The Folly Arboretum is Lake Balaton’s Garden of Eden - a talk with Ms. Réka Folly
A sign on Route 71 at Badacsonyörs indicates the proper direction - up a steep incline. Once you find yourself in the vast parking lot, you are rewarded with the beautiful panorama of Lake Balaton. But what awaits beyond the gates of the Folly Arboretum surpasses all expectations. It’s immediately apparent why the arboretum, or botanical garden is lovingly called "Balaton’s Garden of Eden".
Ours is a family story: my great-grandfather, Dr. Gyula Folly, a doctor from Pécs, planted the first evergreens 117 years ago, and all following generations took loving care of the plants
- says Ms. Réka Folly. The family’s devotion nursed what was as a half-hectare garden into a five-hectare botanical garden and a vineyard of the same size. Réka says that now they want to combine the area's natural assets with programmes and quality services for visitors.
We wanted to make it a must-see attraction on the North Coast
- she adds.
Réka Folly in the arboretum
Photo: Bálint Széll
The collection of Mediterranean-style cedars, cypresses and junipers is outstanding: of some varieties the oldest specimens in Central Europe are on display. More than 400 species of conifers and 200 species of deciduous trees and shrubs are on view in the garden, situated on the southern slopes of Kisörs Hill and are accessible on comfortable footpaths.
At several points throughout the garden, there are fun outdoor equipment that even adults can try as they stroll the lanes: slides, swings, various climbing tunnels, and tubes are strewn along the walks. Therefore, Folly Point is more than a botanical garden. It offers a full-day programme for those who like active recreation
- says Réka, who points out that families with young children and active grandparents are the park’s primary target group. But it's important to know that for the protection of plants and visitors, four-legged friends are not welcome in the garden.
Although the arboretum holds a surprise at every turn, such as a rare plant, there are some that Réka is particularly proud of.
One I would like to highlight is the weeping cypress by the restaurant: it is a Chinese plant with a beautiful hanging branch system. It is an extraordinary sight and one that is rare in Hungary. The other, also close to the restaurant, is the most beautiful Himalayan cedar in the garden. It is a particular favourite of mine. We intend to enter it in this year's Tree of the Year competition.
- she says, adding that most people associate Folly Arboretum with giant Coulter pinecones, the world's largest. However, there are a great many other interesting plants in the garden. The garden is open every day all year round, including public holidays. It may be visited individually, and there are guided tours on weekends, during both high and low seasons. Visitors go on an hour-and-a-half thematic tour. These tours are more frequent in the summer - from mid-June to mid-September - with three or four daily several times a week.
Renewed Interior and Exterior Spaces, Accessible Garden
The arboretum infrastructure has recently undergone an upgrade and tourist attractions have been improved. In the near future, both the content and design of all information panels in the garden will be renewed, and various artworks and sculptures will be placed on the site. Starting this year, the reception area will be operating at a higher capacity, and new toilets will be installed. The entrance and reception area will be given a new access control system. By introducing online ticketing, it will be possible to buy tickets in advance, speeding up access to the grounds.
By the beginning of the summer, we’ll open a family and garden history exhibition in the old cellar. Visitors will be able to learn about the history of the family and the arboretum through a film based on old photos of older and younger members of the family speaking about the garden
- says Réka.
In the past, baby carriers were available free of charge at the cash desk for the duration of the visit. The reconstruction of all footpaths will be completed by the end of May. From then on, the garden will be easily accessible for prams and wheelchairs up to the first retaining wall, next to the winery building.
A Garden Spiced with Gastronomic Experience
In addition to the garden's beauty, the Folly Arboretum will also offer a gastronomic experience with a restaurant and the Panorama Café. The menu will change with the seasons, and from 8 April, the terrace will be open to the public. The Folly offers its own teas, syrups and wines, which visitors can sample with a supplementary ticket purchased at the entrance. Guests can also participate in syrup and wine tastings, a degustation dinner with wine, and unique spring dishes paired with appropriately matching wines.
Folly Experience for the Home
Folly Arboretum's products - oatcakes, syrups, wines and gift packs and vouchers - can be purchased on the arboretum online shop. Still, Réka says, the products on offer are most fitting to the physical location. Those who visit Badacsonyörs to enjoy the experience will immediately see and feel that Folly's message could not be more apt: you can't help but follynlove with the garden. After all, walking in the shade of the giant cedars and pines while admiring the panoramic view of Lake Balaton, it's next to impossible not to fall in love with every detail of the arboretum.
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Don't Miss Folly Arboretum's Spring Programmes!
Folly offers thematic programmes adapted to the season throughout the year. During the spring break and the long Easter weekend (17-18 April), children can take part in an interactive garden tour, and on Easter Monday, they can go on an egg hunt in the garden. On Easter Sunday and Monday afternoon, adults will be invited on guided tours of the Folly, featuring plants mentioned in the Bible.
23 April will be Adoption Day in the park when adoptive parents from the previous Adopt a Folly tree! campaign will be invited to join the tour of the arboretum, to place new descriptive plaques and tell the story of the trees. Adoptive parents will receive a family card entitling them to free unlimited access to the garden for one or more years, depending on the category, during the adoption period.
22 to 24 April, there will be an Earth Day bag sale at the Folly Shop. 30 April will be Birdhouse Clean-up Day with help of Hungarian Ornithological and Nature Conservation Society volunteers. On 1 May, Mother's Day, mothers, and grandmothers will receive a special gift at the reception. On 21-22 May, on Plant Day, Cedar Days will be held, with cedar seedling sales and cedar wine tasting, among other events.
