THE VILLA VARNUS IN AUTUMN

Balaton is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of Hungary's foremost tourist destinations. While a few settlements on Lake Balaton, including Balatonfüred and Hévíz, have long been resort centres for the Hungarian aristocracy, it was only in the 19th century that the Hungarian middle class began to visit the lake. Beginning in the 18th century, Villa Varnus was a summer residence to many generations of bourgeois. The revitalized ancient house and gardens thoughtfully depicts how Austro-Hungarian families lived during the 1910s and 1920s. The interior of the house, from draperies and wallpapers to furniture and lighting, represents this era with original family artifacts and authentically reproduced materials. Longtime family-owned Villa Varnus is the official European residence of organist Xaver Varnus.