Schleicher Vera: Odiprofanum vulgus. A balatoni strand

“Doing nothing” on the beach, initially associated with the discovery of seaside, is a product of modernity. Designed to counterbalance the psychological and physical effects of urban living, it is a seemingly simple, but in reality rather complex activity. On the one hand, it is a counter-cultural attempt to break prevalent rules pertaining to the body and social contact, on the other hand, it is a culture-creating context, where the practice, objects, and rules of living on the threshold of civilization and nature are canonized. The idea of beach holidays in Hungary was born in the Balaton region. This is where the meaning of the term first solidified, and the characteristic infrastructure, function, and understanding of this leisure activity was established. This process is the subject of the present study, based on the analysis of contemporary sources. Special attention is paid to the categories set apart by the Hungarian terms fürdő and strand (“spa” and “beach”), as well as the differences between their respective cultural practices, social expectations, and built environment.