Hungary has a thermal bath culture dating back to 2000 years. Ruins of baths from the Roman times and archaeological findings show that Romans have already used the thermal waters of Hungary. Turkish invaders also liked to make use of hot waters. There are many thermal baths from the Turkish times, such as the remnants of a bath in Pécs, and parts of the Rudas, the Császár and the Rácz Bath in Budapest. Even today, Hungarian thermal water has an international fame.Hungary’s medicinal waters contain important minerals and besides bathing, it can also be drunk. There are approximately 1000 wells in the country with water warmer than 30 Celsius. Each region in Hungary has such wells but almost three quarter of them is located on the Great Plains.
Hungary has 150 hot-watered medicinal baths. Some of them such as Lake Hévíz contain radioactive substance, for instance radon. Others contain sulphur-acid, salt-bromide, iodide. The 4-hectare Lake Hévíz is the largest medicinal lake in Europe with an average temperature of 33 Celsius. Miskolc-tapolca on the North-Eastern part of Hungary is the biggest cave lake on the continent.
Harkány in the Western part of Hungary (near Pécs) and Hajdúszoboszló (close to Debrecen) in the East are also known as famous spa resorts. In the West, in Zala county there are many other medicinal baths, for example: Zalakaros and Kehidakustány. Also on the western part, Sárvár and Bükfürdő worth a visit, the latter is also famous for it’s well-preserved medieval castle. Those who suffer from locomotor diseases may find cure in Szeged, in the medicinal water of the Anna Bath which contains natrium-hydrogen-carbonate. 20 kilometres away from there, in Mórahalom, rheumatic problems can be treated in the recently renovated bath. The bath of Gyula in the South is situated in the park of castle which is the only preserved brick castle of Europe. The thermal water of Gyula is good for treating locomotor diseases, neuritis, gynecological problems and for rehabilitation.
Out of Budapest's two dozen baths, 13 are thermal baths.
In the last few years the Hungarian government paid special attention to the renovation of the Hungarian thermal baths by allocating significant national and EU sources to this purpose. Simultaneously, besides the renovation of old baths many other thermal establishments are being built.
