Where the western hollow of Balaton is the widest and from where the view is perhaps the nicest to the hills of the opposite side, there lies Balatonmáriafürdő of only 630 inhabitants. History of the village is similar to that of Balatonfenyves for the existence of both villages is due to the phylloxera epidemic at the end of the last century and then to the bathing cult started in the early years of this century. 'Maria' immortalized in the name of the village was the wife of Earl Imre Széchenyi. The new vineyards which could be leased by the farmers who became bankrupt as a result of the grape epidemic, had been planted here. This work had been condected by Imre Széchenyi, and in return new residents of the wine-hill had chosen his wife's name to designate their village. Plantation had an unexpected success, the vintage was bounteous on the sandy ground, so farmers could gather in the vintage already in 1896, the year of the millennium. The development got faster when a railway-station was established in the village, more and more people moved to the houses built on the new allotments. A bathing association was founded in 1902. An independent village was formed from the farm-stead in 1926. After the developments of the past years the Móló (Pier) promenade has been finished, a special place has been formed for the disabled along the port and beside the beach. The most important summer programme is the biannual International Meeting of Brass and Reed Bands held under the name of the "Festival of Nations 2002, Hungary" in August in the central open-air bath offering various programmes in the West-Balaton Region. The unique programme is closed by fireworks with music. In the years between the European festivals the traditional International Meeting of Brass and Reed bands is held. The Roman fortress of Fenékpuszta and then Keszthely or the nature conservation area of Kis-Balaton to the west can be reached on a pleasant, silent road on the lake-shore. In front of the central beach a park has been built with new decoration pavement and impressive decorative elements.