Csopak

Csopak has a special charm. The two-reed/lined bays of the Balaton shore, the hillside vineyards dotted with old cellars, lend it and the wooded peaks of Csákány Öreg, embracing the place on the northern side.

The folk architecture of times gone by survives in the center of the village, in quaint old houses that seem almost to lean on each other. For those with a keen eye, they show the wise sense of proportion and beauty possessed by their occupants of long ago. The place has been inhabited for thousands of years. Celtic, Avar and Roman objects have been found. The Romans were already growing vines and making wine.

Some say the name Csopak is Turkish, some that it has a Slavonic origin. Others say the conquering Hungarian Prince Árpád granted the land to a knight named Sopok, eleven hundred years ago.

The earliest surviving mention of Csopak by name comes in a deed of exchange drawn up by the Chapter of Veszprém in 1277. Bishop Albert Vetési of Veszprém, one of King Matthias's favoured diplomats in the 15th century, had estates here. The area was almost completely abandoned during the century-and-a-half of Turkish rule. It came to life again in the early 18th century, when settlers arrived from the Szeben (Sibiu) and Szerémség (Srim) districts.

Sometime in the 1750s, the vine growers established the Free Hill Commune of Csopak. Its seal confirm that vines and winemaking were the main source of livelihood in the village. Meanwhile the mills along the Séd Brook were already grinding corn brought across from the Somogy shore on barges. Several families pursued the tough occupations of fishing on the ice and cutting reeds.

The present community developed out of three villages: Nosztre in the Nosztori Valley, Csopak beneath it, and Köves, just above the present railway line. Alongside vine growing and winemaking, visitors began to gain importance for the local economy in the 1920s, as Csopak developed into a bathing place. Initially the villagers simply let their front rooms. Later villas of various sizes were built. With the appearance of large guesthouses, the holiday trade came to vie with the vineyards as a livelihood.

The picturesque surroundings of Csopak appeal to artists, holidaymakers and nature lovers alike. The main attractions are the bathing beach, the fragrant Csopak wines, the refreshing mineral spring waters, the breathtaking view from the Sándor Endrődy Lookout on Csákány Hill, and the warm hospitality of this foothill community.