
... about Siófok
It is little known that Siófok is one of the oldest settlements in Hungary. Archaeological finds prove that the area was inhabited as early as the Roman period. The name of the town is of Finno-Ugric origin, “sió” and “fok” both mean watercourse, dug canal. The first written Hungarian language monument, the Founding Letter of the Tihany Abbey from 1055, mentions it as “Fuk”. The area was soon occupied by the Turks, who built a fortress around today’s Hospital Hill. Later, during the Kuruc Uprising, the armies of János Vak Bottyán were stationed here. The coat of arms of the settlement was granted to the former residents here in 1705 by Ferenc Rákóczi II.
The development of the settlement was boosted by the construction of the Southern Railway connecting Budapest with Fiume, and the previously dusty village became one of the centers of the country’s spa culture. Almost every famous person of the time, a prominent representative of the world of artists and actors, from Jókai to Karinthyn and Latabár to Jenő Rejtő, visited its bathhouses. The world-famous native of the city is Imre Kálmán, whose birthplace today operates as a memorial museum in the city center. The Kossuth Prize-winning native of our city is the sculptor Imre Varga, whose numerous works can be seen in our public spaces.
Siófok was granted city status in 1968 and has now become the largest settlement on the shores of Lake Balaton. Its permanent population is slightly more than 24,000, but in the high season it is not uncommon for it to be four times that number.
The city's 17 km long coastline is divided into two sections by the Sió Canal. To the west lies the Silver Coast and to the east the Golden Coast, with kilometres of free beaches.
In addition to sunbathing, all ages can find entertainment and leisure opportunities to suit them.