"Pebble Lake"

The hidden world of Pebble Lake, called "Hungarian Maldives" on the Internet, is not known to the people of Budapest, even though the lake is on the border of the capital, only 20 minutes from downtown. It is a forgotten relic of Hungary's socialist era — Once an active gravel mine used for building the housing estates of Budapest, it transformed into a hauntingly beautiful landscape full of fishing farms and holiday houses. Time has stopped there. The hills of gravel became islands and peninsulas, on which a small community of fishermen live its daily lives. The deep water is extremely dangerous: the former remains of the mine lie in the deep, including rail tracks, barges, piers and old houses. Despite all the plans to modernize the lake’s surroundings, the people living here are grateful that everything remains as it was: So close to the city, they managed to preserve a serene life close to nature that they always desired.