Balaton Prospects

This real estate development fever caught my attention, because I was affected by what I saw during my travels. The million euro investments generate a change of scale in the architecture of the region, which is inconsistent with the scenery we were used to. But what is even more important, in the long run they irreversibly change the natural environment of the lake area and affect the everyday life of its inhabitants.

After Budapest, Lake Balaton and its surroundings are Hungary's most visited tourist destinations, and transportation by railway plays a significant role in this every season. In addition, railway architecture is an important part of the Balaton settlements. The railway station buildings serve somewhat as the gateways of the settlements, so they carry the motifs and characteristics of their regions in several ways. In addition to the continuous change in demands, these buildings were shaped and rebuilt by historical and political periods. Today, the protection of these historical buildings is undoubtedly taken into account, so it is worth observing how possible interventions try to save the values of the buildings. In this study I would like to examine this stratification of railway architecture, particularly in the case of buildings around Balaton. I also consider its relation to tourism as a significant topic.