The Legend of the Giants of Haláp Hill

Long ago, when the forests around Lake Balaton were home to gentle giants, the earth trembled beneath their heavy steps. Where they walked, springs gushed forth, trees bent, and the land reshaped itself. Though peaceful by nature, their fury could shake the mountains.

As the centuries passed, the giants vanished—except for one. His name was Balaton, and he lived with his only daughter, Haláp, in a stone fortress hidden in the hills. Balaton gave her everything he could, but Haláp was lonely. One day, she met a human girl named Csilla, and the two became close friends. Csilla shared tales of life among the people in the valley, filling Haláp’s heart with wonder and longing.

But happiness is fragile. Csilla missed her world and eventually returned to it when a search party came looking for her. Haláp begged her to stay, but Csilla slipped away. Heartbroken, Haláp climbed a cliff and threw herself from its edge.

Balaton, devastated, tried to lift a massive rock to build a memorial for his daughter. But the stone crushed him. From that spot, a spring burst forth and filled the valley below with water. That, as legend tells it, is how Lake Balaton came to be—and why the nearby Haláp Hill resembles a stone coffin, holding the memory of the last giant’s daughter.