Would Balaton Have Sunk? The Secret of the Hortobágy Sheep 🐑

For those living along the shores of Balaton, 1866 brought a peculiar ordeal: the lake’s water level dramatically sank 45 centimeters below the established zero level. In the coastal villages and around Keszthely, people watched in astonishment as fish perished en masse due to the unprecedentedly low water, and the lakebed dried up in places.

Many blamed the artificial drainage on the recently commissioned Sió-csatorna. Local residents’ anger quickly turned toward the water management measures, as until then Balaton’s natural balance had seemed reliable. According to Jenő Cholnoky’s later account, the water moved such masses of sand that it climbed onto the railway embankments, obstructing traffic along the lake shore.

Contemporary reports noted that steamers ran aground and the wind stirred up desert-like dust clouds over the dried-out bed. The satirical paper Bolond Miska even joked that in a few years caravans might have to cross where Balaton once lay. These phenomena directly affected fishing and early Balaton transport, making daily life harder for lakeside communities.

Thus the force of nature ultimately overrode the plans of both railway builders and water engineers, reminding us that Balaton’s balance is a fragile treasure. 🌊

Source: hvg.hu