Lake Balaton is the closest thing landlocked Hungary has to a coast, and in summer the whole country seems to lean toward it. The riding here is gentle: 30-40 flat kilometres on an average day, mostly along the quiet northern shore. That's the point. You'll spend as much time swimming and eating as you will on the bike.

We trace the wine villages of the Balaton uplands, venture into the strange volcanic cones of the Káli Basin, and cross to the Tihany peninsula with its Benedictine abbey and lavender fields. One afternoon you trade the saddle for a sailboat and let someone else do the work for a change.

An afternoon under sail

Halfway through the week, in Balatonfüred harbour, you swap two wheels for a deck. Our captain (not me, I promise) hands you the ropes and takes you out onto the lake for the afternoon. It's a good way to rest the legs, and nobody's ever in a rush to head back in.