Skaters take to the ice as Lake Balaton freezes for first time in years

Hungary’s Lake Balaton froze deep enough for safe skating on Sunday, January 18, bringing joy to local skaters and visitors.

Days of sub-freezing temperatures thickened the ice near the lake’s southern shore, officials said on Friday, January 17. Police reported that ice close to the southern shoreline had reached 12 to 15 centimeters, exceeding the minimum safety requirement for stepping onto natural ice.

This is the first time in about a decade that Central Europe’s largest lake has frozen to such an extent.

Officials, however, warned that ice conditions remain uneven across the lake. On the northern shore, ice thickness varies between 8 and 12 centimeters, and police described the surface as inconsistent and potentially hazardous. Meteorologists said strong winds earlier in the week broke up floating ice sheets, slowing the formation of a stable ice layer and leaving unpredictable weak spots across the open water.

Authorities emphasized that skating is only permitted within 50 to 70 meters of the southern shoreline, where the water is shallower and rescue access is easier. Police advised the public to avoid ports, marinas, and deeper parts of the lake, where cracks and temperature-related shifts continue to weaken the ice.

Even though the lake appeared nearly fully frozen earlier this week—the first such occurrence in nine years—officials reiterated that the ice remains dangerous in most areas.

-Production: Krisztina Fenyo, Peter Szaniszlo/Reuters