Balatoni Mediterrán Botanikus Kert

Kisapáti, Hungary, Hungary

---

Balatoni Mediterrán Botanikus Kert is a 5,000-square-meter Mediterranean-style botanical garden located in Kisapáti, Hungary, on the side of Szent György-hegy hill at 200 meters elevation.

The garden features a sub-Mediterranean microclimate that allows nearly 700 plant species from around the world to thrive year round, including agaves, cacti, cedar trees, olive groves, palm trees, and a large lavender field, with about 60 percent of the plants being evergreen. Owner Sándor Bicskei created this unique garden over many years of work, inspired by his travels to design areas that evoke the Mexican desert, Sicily, Spain, and the Amalfi Coast, letting visitors take a "round the world" journey during their walk.

The garden offers stunning panoramic views of Lake Balaton and the "land of Hungarian volcanoes," meaning the witness mountains, and is located in the Tapolca Basin just a short distance from Balaton. Most of the exotic plants are winter-hardy in Hungary, meaning they can withstand the local climate, and the garden includes a utility garden where olives, peppers, tomatoes, and herbs grown there are used in the nearby Taberna Infinito restaurant.

The garden is pet-friendly, welcomes visitors with lead-required pets, and is open on Fridays from 4 to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., with admission priced at 2,990 forints for adults and 1,990 forints for seniors and students, while children under 8 enter free. Guided visits are available where Sándor explains the garden's creation and the plants, making it a relaxing and educational experience for Mediterranean garden enthusiasts.