There is nothing I love more than being in a place I've never been, and I pretty much just want to go everywhere...
I can't get enough of travelling and sightseeing, so this blog is dedicated to the cool little places I would someday like to go.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

“Ghost Town” : Bokod, Hungary

Bokod Hungary is not a tourist destination. It is barely visited – it’s just an old village on a lake. Along the lake shore, rickety boardwalks lead out over the lake to old fishing cottages that stand on stilts. It’s not the nicest location, but I think there’s something enchanting about the photographs, and there is certainly something artsy about the boardwalks and cottages on the misty water.

 
Bokod is a lake about 80 kilometers west of Budapest, the capital city of Hungary. It was hard to find information on Bokod. There was a website in Hungarian, but unfortunately I am not fluent in Hungarian, and google translate was not very helpful…
 
I’m not sure if the lake houses are inhabited – one website reported that they were abandoned but I’m not sure if it was a reliable source. If it is abandoned, I’m not sure if the boardwalks are even safe to walk on. I was disappointed when I realized this, because I saw the picture first and thought the lake houses seemed like a really cool place to stay.
 
Aeriel View
What to do? I probably wouldn’t actually visit Bokod, since there isn’t a lot to do there – just look at the houses and take some photographs I think. If I did, it would be part of a larger trip to Budapest. There are all kinds of things to do an sights to see in Budapest that would make for an excellent trip. I just decided to cover Bokod because it’s such a weird, interesting place, and the pictures are really cool.
 
What to eat? No classy restaurants here guys, this one's a picnic lunch. I'm sure there would be somewhere to eat in the village, but I wasn't able to find any online information.
 
I think Bokod certainly has potential though – if someone were to restore it and make the fishing houses into cottages for rent, it would be a lovely and very cool place to stay. What do you think?

16 comments:

  1. I absolutely agree, it'd be a great tourist attraction. I think it'd be cool to live in a cottage that was literally on the lake. Hungary actually looks like a beautiful place. Too bad most people don't know about that aspect. Most people only remember Hungary as a pun name...

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  2. I almost looks as if the land is dragging the cottages as if they are connected by ropes from above. You are correct that this is a place that looks incredibly artistic as well as very peaceful. That would be a pretty dangerous place to live though, as those rickety paths don't look all that safe.

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  3. I've always wanted to live somewhere near the water. Or at least visit somewhere near the water. It is so enchanting and beautiful. I could stare out to sea for hours on end.

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  4. Is it possible to get there by train from Budapest? Thank you for the information!

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  5. Hi, the truth about this place: These are not living houses but fishing cottages. The people live in the nearby cities in block houses and one way for relaxing for them is fishing. Fishing is a very common pastime habit in Hungary. On the other hand Hungarian people like to own at least a little land or cottage. For most every day people it is a paradise they can afford.
    In fact this lake is a cooling pond for the nearby power plant.

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  6. We just visited Bokod yesterday. It is very hard to get close to the lake. No signs at all. We were asking people how to find this hidden place along the way. The properties are fenced in and one who would like to take pictures might want to ask one of the owners to use their boardwalk. That's what we did and Erzsike and her husband walked us around and let us use their property to take pictures. They also offered their boat to ride in. Hungarian hospitality is something that no other place would have. Eight kilometers from Bokod there is a beautiful monestery that tourists must not miss. I also wanted to mention the Mine Museum nearby.

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    1. Very helpful information! What monastery is nearby? Thanks.

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    2. Thank you Eva. We might visit there, now

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  7. Hello, could anyone please advice me how to get to Bokod by public transport from Budapest? :)

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  8. menetrendek.hu will give you transportation schedules of all kinds.

    You guys made me want to go there as well ad Dobogoko is on my list for fall day trips. I hear the earth's heart chakra is located there - would be nice to charge up for the winter.

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  9. Hello guys,
    How to get there do you know guys?

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  11. Hello Folks, you can go to Bokod by train, than you have to walk: First Budapest-Tatabánya from Budapest "Déli Pályaudvar "(trainstation) :Travel time 52 minutes approx. 11 stops to Tatabánya. You have to change train at Tatabánya. Tatabánya-Oroszlány Travel time: 17 minutes, 4 stops. From Oroszlány 6.2 km walk to Bokod.Walking time 1 hour 16 minutes. I have been google it for you. :) That's it. :) SlowDriver

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  12. I highly recommend to drive there and not take public transportation. You need to drive through the city of Oroszlány. and this little floating house is near Dozsa Gyorgy Street. You need to drive east... no sign. It will not show up on GPS. I put in the cemetery because I noted on the map that that was nearby. Once I passed the cemetery I kept east, and I reached this area. You will spend probably about 30 min tops here to take photos. WELL WORTH IT. You will see an area where you park the car. You cAn walk around; not all areas are gated. You can walk on the boardwalks and you do not need permission. Try to go around 6:30pm because of the light. I highly suggest to study a map before you take off, because once you drive there the streets will make sense. It’s a 8-10 minutes drive from Oroszlány.

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