The name of Siófok was first recorded in 1055, but the defining moment in its more recent history must be regarded as the year 1863, when the railway station and harbour were built: Siófok is considered to have been a bathing resort since that date. Increasing numbers of the holiday-makers hurrying through Siófok to Balatonfüred began to realise that Siófok's fine sandy bed and pleasant climate make it the best-endowed resort on Lake Balaton.

The locals took increasing care to transform the disordered village into a resort rich with flowers and greenery: they saw that to attract guests they would have develop and tend the relaxing, natural environment.The first major town improvements were made in the spring of 1866. The growing admiration of the developing bathing culture on the Balaton was shown when a visit was annouced from Queen Elizabeth, adored by the Hungarians as 'Sisi'. "The railway company is ordering the roads and the banks of the Sió, planting them with trees and building a splendid waiting room," they wrote fom Siófok on 14 April that year. The similar efforts made by bath proprietor Ignác Végh were also reported in the press three months later. The visit was called off owing to the Prusso-Austrian War, but the efforts were not in vain: in the following year, 1867, it was written of Siófok that "all the signs are that this resort will be a future favourite."The overall report of September that year objected that the bathing house could only reached along an unshaded road, and that no benches were provided in the pine woods of the Somogy quarter. The report in 1870 shows that the demands of the resort community were already being acted on: "The estate is tending the shoreline plantations and laying paths through them lined with benches, and the bath may thus now be reached in the shade."The gardens of Siófok have always been closely connected with the development of tourism in the town. The next major step was made after the foundation in 1891 of the Siófok Balaton Bathing Co. Ltd. by Henrik Glatz. The company built two large hotels and a 700 metre-long promenade lined with plane trees. "In addition, they have equipped themselves for horticulture under the guidance of a gardener from the German coast named Fritz, with whose care and attention the flowers to decorate the town can be provided from their own crop.""The company has also taken care of the grove along the Sió canal by landscaping it, laying roads and installing benches; an attractive pavilion has also been built beside the Balaton. The leafy trees favouring sandy soil and planted by Fritz the head gardener have grown with surprising rapidity in the new English park, formed by levelling thousands of cartloads of sand."We can speak of professional gardening in Siófok ever since the foundation of the Bathing Company. After this time planned parks began to be built, walks were created, the attributes of species taken into account and the various plants and layouts designed to complement each other. János Sági's Pictorial Guide to Lake Balaton, published in 1902, describes Siófok in terms of ecstasy. The author found that an obvious connection existed between the growing popularity of the resort and the garden culture flourishing there: "Siófok is one of the best known and most frequented resorts, not just of the Balaton coast, but also of our land itself; it satisfies the most demanding requirements of the aristocrats, and can even presume to receive royal personages.It is an attractive large village...The 40-acre area has been planted with thousands of trees, ornamental shrubs and magnificent flowers. The populous site, charming avenues and blooming grove have rapidly created a scintillating mode of life.""The popularity of the resort has kept pace with the strengthening and flourishing of the young grove and tender woodland, so that for several years the number of guests has reached 50,000."The garden culture of Siófok had by now had an effect on the other settlements:"The company cares for a rich tree nursery, in part to assist the plantation of the other Balaton resorts."

Later travel guides continued to single out the horticultural work begun in 1891. The Guide issued in 1912 by the Balaton Federation states that the Bathing Company "has naturalised a magnificent array of vegetation" on the previously neglected area.

The 1925 Guide repeats this comment. The growing demand for horticultural work is shown by the French-born nursery and landscape gardener Lajos (Louis) Flament, who offered to plan and plant parks and gardens, together with ornamental trees, shrubs and perennials. His high professional standard is shown by the important information stated in his advertisement: "Decorated for garden design!"However, landscape gardening seems to have remained a seller's market, as in 1927 the Siófok Bath Hire and Development Co. Ltd. created a nursery garden in the town on an area of 3 acres, feeling that there were too few ornamental trees, bushes and parks.The leadership of Siófok also recognised the need to manage planned green areas in public spaces. In 1928 the corporation set up an eight-member committee under the chairmanship of the town clerk to carry out improvements and planned tree-planting in the town's streets and squares.

From then on the streets and squares of Siófok were improved and planted with trees according to plans developed in advance: horticultural plans thus became part of town planning and development.

Old Siófok seems to have been proud of its parks and gardens, as most postcards of the time show parks, gardens or tree-lined walks, while the hotels and catering establishments had themselves placed in green settings planned to set off their buildings.