5 romantic date ideas for when it’s cold outside

Hiking in the most beautiful panorama of the country, warming up next to the fireplace in the company of a snuggly black cat, getting to know each other and the world of teas in a Japanese teahouse, Thai massage, wild goose lookout, wine bath – a few ideas for the perfect winter date. Travelo.hu collected five romantic date ideas and programmes for cold weather.

There is even something to love about the misty, freezing November: it is the ultimate time for cuddling. The ingredients of the perfect date: romance over some steaming tea, warming up by the fireplace after a big walk and sweating together in the sauna. Let’s see some date ideas!

Hiking to the new lookout-tower of Prédikálószék

Hungary’s newest lookout-tower was inaugurated on the 639 metre high peek of the Visegrád Mountains. The top level is at 9 metres and it offers one of the most beautiful panoramas in the country: you can see the neighbourhood of the Danube Bend from Esztergom to the Visegrád Citadel. Hiking to such a beautiful spot with your significant other is definitely a good idea – even in the winter if dressed up well.

When planning the route of the excursion, you should definitely touch upon Dobogókő, which is relatively close. There, on top of the ski-run, you can find the romantic Zsindelyes Guesthouse designed by Imre Makovecz. The place looks a bit bizarre from the outside, but it welcomes you with a homely environment, classic meals, hot drinks, open-fire fireplace and big black cat.

Tea ceremony in Budapest

It’s misty or rainy outside? There’s nothing better than snuggling up in a warm room and enjoying the warmness with a steaming tea in our hands. If you haven’t had proper tea yet, you should visit a professional teahouse, where you can get to know a whole new world. Cosy interior, delicious flavours and smells, and constant happenings – sounds like a pretty interesting first date.

You can get lost in the world of Chinese teas in the Zhao Zhou Tea Room in Lánchíd Street, while you can get absorbed in Japanese teas and the traditional tea ceremony in the Marumoto Tea Room not far from Saint Stephen’s Basilica.

Tete-á-tete wellness

Bathing, enjoying the sauna and different massages – some of the best programmes of the winter. Naturally, you don’t have to go to a sauna on the first date, but a couple’s massage, a sauna séance or bathing together can bring a little colour into long-term relationships. While tourists go crazy about our historic thermal baths, Hungarians tend to forget about them due to the wellness-weekend fever.

Árpád Bath

There are patinated spas outside of Budapest as well, for instance, the art nouveau Árpád Bath in Székesfehérvár, which was renovated a few years ago. It even has a special offer for couples with massage, drinks and bathing. There is another special bath in the other part of country: the white building of the neo-renaissance Anna Bath of Szeged simply can’t be ignored. It was named after the well found on its side, which’s water can be tasted from the drinking-fountain. It used to be a public bath, but it functions as a thermal bath since its renovation.

Anna Bath

No matter which Hungarian bath centre you choose, the great experience is guaranteed!

Wild goose lookout in Tata

Conservationists organise a festival at the coast of the Lake Öreg of Tata every November in honour of the wild geese. The festival will be held on the 25^th and 26^th of November this year. If you don’t mind others admiring the birds as well, then this can be a super programme for you. But if you’d rather avoid the crowd, then you could visit Tata later, as the birds will stay there until March.

Photo: Wiki Commons by By József Süveg

The 220 hectare Lake Öreg is kept count of as Hungary’s oldest artificial fishpond. The wild geese coming from the Eurasian tundra return there every November to spend the winter and go back to their northern hatcheries at the end of February-beginning of March. The geese crowds offer a fantastic spectacle, not to mention that we can witness very rare species, like the red-necked goose, the ring-necked goose or the nun goose.

If you’d like to carry on walking after the lookout, visit Tata’s less famous lake, Lake Cseke, and the recently renovated British Park. Travelo.hu recommends Platán restaurant for dinner, because it is led by Hungary’s most beautifully serving chef, István Pesti. They also have a guest house if you feel like staying overnight.

Wine tour in Villány

Even though vine-harvest has ended, you can still go hiking to wine regions. In fact, this is exactly the time for wine tours due to the new wine and St. Martin Day feasts. For instance, there’s going to be St. Martin day cellar tour in the monumental cellar row of Villánykövesd. There’s also going to be a new wine celebration in the Bock Winery on the 11^th and 12^th of November, and a new wine goose feast on the Vylyan Terrace between the 8^th and 13^th of November.

But you could also taste amazing wines in the lobby of Bock Winery at any other time of the year, or sink into a tub of Villány red wine in the wellness section of the Crocus Gere Hotel, or try out the new hamburger place in the Cabernet Hotel of Villánykövesd.

Photos: www.parkerdo.hu, www.facebook.com/Anna-fürdő, SzékesfehérváriÁrpádFürdő, CrocusGereBorHotel&Resort

Copy editor: bm

Source: http://travelo.hu/