Mártély is a very small village in the south of Hungary, about four hours by train from Budapest. The only real attraction here is the lake, which is in fact an off-cut from nearby River Tisza.
A bicycle trip to lake Mártély in Hungary will take you about half an hour from the nearest big city, Hódmezővásárhely. Cycling down towards Mártély you will see various bird types so bird watchers welcome!
If you are the fisher type you will also have a great time as the lake is full of tasty fish! Watch the video for a taste of the area and to find out what an American girl here has to say about the place.
The history of the lake is quite fascinating. The Hungarian government created it in the early 19th century when the river Tisza was straightened and this bend was cut off. The cycle to Mártély takes about one hour from the city center of Hódmezővásárhely. There is a separate cycle lane all the way to the lake. Hódmezővásárhely is about five kilometres from here, which you can see on the video in the distance.
Getting to Mártély from Hódmezővásárhely
The main road between the two towns runs just parallel to the cycle path. This whole area is part of a nature reserve, protecting the natural habitat of the region. At the lake I met Jenna from the USA who was also here on a cycle tour. I talked to her her about her reasons to visit here.
So why have you visited Martely?
I am an exchange student with the Rotary in Hódmezővásárhely for 10 months and I just here for the day.
And where in the USA do you come from?
I am from a small town in California.
What do you recommend to other visitors here?
I think the swimming here is really nice, there is a lot of really good food, ice cream, Langos, all Hungarian food and you can bike everywhere and it’s really nice.
Jumping into the Water
The water was a little bit too cold when I visited so I needed to make up my mind whether to go in or not. It took me a while to get ready but I did it in the end.
As I jumped in something felt like grabbing me from below, so I screamed! It turned out it was only a flower that grows on top of the water…
Anyway, I fully recommend a visit to this lake as it is a great experience!