Tranquil Pines Little Paradise Cottage

The area around Tranquil Pines is pretty popular for hiking and cycling, so don your best walking boots or borrow a bike from the site to get out and explore the region. You can book day and half day excursions with Sharon and Andrew, who can sort you out with quad biking and horse riding tours; fishing, birdwatching and seasonal hunting trips; and guided walks. Wine tasting tours are also on the menu, should you fancy venturing out a bit further. Freshwater Lake Balaton is bordered by beaches and surrounded by volcanic hills and thermal spa resorts, plus there are plenty of towns to visit around its 197-kilometre shoreline. The popular tourist town of Siófok, about half an hour's drive away, is the closest lakeside town of note; with lots of bars, restaurants, cafés and clubs along the famed Petőfi walkway, this town has a fun party vibe and its kid-friendly beach is a good place for days out filled with seaside entertainment and water-based games. Meanwhile, on the lake's hilly northern shore, the Baroque town of Balatonfüred (50km) is rather a lot quieter, and with promenades, shaded avenues and splendid views south over the Tihany Peninsula, it's renowned for being one of the nicest spots along the lakeshore. The hills around here are also famed for their vineyards, protected wetlands and hiking trails through Balaton Uplands National Park. Also worth visiting while you're over this way is the historic town of Veszprém, about an hour's drive away, to see its walled castle district and 13th-century Gizella Chapel.