougher surfaces, proper climbs and a real challenge, put KK400 on your riding list.

Over 400 kilometres and 3,566 metres of elevation gain, the route leaves the busy Balaton Cycle Loop behind and heads into quieter, lesser-known landscapes. You ride through the Balaton Uplands, the Káli Basin, the Witness Hills and the Keszthely Hills, get close to the remarkable wildlife of Kis-Balaton and the marshlands of Somogy, and grind your way up steep Somogy climbs for panoramas most lakeside riders never see. The reward is not only scenery: KK400 also opens a door to the region's food and wine culture, with restaurants, inns and cellars away from the shore, plus several of the area's best viewpoints close to the route

To make the challenge easier to plan, we split the 400-kilometre loop into 12 stages. Any rider who cycles regularly can tackle them one by one. Below, though, we suggest a bigger challenge: riding the full route over three days. As with the classic Lake Balaton loop, we have broken the route into 3 days. The three-day version - especially if you ride the whole loop in one go - calls for solid fitness and the right bike. Some stages are perfectly manageable on a touring bike, but the tougher off-road stretches demand treaded tyres and, ideally, some suspension; a gravel bike is the minimum. If you want the most forgiving option, choose a mountain bike. If you want the best balance of speed and efficiency, a gravel bike is the sweet spot.

Szabadifürdő makes a practical start and finish for the three-day ride. There is a QR code here, but more importantly it is the easiest place to join the loop, so you can roll straight onto KK400 as soon as you step off the train. Tapolca and Fonyód work well as overnight stops, with accommodation available from spring through autumn and rail connections if you want to return quickly to the start or begin the ride from one of those towns.

KK400 Day 1:

Szabadifürdő-Tapolca
125 km, 1178/1167 m elevation

Siófok-Szabadifürdő is easy to reach by train, so KK400 lends itself well to a bikepacking-style start. We roll out on the Balaton Cycle Loop, which offers a gentle warm-up and quickly serves up the first dramatic shoreline section. At Balatonvilágos, the whole lake opens out from a perspective you rarely see. The first real test is the short climb at Akarattya, rewarded by a superb viewpoint from the high bluff. Easy kilometres continue to Balatonalmádi on the cycle loop, before a varied and surprisingly romantic valley road lifts us towards Veszprém. Leave the City of Queens behind and you soon find yourself on what may be the quietest cycling route in the region. From here to Tapolca, low-traffic roads, classic gravel tracks and mellow off-road sections alternate almost all the way. Beyond Mencshely, the terrain becomes rougher, with more forest tracks and occasional glimpses of Lake Balaton through the trees and vineyards. From Balatonhenye, another spectacular panorama unfolds, and a lunch stop in Köveskál is an easy temptation. As the kilometres accumulate, those breaks start to feel well earned. Nature lovers should make time for the Stone Sea and its rocking stone, while serious ice-cream fans can refuel at Kő Fagyi - just check opening times outside the main season. The closing kilometres mix tarmac and dirt as the Káli Basin and the Witness Hills open up in front of you. After passing Salföld Major and looping beneath Badacsony, with a detour past the remarkable Folly Arboretum, the route heads on to Tapolca via Káptalantóti and another stretch of unpaved road.

KK400 Day 2:

Tapolca-Fonyód
128.5 km, 870/829 m elevation

If you start day 2 from Tapolca, there is time to ease into the ride.

The route follows cycle paths for much of the way to Balatonederics, and there is no serious climbing before Lesence. That leaves plenty of space to enjoy the scenery: first the basalt organ pipes of Szent György Hill, then the broad lakeshore views. From Ederics the road kicks upward towards Lesence, where the next climb begins. After descending one of the most beautiful roads in the Keszthely Hills to the Vállus junction, the route turns off-road, and the stretch to Rezi can be muddy after wet weather. From Rezi, a flowing tarmac descent leads to Hévíz, followed by another climb at Alsópáhok. By then, though, the day's biggest vertical challenge is largely behind you. From Szentgyörgyvár onwards, classic gravel riding takes over - and it is one of the most rewarding parts of the day. Long sections of crushed stone and compacted dirt roll almost like tarmac and keep you close to nature. At Kányavári Island, it is worth walking up onto the bridge for the view. After Vörs, tarmac and a good-quality cycle path carry you to Balatonberény, from where the Balaton Cycle Loop leads on to Fonyód. Arrive around sunset and the climb to the Walkó Lookout is well worth it for a few photographs.

KK400 Day 3:

Fonyód-Szabadifürdő
132 km 1481/1500 m elevation

Day 3 also starts gently on flat tarmac. From Fonyód, the route crosses the marsh landscape and reaches the edge of Somogyvár via Buzsák and Öreglak on dedicated cycling routes and cycle paths. After Somogyvár, however, the ride gets serious: this is the toughest part of the KK400. The elevation starts to stack up across the Somogy hills, while the terrain adds its own demands - patches of soft, wheel-sucking sand and, after sustained rain, mud can slow progress dramatically. The payoff is classic Somogy scenery, and before Földvár the valley bridge creates an impressively dramatic backdrop.

After Földvár, the climbing returns, but now in a friendlier rhythm. Cool forest tarmac carries you to the M7, then the route drops to Alirét Hunting Lodge. An off-road section follows to Töreki, where wet conditions can make the ground heavy and slow. After Töreki Hill, only one short dirt climb interrupts the run-in to Siófok. At Szőlőhegy, beyond Kiliti, you may find yourself reflecting one last time on how misleading it is to call the south shore of Lake Balaton flat...