Somogy is a county in southwestern Hungary on the border with Croatia. In its northern part there is Lake Balaton, the main summer vacation place for Hungarians. In the south, the landscape is dominated by a pate, on which cattle and horses are bred.
The region has an agricultural character and is for the most part flat. Only to the south of Lake Balaton are the low hills of Marcali. The localities are small, and a lot of traditional buildings have been preserved in the villages. The most famous are thatched houses in Istvándi.
The biggest attraction of Somogy is Lake Balaton, often called the Hungarian sea. The main resort town of Siofok is currently mainly housing estates for rent, campsites and guesthouses. There are plenty of restaurants and service facilities, as well as marinas and water equipment rentals. Every year, the coast of Lake Balaton is visited by tens of thousands of tourists eager for relaxation by the water.
In the south of the regions stretch the endless steppes called the Puszta. Among them you can see individual farms scattered over large spaces. An interesting monument of this area are standing in the steppe near Somogyvámos, the ruins of the temple from the time of Arpad, called Pusztatemplom.
