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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In the meantime, if you want a more modern spa experience then you can stay at one of Budapest’s thermal spa Hotel’s such as Helia, or the Danubius thermal Hotel on the beautiful Margit Island from where you can easily access all that the city has to offer.

Other Activities
The wonderful thing about Budapest is that in addition to our fantastic selection of thermal baths, you also have everything that you expect from a historic capital city, but without the crowds that you will find in the cities like London and Paris.

The city is split by the River Danube into two distinct halves. The main city centre in Pest is almost completely flat and has a fantastic range of shops and restaurants. It is also home to the city park and its Art Deco Zoo, as well as a wide range of museums and galleries that can all be accessed easily by tram or Metro. On the other side of the river are the hills of Buda, where you will find a spectacular of Royal Palace towers over the city from chapter. The castle area is one of the oldest and the most beautiful parts of Budapest, listed by UNESCO as a world Heritage site. From here you can visit the famous fisherman’ Bastien where you will get stunning views over River Danube, Parliament and the city beyond.

The unusual thing about Budapest is that despite being a thriving, vibrant city, on the Buda of side you have lush countryside on your doorstep with the Buda hills just a short bus ride away. Here you can go hiking, take a trip on the children straight away and climbed to the top of Erzsabet lookout tower from where you can see the entire city.

Where to stay
There is no shortage of places to stay in Budapest. For a real luxury try thermal spa hotels on Margitsziget and the Helia Hotel, or try the historic Kempinski or four seasons Gresham Palace in the city centre, both of which are absolutely stunning.

For middle range of accommodation Budapest has all of the usual chain hotels, local hotels such as Passage Hotel and Boutique Hotel Zara have more charm.

If you are on tight budget apartment hotels are now common in the city and as well as being good value, they also allow you to self cater. Check out Aboriginal Budapest Apartments or Dunaflat, who have a collection of real apartments in the city centre.

Where to eat and drink
Hungarian food is not for the health-conscious, with almost everything being deep-fried, but some of their specialties such as Chicken Paprika, Goulash soup and Langos can be quite delicious. For an excellent taste of Hungarian Ford try cafe Kor on Sas Utca.

If deep-fried meat isn’t your thing, don’t worry. Budapest is full of restaurants with international cuisines including Italian Indian Chinese and Japanese easily available.

The best Italian food can be found at Arany Janos Utca at Tratoria Pomo’doro. Advanced bookings is often required but it’s well worth it and very good value for a restaurant of its standard. There are also a two branches of Okay Italia near the Nyugati station, which serve very good Italian food.

As a general rule, keep away from overpriced tourist traps along Vaci Utca and instead look in the side street near St Stephen’s Basilica and around Liszt Ferenc Ter, for really good restaurants.

The city is full of good coffee houses, and you will find good bars on every street where you can try the rather revolting national drink of Hungary, is Zwack’s Unicom.

How to get there:
By Plane: Budapest’s International airport is well connected with flight around the world, and low-cost airlines within Europe such as easyJet and the Hungarian Malev.

By train: Budapest is just a few hours by train from the Austrian capital Vienna, and it’s also connected with other major cities such as Bratislava, Warsaw and Bucharest.

Visit www.mav.hu for train information.

By coach: the international carrier of Eurolines run coaches to Budapest from major cities all over Europe.

By car: as with any major city, it can be that the intense driving experience within the city boundaries, but parking is easily available in the city and at most hotels. It depends where you are coming from, but the easiest way to drive into Budapest is downed and M7 motorways from Vienna.

You will need to buy motorway tax before you get on the motorway. Look for the signs at petrol stations that say Matrica/Vignette.

By boat: from April to October, you can travel to Budapest by hydrofoil from Vienna bound the River Danube.

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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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Heviz, Hungary Spa City Guide

The thermal lake is certainly the focal point and highlight of Heviz but there is more to it as a spa holiday destination. Within the town of Heviz itself, there are a number of cocktails with their own thermal baths complex this, which provide a refreshing contrast to the deep waters of the lake. The main thermal hotels at the 5-star Rogner Hotel and Spa Lotus Therme, 4-star Naturmed Carbona Hotel and the 4-star Danubius Heviz thermal Hotel, but there are also plenty of more affordable hotels in town.

If you are not staying at thermal Hotel and want to spend some time in a modern thermal baths complex, or if you want somewhere more child friendly then you can visit the nearby Kehida thermal or the thermal furdo Zaelerszeg, which is particularly good in summer when the neighbouring aqua city water park is open.

Other Activities in Heviz

There is plenty to do in Heviz, especially as it has some of the best weather in Europe in spring and summer. The town is just a few miles away from Lake Balaton, where you can paid on the southern shores, try a variety of watersports including sailing and windsurfing, or just relaxing in one of the lake view cafes. The lake is also popular fishing destination and there are miles of good-quality cycle paths and quiet lanes through the beautiful surrounding countryside.

Where to stay in Heviz

If you want the full thermal spa expedients then one of the luxury thermal hotels such as the 5-star Rogner Hotel and Spa Lotus Therme, 4-star Naturmed Carbona Hotel and the 4-star Danubius Heviz thermal Hotel is perfect.
If you want something a bit more affordable then check out Hotel Erszebet or OrEL Apartments.
View our full list of Heviz Hotels.

Where to Eat and Drink

For excellent authentic Hungarian food you should try the restaurant at the far end of the car park in the town centre. They also serve good home-made pizzas. For drinks there are many cafes and bars in town, including the very stylish cafe hanga on Szechenyi Utca.

How to get there

By car: Heviz can be easily reached by car within a few was from Budapest by driving straight down the M7 motorway. It is also relatively easy to drive from Austria and cities of Graz and Vienna.

By train: Regular trains run from the capital city Budapest to Kezthely, at the end of the lake Balaton.
From there you will need to take a bus or taxi the last few miles into Heviz. Check www.mav.hu for train details.

By aeroplane: Heviz itself does have a small airport with regular Lufthansa flights from Germany. If you are travelling from father afield though it’s probably best to fly into Budapest or Vienna and then rent a car.

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

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For more information please visit www.bad-zalakaros.hu
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Here are our top honeymoon thermal spa destinations:

Andorra la vella – Andorra

Andorra is the home to Caldea thermal spa, one of Europe’s largest health spa’s, with over 6000 square metres of pools and its standing futuristic architecture set it perfectly between the mountain peaks of the Pyrenees. The town of Andorra la Vella itself is Europe’s most exclusive mountain resorts with numerous luxury hotel’s providing an ideal place for some winter skiing, summer walking, or just sitting back and enjoying the views.

Langenfeld – Austria

If you really want to get away from it all and enjoy total tranquillity on your honeymoon, then the Aqua Dome in the small village of Langenfeld in Austria is the perfect place. Located deep in the Otztal Valley, you can breathe clean mountain air with spectacular views of snow-capped mountains from the indoor and outdoor thermal baths. It is an easy drive from Innsbruck if you want a fix of the city, and you can also enjoy the world’s largest alpine roller coaster at the bottom of the valley in Imst. If you are looking for luxury, then you can stay at the Four-star Aqua Dome Hotel, or the nearby NaturHotel WaldKlaus.

Heviz – Hungary

For something a bit different, the town of Heviz in western Hungary may be worth a look. It’s famous for being home to Europe’s largest thermal lake, which itself is quite an experience, but there is much more going on. You can also enjoy a more relaxing thermal spa experience in the Five-star Rogner Thermal Hotel or at the Four-star Carbona Hotel, or a drive a few miles down the road to Kehida Termal. You will also find yourself on the doorstep of Lake Balaton, where you can bathe on the southern shores, enjoy water sports and take in beautiful scenery of the region. It is also just a few was by train or car (from Kezthely) to the capital of Budapest, and has some of Europe is most reliably sunny weather in spring and summer.

Budapest – Hungary

The capital city of Hungary, Budapest is an ideal honeymoon destination for city lovers. Full of great shops, restaurants, parks and architecture, it also has a huge number of thermal bath’s to help you relax from the hustle and bustle. The best of these is the Széchenyi baths, which have around 15 thermal pools and these are set in the attractive Széchenyi Park, easily reached by Metro. There are plenty of luxury hotels in the city such as the spectacular Four Seasons, but also for the full spa experience you should try one of the Danubius Hotels at the Gellert, Margitsziget and Helia.

If you have visited a thermal spa on your honeymoon, we’d love to you to share your experiences by contacting us or leaving a comment to this post.

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