The River Danube once formed the eastern boundary of the Roman Empire – the area today known as Transdanubia was at that time the province of Pannonia. Its capital was Aquincum (from the Latin aqua, meaning water) in what is now Budapest. Archaeologists have unearthed 21 Roman baths in this area: remains of fine mosaics remind us that bathing has been part of this region’s culture for over 2,000 years. Hungary fell to the Turks in the 16th century. Is it possible that the Ottomans invaded – and stayed for 150 years – because they were attracted by the abundance of thermal water?! Some of the Turkish baths they built during their occupation – including those in Eger, and the Rác and Rudas in Budapest – are still functioning today.

The Baths and Wellness Centre at Gyula is situated in the mature grounds of a stately home, next to Hungary’s only medieval brick-built castle. Many country mansions have been restored and converted into luxury hotels, and the best of these offer a range of modern health-related services and facilities. Guests staying at the country-house hotels in Parádsasvár,Röjtökmuzsaj, Hőgyész and Bikal can expect to be treated like royalty!

Budapest - Spa City

So beautiful is Budapest that several areas of the city have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites – including the romantic Danube riverscape and the Parisian boulevard of Andrássy út. Over 100 of Hungary’s mineral springs emerge in Budapest, and half of these feed the city’s thermal baths. Two of the grandest bathing complexes – the Széchenyi and the Gellért– date from the turn of the 20th century, when many large-scale architectural projects were commissioned to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of the Magyar Conquest.

Unique Places

The largest thermal lake in the world that is suitable for bathing is located at Hévíz, in western Hungary. The water temperature never drop below 79°F/26°C – even in the depths of winter – and the lake is surrounded by hotels and sanatoria.

Miskolctapolca, in the northeast of the country, boasts a unique cave lake. Situated on a geological fault line on the edge of the Bükk Hills, it is the site of both cold karst- and hot-water springs.

There is also a new spa hotel at Egerszalók; the steaming terraces of snow-white calcium crystals on the green hillside are a spectacle to behold.

HAJDUSZOBOSZLO

The first establishment of the bath – which may be visited in our days as well – opened its gates to the visitors on July 26, 1927.

From the start till our days

The establishment in the beginning was only suitable for bathing, but already at that time the initiative was started, which established the foundations of the future of curing under medical supervision. Scientific examination of the thermal water certified that the composition of the sea located below Hajdúszoboszló is extraordinarily unique.

The opinion of well known researches reflects this. „The water of Hajdúszoboszló is unique in its class. Waters of similar composition and temperature are unknown” – said Dr. János Bodnár (1889-1953) chemical professor, while according to Dr. Zoltán Dalmady (1880-1934)„The water of Hajdúszoboszló can be considered to be a five times diluted sea water, and it is nothing else, but the recalled ghost of the sea of the Triassic Age”. Since the opening of the open air bath in 1927 the spa changed significantly. Thanks to continuous developments, there are three covered pools of different temperatures at present, while in the open air there are four additional pools equipped with specific adventure elements awaiting the guests. Thanks to the comprehensive reconstruction of year 2002 the complete building was fully renewed. The renewal of the building of the spa, the extension of the treatment rooms and the establishment of the resting sites provide ideal conditions for the full recreation and recuperation of the guests.

Composition of the thermal water, areas of its utilisation

Recuperation that may be experienced upon applying the thermal water is due to the composition of the spa of Hajdúszoboszló. The water contains in the largest quantity Sodium Chloride commonly called kitchen salt and Ammonium-Chloride commonly called “salmiac”. Its additional ingredients include bromine and iodine, carbonates, nitrates and other chemical elements, such as e.g. lithium, iron or magnesium. In the spa of Hajdúszoboszló the guests may request – in addition to bath treatments – 40 different therapies, which exert their best effect if they are applied combined with each other. The most well known therapeutic treatments of the spa include bath therapy, mud packing, weight bath, and tangential under water massage treatment. The massaging methods applied by the massage therapists further enhance the efficiency of the above mentioned treatments.