The Great Lake Balaton Neon Overview – Part II

After last week’s look at the neon signs that can still be found today, let’s now see just how many illuminated signs holidaymakers at Lake Balaton could encounter in the 1960s and ’70s – starting with the southern shore.

A 1965 article reveals that some of the neon signs were taken down for the winter, with maintenance work beginning again at the end of March. The Dombóvár Mixed-Industry Cooperative produced the signs for several newly opened ABC stores, restaurants and cafés, and they also repaired the neon installations of the Hullám Hotel in Balatonboglár and the tourist hostel in Siófok.

ZAMÁRDI

In Zamárdi, besides the open-air cinema that is still operating today, I also found a photo of the sign of the former Touring Hotel (now Hotel Amigó) and its restaurant.

Photo: Touring Hotel and Restaurant – Fortepan, 1969

SZÁNTÓD

In Szántód, beyond the ferry, there was also a neon sign connected to the Mackó Buffet at the railway station. A photo of its interior has survived, showing a neon fish  a similar one also appeared in the Fogas Buffet in Siófok.

Photo: Mackó Buffet – Fortepan, 1960

BALATONFÖLDVÁR

Balatonföldvár had numerous neon signs besides the Kukorica Csárda, including the signs of the bazaar row, with the local Mackó Buffet at its centre.

Photo: Mackó Buffet at the centre of the bazaar row – Fortepan, 1967

Photo: Bazaar row – Fortepan, 1959

BALATONSZÁRSZÓ

The once much-loved Véndiófa restaurant still had the base of its neon sign a few years ago, and it even remained on the building – although, rather crudely, it had been outlined with an LED string light.

Photo: Véndiófa restaurant – Fortepan, 1961 and Park restaurant – Fortepan, 1959

BALATONLELLE

The open-air cinema still exists, but its neon sign is gone, and the building was renovated a few years ago. Unlike Becsali Csárda, the Park restaurant no longer operates, so its chicken-shaped neon and its É+T ligature sign can now only be admired in photographs.

Photo: Clothing store – Fortepan, 1976 and Park restaurant – Fortepan, 1959

Photo: open-air cinema – Fortepan, 1975 

BALATONBOGLÁR

The Kinizsi Courtyard in Balatonboglár still welcomes guests today, although its neon advertisements have since been replaced. The Hullám restaurant and hotel, however, no longer stands: the building has since been demolished.

Photo: Kinizsi Courtyard – Fortepan, 1970 and Hullám restaurant – Fortepan, 1968

I’ll dedicate a separate post to Siófok, because roughly as many neon signs operated there as in all the towns listed above combined – and there are plenty of fascinating stories connected to them as well.

Join me next week too, and after that we’ll move on to the northern shore.