Hungary Hot Springs

We’re loving the hot spring experience in Hungary, a country supposedly covering an deep underground reservoir of hot water. Similar to Japan, the locals have been enjoying the springs for centuries for their supposed curative aspects and spa towns dot the map in Eastern Europe. Not too sure about the health benefits, the closest thing we’ve experienced is sunburn (the weather’s been wonderful lately)


Right now staying in a tiny spa village called Heviz. The whole development is based around ‘the largest biologically active, natural, peat-mud thermal lake of volcanic origin in the world’ (I don’t understand all of that so though I better quote it.) (I heard its mildly radioactive as well) Anyway, it’s a relatively enormous 4.4ha pond 38meters deep that’s warm summer and winter (though winter can’t be much fun – its only the temperature of a swimming pool in Singapore, not at all like a hot bath.) It is tremendous fun though, its like getting good exercise while having soak. Because if you don’t swim you would drown or get too cold.

Budapest (we love that city!) is also full of hot springs and there are thermal baths spread throughout the city. Went to a famous one which had more pools than we could count, indoor and outdoor, all ranging from 16 deg to 38 deg (Celcius), and numerous saunas- wet, dry, hot, hotter, and with strange coloured lights. No slides and stuff, but a few bubble jet sprays and a whirlpool.

Differences from Japan: no one soaks in temperatures of 45-50degrees here, all the bathers wear swimsuits, and the spas are big institutional facilities (from communist times) with people in white coats and medical apparatus. Inside comment to my family (Sharon’s): I learnt that ‘Therme’ is a legitimate word and basically means hot spring. I think its Te-ru-me that actually has no meaning!!