The main thermal spa area is open all year round and consists of two large warm pools that are half indoors, half outdoors. One of these is a fun pool with the range of bubble jets and fountains, a lazy river and a rather curious shaded massage area in the outdoor section. You enter by passing through a wall of water that only just works, and inside you will find a series of pods where you can stand and be massaged from all sides. To be honest, it’s not a particularly brilliant massage and project keep spraying water in your face, but try it for fun rather than for its health benefits and it’s a bit of a laugh. The main bath is free of jets and is purely for relaxation, with plenty of seating and underwater sun loungers, as well as a chess table in the centre of the indoor area, though you will have two play with pebbles as they don’t provide any chess pieces. Both of these baths are extremely clean and well maintained, which contrasts somewhat with the hottest indoor pool which has dirt floating around in it and feels quite unpleasant, even if it is supposed to be the natural mineral bath.

If you go in peak season then there are a number of other pools open outside, including a wave pool, swimming pool, water slide and kids pool. It’s a shame that these aren’t open in the spring as this part of Hungary has got a really good weather from April onwards, but there is still plenty to satisfy you. Within the grounds there is volleyball pitch, a five side football pitch, sunbathing areas and several different restaurants and food stalls. The quality of food in most restaurants isn’t anything to get excited about, but at least you won’t go hungry. The main buildings are more stylish from a distance than up close, but they do have a large glass facade that makes the indoor pools very light and gives you views of the outdoor pools and woodland beyond.

There are good changing facilities and your electronic wristband will open and close your designated locker. The showers and toilets are really the only part of the baths that look like they got missed in most recent renovations. Most of the showers have the temperature control plumbed in back to front, so if you think there’s no hot water try setting it on cold.

Best Thing
Lots of outdoor space in and out of the thermal baths, all in an attractive setting.

Worst Thing
The cleanliness and maintenance of the toilets and showers lets the thermal baths down.

Top Tip
If you go in the evening it becomes a lot cheaper.

Summary
An all-round good thermal baths complex in attractive surroundings. In fact, that really does sum it up because there is not much wrong with the Sarvar thermal baths but there isn’t really anything remarkable about them either.

If you want something really remarkable then there is the 5-star Spirit Hotel Thermal Spa just a short walk away, but it does cost 40Euro for entry so you get what you pay for.

Where to Stay

Luxury – Spirit Hotel Thermal Spa *****

Midrange - Danubius Health Spa Resort Sarvar ****

Budget - Wolf Hotel ***

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For more information visit: www.sarvarfurdo.hu
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The changing rooms are separate men’s and women’s and it easy to get yourself lost in the maze of corridors as the signs are all written in Hungarian, but the staff are used to it and when all this try to send you back in the right direction. The focal point of the baths is its grand central swimming pool, with its glass or supported by intricate marble columns. The perfect place to view this is from the small semicircular hotpot at the end of the pool made them so up the heat and marvel at the architectural details of the building. The main thermal baths can be accessed from the far end of the swimming pool with separate sections for men and women, so it’s not the ideal place to visit if you are a couple unless of course you need a break from each other. The water is kept at a scorching 44°C so it is really a genuine hot bath. The interiors of the main thermal baths are a truly surreal experience with ornate tiling and murals lining the walls. There are no windows in the storms so you are completely shut off from the outside world, and with many of the local bathing naked, the only reminder that you are in the 21st century are the other apprehensive looking tourists.

There are also some outdoor fun pool including a wave pool that are open in summer and make the Gellert baths more of an enjoyable family experience, but the main attraction for most is the impressive architecture of the indoor thermal baths.

Other Facilities
A range of massage treatments are available at Gellert baths and it also has a small canteen area selling a variety of fried foods.

Best Thing
The well preserved art nouveau architecture makes you feel like you have stepped back in time.

Worst Thing
Separate men’s and women’s thermal baths mean that it is not ideal for couples or families.

Top Tip
If you just want to see the coloumed swimming pool, then save yourself the money and go in the viewing gallery, but you if you are really interested then it is worth entering the main thermal baths and immersing yourself in the experience.

Summary
The Gellert baths in Budapest on one of the clandestine historic Bath in Hungary and if you are interested in architecture then it’s the perfect place to go and take a step back in time. It is however a somewhat intense experience and if you’re not used to this style of Bath and many visitors may find themselves at home in the city’s Szechenyi Baths.

Rating:

Where to Stay

Luxury – Danubius Hotel Gellert *****

Midrange - Town Hall Apartments ****

Budget - Grand Hostel

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The complex has a very simple layout and is immaculately presented throughout.
The main indoor baths and are housed in a circular building with a series of different poo and will ls at slightly different levels, and large skylights carefully positioned to allow you to lie back and look at the sky, but also find some shade if you need is to cool down.
None of the pools are particularly large, but there is good variety. The three main pools are around 34°C and have excellent range of bubble and massage jets, as well as a mushroom fountain and a decent lazy river in the top pool .

The two hot pools are around 37°C and as with all the indoor pool to the water is crystal clear. If that had not got enough that there for a couple of small saunas, just watch out for the cold showers next to the saunas if you’re not prepared for it. All other showers are nice and warm.

In the centre is a dedicated children’s and baby pool as well as a smaller waterslide that runs were from the floor of above, where you will find a bar selling drinks and sweets, though it is not always open and there is no restaurant in the complex, so your best bet is to eat dinner in the town of a few miles away.

There are also a couple of outdoor pools which are well designed and filled with clean thermal water, which is very enjoyable when the weather is good. However, the outdoor pool predates the main indoor complex and is in dire need of maintenance. Actually, the only thing that really let Thermal Furdo down is the fact that it’s not completed. The main indoor baths and changing facilities are excellent, but work has not begun on the adjoining Hotel, thermal village and updates to the outdoor pool’s, and we get the impression that it might just never happen, and so leaves what is one of the Hungary’s best indoor bath slightly stranded in the middle of nowhere.

That said, the surrounding countryside is extremely attractive and the rural location gives the baths tranquillity that you don’t find in more urban settings. It’s just a shame that as the complex hasn’t been completed and is not properly landscaped, the fences in places spoiling views of the surrounding fields and woods.

The baths are open late every night and as the sun goes down the indoor pools are transformed with an array of coloured lights, which mean that the baths can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

Best Thing

Indoor pools are so bubbly designed with a layout that flows naturally from one area to the next and a beautifully calming interior design.

Worst Thing

The complex isn’t finished, leaving his fantastic indoor thermal bath a little on its own.

Top Tip

Plan your meals around your trip as there is no restaurant at the thermal baths and you will probably need to eat in Zalaegerszeg itself.

Summary

Termal Furdo, Zalaegerszeg is without doubt one of the most stylish and maintained indoor thermal baths in Hungary on and caters particularly well for families, especially in summer when the Aquacity waterpark next door is open. It’s just a shame that the complex hasn’t been finished as it’s let down by the poorly maintained outdoor pool, basic landscaping and lack of proper restaurant.

Rating

Where to Stay

Luxury – Rogner Hotel & Spa Lotus Therme *****

Midrange - Hotel Napsugar ***

Budget - Hotel Sante ***

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Despite its small size, the town and the baths can be quite confusing experience if you have never been there before and if you’re not careful you might come out more stressed than you went in. Unless you are staying in a hotel in Zalakaros itself, you’ll need to use the pay and display parking in front of the Men Dan Hotel and the tourist information centre. The main entrance to the Zalakaros furdo is just behind the car park, but this is sometimes closed and you will instead have to walk about 200m down the main road to find the entrance through an insignificant looking door behind some bushes at the end of the complex.

There are numerous ticket options but if you don’t speak Hungarian then they’ll sell you a day ticket to all areas of the complex for about 2550Ft. When you get into the changing rooms you will also need 1000Ft as a deposit for a locker and they will give you rather a awkward plastic tube with the key to hang around your neck. Don’t put any money in this as it is not watertight!

The complex indoors feels a bit like a cross between a local authority swimming pool and a hospital, so it’s not the best place for a luxury spa break. It is a patchwork of facilities that have developed with no coherent style or layout, so if you want to make the most of the complex than you will need to have your explorer’s hat on.

The main thermal pool area is housed inside a wooden dome that seems somewhat like the inside of a hobbit house, though nothing like as cosy. There are three pools at 33°C, 36°C and 38°C. The atmosphere is very subdued however and some visitors appear to be going a bit stale in the murky green waters. There is also an outdoor thermal bath surrounded by sun terraces and a bar area. The pool can become very crowded, as is the case with most of the pools at Zalakaros and the lifeguards are more there to wag their fingers if you’re being naughty than to actually save your life.

Far on the other side of the complex is a more conventional indoor thermal pool, indoor and outdoor warm fun pools with a lazy river and bubble jets and a large indoor swimming pool, all of which are reasonably well maintained. If you go in peak season then you will also have access to the large park behind the complex which contains a range of additional outdoor fun pools and swimming pools, which really makes this a very substantial complex. Sadly, if you go at any other time of the year though, these pools are closed and the park is fenced off.

Other Facilities
There are a number of saunas and steam rooms that you can use, as well as a few bars and restaurants, though exactly what will be open would depend on the time of the year.

Best Thing
Zalakaros furdo is a very large complex when it is all open and has plenty to keep you busy for hours.

Worst Thing
The complex is extremely badly designed, making it difficult to find your way around and physically challenging for those with mobility problems.

Top Tip
Take plenty of change with you. You will need it for the car park and your locker deposits. Men’s and women’s changing rooms are separate so you might need more than one locker.

Summary
The Zalakaros furdo is really a case of quantity over quality. There is an excellent range of pools and facilities to enjoy, especially in peak season when all of the outdoor pools are open, but it is very poorly designed and needs a lot of modernisation.

Rating

Where to Stay

Luxury – MenDan Thermal Hotel and Aqualand ****

Midrange - The Belenus Thermalhotel ***

Budget - Amurato Apartment House ***

More accomodation in Zalakaros

More Information

For more information please visit www.bad-zalakaros.hu
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When you buy your ticket you will have a choice of fun pools, fun pools and thermal pools, or fun pools and thermal pool and sauna. It is a little misleading as all of the pools at Kehida thermal a thermal, but the thermal bath ticket only costs an extra hundred ft and lets you into the two hottest pools which are 32 to 36°C. A 2 hour adults ticket costs just 1600ft (about £5), which considering the size and quality of the Bath is truly outstanding. When you pass through the entry turn style turn left down the stairs to the changing rooms. The signs are only in Hungarian and German so if you can’t read either it can be a little confusing. At the bottom of the stairs you’ll find a touch by on the wall, where you can touch your wristband to be allocated on a locker number. Once you have changed, you must pass through the shower rooms and go up the stairs on the other side to reach the pool complex.

The polls are clean and recently well presented, and contrary to what you might expect the main fun pool isn’t full of rowdy children, but full of people of all ages having a good time. It’s not huge but there’s plenty of space, with excellent bubble and massage jets, a separate Jacuzzi and a very powerful lazy river.

There is also a large water slide with a little surprise halfway down. The outdoor pools are a little cooler but pleasant though best enjoyed in the summer months when all other pools are open and the outdoor poolside areas can be enjoyed. The hottest baths are separated from main fun pool by a turn stile and are hot enough that once you might want will ever get out. A short massage jets they aren’t particularly powerful they seem to hardly ever switched them on. The best jets are actually in a smaller pool tucked away behind the wall at the back, where you will also find and row of 2 metre deep wells at the edge to submerge your full body in the thermal waters.

Best Thing

The family friendly atmosphere makes the fun time for all.

The Worst Thing

The jets in the thermal pool aren’t well maintained and are far too infrequent.

Top Tip

Go in the summer months to make the most of the outdoor thermal baths, which effectively double the size of the complex and no extra cost.

Rating:

Where to Stay

Luxury – Rogner Hotel & Spa Lotus Therme *****

Midrange - Hotel Napsugar ***

Budget - Hotel Sante ***

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Most bathing takes place from bath house in the centre of the lake, where you get the slightly odd choice to swim indoors or outdoors. The indoor pools are a few degrees warmer, but are actually just covered parts of the lake with some railings for you to hang on to.

If you have visited other thermal baths then you may be surprised that it is not particularly warm, but you must remember that it is a natural lake, which all year round is kept at a temperature comfortable enough to swim in. This obviously means that it’s a lot warmer in peak summer than in winter, but summer also means that the lake can become overgrown with lotus plants, so April or May are good months to visit.

Honestly speaking the indoor pools are quite dingy as they are below the main floor level between the supporting concrete pillars. It feels a bit like swimming in a multi storey car park that has been flooded with warm water. That said, Hévíz is really about the lake outside, which has abundant space to swim or float around, and apart from the lilies and some bits of peat floating about, the water is extremely clean. It is a nice experience to drift around in the open air, with so much space that you don’t feel crowded like in some other thermal baths.

The nature of the lake means that it is deep throughout so there are no shallow areas near the edges if you’re hoping to come along for a paddle. They have installed a few railings and benches in the lake so that you have something to hold on to but there aren’t many and even very tall people are unlikely to be able to touch the bottom, so unless you are very strong swimmer you should bring a float or inflatable ring, otherwise you could end up just clinging to the edge and not really enjoying it. There are plenty of shops in Hévíz town selling various types of floats and you can rent inflatable rings from inside the spa itself. Equipped with one though you can lie back and enjoy, with the lake surrounded by lush trees and the newly renovated wooden buildings sitting beautifully in and around the lake.

A few things to note when planning your trip are that children under 12 are not allowed for safety reasons, and similarly the lake closes at 6pm, so make sure you get there in time. A standard 3hour ticket costs around 2000ft. If you have children then you should check out the nearby Kehida Termal.

Other Facilities

The Hévíz lake has a cafe in the central bath house with a range of cooked meals and some rather tempting cakes. There is also a decent cafe on land by the side of the lake next to an attractive lawn for sunbathing.

Best Thing

The experience of swimming outdoors in a natural lake without feeling cold.

Worst Thing

The indoor pools aren’t well contained, and you can easily end up swimming through concrete columns and scaffolding under the building which seems both unpleasant and somewhat dangerous.

Top Tip

Take a float with you or hire one there because it is very deep and there isn’t much to hold on to.

Summary

Beautiful warm natural lake with plenty of space to swim around and nicely renovated historic buildings. Just remember that it is a lake, and you will need to be open to everything that goes with that.

Rating

Where to Stay

Luxury – Rogner Hotel & Spa Lotus Therme *****

Midrange - Hotel Napsugar ***

Budget - More accomodation in Heviz

The entry process is somewhat confusing if you don’t speak Hungarian but you’ll surely not be alone with plenty of other bamboozled tourists always comparing notes in the ticket halls. If you enter from the main entrance on the side of the Metro station then you’ll see the inside of the main ticket hall to have been beautifully renovated with spectacular mosaics lining the main dome above. It would be easy to miss if you didn’t know that they were there.

The ticket options are really the biggest hurdle for most visitors, and depending on which entrance you are at the options are different. In the main entrance, they offer tickets to the steam baths, and in the rear entrance they offer tickets to the swimming baths. The prices are actually the same (2800 forints), and you’ll end up in the same place, but we would recommend entry to the less spectacular rear entrance (opposite the circus), because they give you an option of a private changing cabin for 400 forints, which you can share if you’re a couple. If you do enter this way, then once inside you’ll need to wait for a lady dressed in white to come and allocate you your cabin. You don’t get a key, but a tag with a number on which you must show her each time you want to lock or unlock your cabin. It’s therefore a good idea to save time and confusion by thinking carefully about what you leave in the cabin. It’s quite normal for people to carry bags into the bath areas with them, so you may want to carry in items like suncream, shampoo, drinks and towels so that you don’t have to keep popping back to the changing rooms. Remember you are in a city though, so don’t leave any valuables lying around.

The Széchenyi Baths claim to be one of the largest medicinal baths in Europe, and it is very easy to believe with more thermal pools than you can count on your fingers and numerous steam rooms and saunas. The highlight for many are the two thermal outdoor pools, enclosed in a courtyard by the 18th century Turkish bathhouse, which shuts out the bustling city creating an oasis of calm. There is a warm pool at 30° C (34° C in winter), with a Jacuzzi and lazy river in the centre, and a steaming 38° C pool, where you’ll always find local men playing chess on the edges, clearly not bothered by the advised 20 minute maximum duration advised in this pool, with their backs burning red in the sun. This bath as well as some of the other very hot baths have a green tinge to them, and there is a certain amount of pond life floating around in places, which can be disconcerting but is nothing to worry about.

If you did enter through the swimming baths entrance, you could be forgiven for thinking that the three outdoor pools are all there is, but go up one of the two staircases into the Turkish bathhouse, and you’ll find a labyrinth of indoor pools and saunas. The pools vary in size and range in temperature from a scorching 40° C down to what feels like an icy 20° C.
Other Facilities

There are numerous steam rooms and saunas, with temperatures in some going as high as 70° C. There is a canteen selling drinks and some typically Hungarian fried buffet foods, as well as a pleasant raised gallery for relaxing outdoors looking over the pools. A range of small private baths and treatments are also available for additional fees.

Best Thing

The sheer number of different pools is unrivalled and will keep you busy for hours.

Worst Thing

The level of cleanliness is a bit mixed. Most of it is pretty clean, but there are some parts that feel a little manky.

Top Tip

No matter how much you love the warmth of the thermal pools, it’s worth plucking up the courage to try dipping in one of the cold pools after you have soaked up enough heat. Do it once, just for the experience.

Summary

The Széchenyi Baths in Budapest are grand in both scale and aesthetics, but not at all ostentatious, with a very laid-back, jovial atmosphere making it the perfect place to come and relax away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Rating:

Where to Stay

Luxury – Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal *****

Midrange - Town Hall Apartments ****

Budget - Grand Hostel

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