Lake Balaton is Europe's largest freshwater lake outside of Scandinavia. Its varied shore, rocky and dramatic coast in the north and sandy, serene beaches in the south attract visitors year-round. The area surrounding Lake Balaton, the famous Balaton Highlands, offers excellent hiking in countryside dotted with lakes, waterfalls and caves among beech and pine forests. The hospitable vineyards covering the gently rolling hills pride themselves on excellent local wines served in pleasantly cool cellars. From the hills of the Bakony Mountains you can enjoy the beautiful view of Balaton lined with innumerable beaches and sports facilities including sailing and bob. The vicinity of the lake has been inhabited since the ancient times. Prehistoric people used to mine clay in Lovas. A villa found in Balácapuszta dates to the Roman times. In the early Middle Ages an earthwork was built in Tihany, on the northern shore, and in the late Middle Ages the Benedictine abbey was built on the same peninsula. The town of Balatonfüred has stunning gilded baroque architecture and beautiful churches can be found in almost every village in the area surrounding it. The renewed Festetics Palace in Keszthely features not only the restored baroque rooms and world-class music concerts, but also light shows when the palace and all the fountains are drawn in colorful floodlights at night.