New plans for the world’s largest water park at Lake Balaton

Balatomszemes could be the new site for the world’s largest water park, sonline.hu reports. The original plans placed the 100-hectare water entertainment centre on the northern shore of Lake Balaton, between Balatonfűzfő and Balatonalmádi.

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Péter Gulyás, inventor and project leader of the Aqua Regnum Hungary has confirmed the media rumours about the relocation of the water park.

“Indeed, it seems like the southern shore will be the destination of the project, but I cannot share further information until negotiations are finished. The stakes are high, since the town, where the Aqua Regnum Hungary is registered, will receive the local tax revenues of the estimated 65 billion HUF [€209 million] the park will generate.”

Allegedly, two locations on the southern shore are being considered, and although Gulyás has not disclosed these, Balatonszemes could be one of them, sonline.hu writes. The mayor of Balatonszemes confirmed that they have received a proposition regarding the water park.

“The plans require a 100-hectare area and Balatonszemes has such a suitable, unpopulated land. We have been planning a thermal bath for years, but have been unable to acquire the necessary financial aid. The entertainment centre might seem like an impossibly big and expensive project, but I would be glad if it was built in our town, or in any other part of the south shore. We have been saying it for a long time that Balaton needs attractions other than the lake itself.”

It is not certain why the relocation of the park is being considered, since the town boards of Balatonfűzfő and Balatonalmádi have both discussed the project and expressed their support. According to Péter Gulyás, there is a 98% chance that the investment becomes a reality. Moreover, a big hotel chain would accompany the park with several hotels, once the location is decided.

István Bóka, head of the Lake Balaton Development Council, says that the financial plans for the park seem unrealistic, and the project is not suitable for the local environment. He says the idea could be realised anywhere without disturbing the lakeside areas.

In February, balatontipp.hu reported on the initial plans for the water park. The inspiration came from the Eden Project, a greenhouse complex in Cornwall, UK, which uses a similar structure as the one envisioned for the Aqua Regnum Hungary. However, the water park would be 40 times as big as the British arboretum, making the 1.7 kilometre long and 500-900 metre wide structure the largest facility of its kind in the world.

The water park would be open all year round and would offer activities such as medicinal thermal baths of all the thermal springs of the Carpathian Basin, hidromassage pools, saunas, ice baths, and a cave bath directly connected to Balaton. They would also provide opportunities for swimming, water skiing, skating, surfing, canoeing and kayaking, as well as entertainment such as a water circus and theatre, and a freshwater mega-aquarium, just to mention a few. The costs of making all this happen are estimated to be over 700 billion HUF, approximately €2.3-2.5 billion.

Photos: facebook.com/ILoveBalatonszemes; balatontipp.hu

Copy editor: bm

Source: sonline.hu; balatontipp.hu