The Gömbkilátó, or Sphere Lookout, is one of the most unusual landmarks on Lake Balaton - a spherical aluminium viewing tower perched on Várdomb Hill above the town of Balatonboglár. Its unmistakable round shape makes it stand out long before you reach the top, and the reward inside is a wide view over the lake.

Várdomb is a hill of volcanic origin, rising roughly 60 metres above the level of Lake Balaton. Once bare and known locally as Kopaszdomb (Bald Hill), it was later planted with trees, mostly black pine, giving the area a shaded, pleasant character in summer. From the top, the panorama opens across the shimmering water of Balaton and the surrounding lakeside towns. The atmosphere shifts with the seasons - lush and green in summer, crisp and clear on cooler autumn and winter days when visibility over the lake is often at its best.

How to get to the viewpoint

• Balatonboglár town centre — short walk up Várdomb Hill, easy route, suitable for most visitors

Practical information

• Entry to the tower requires a ticket (it used to be free)
• The structure was renovated and reopened to visitors in July 2012
• In 2013 it received the Treasure of Somogyország award

Fun fact: this striking aluminium sphere was built in the early 1950s and was even displayed at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair before finding its permanent home above Lake Balaton.