Interesting legends behind the most well-known baths in Hungary

There is hardly anything better than visiting the famous Hungarian thermal and medicinal waters during the cold winter, and luckily, the country has no opponents as far as the number of these baths is concerned. Magyarorszagkul.nlcafe.hu reports that it is not only medicinal waters in which Hungary is abundant but in anecdotes concerning these establishments, as well. Let’s check out some of these amusing legends that you most probably have not heard of before.

1. Lake Hévíz and the girl who is only remembered for her face

There are many fabulous stories related to Lake Hévíz, one of which is the story of Sándor Rezi who fell in love with the daughter of the castle’s master. He saw his beloved lady every day leaning on her elbow and staring out of the window, and he was so amazed by her beautiful face, that he even fought for this dear woman.

However, when they could eventually meet, he realised that the reason why the lady was sitting so much in the window was that she was paralysed. The legend goes that the young couple settled down on the coast of Lake Hévíz, that was advised to them by a fortune teller gipsy woman, and, miracle of miracles, the lady recovered after bathing much in the lake.

2. Gellért bath and the mysterious hermit

This legend tells about a strange hermit living in one of the caves of Gellért Hill who was also considered to be a witch doctor. His patients came to a hot spring at the foot of the hill where the hermit cured them by using his mystical curing method.

Until the 19th century, the hotspring was quite silty, that is why it was considered to be effective as medicinal water.

The 1st thermal bath set up in this place was in the 13th century until which the hot spring was accessible to everyone. And if you would wonder what stands today in this place, it is no surprise that it is the Gellért Thermal Bath. 🙂

3. Széchenyi Bath and the hippopotami

There is quite a common rumour in Budapest that the water of the Széchenyi Bath is used by the Budapest Zoo, too, to fill up the pools of the hippopotami. It is an interesting legend, but is it true? 🙂

In fact, it is. The 2 hippopotami, Tücsök and Jusztina (daughter and mother), currently living in the Zoo, also enjoy the benefits of the medicinal water just like human beings.

Furthermore, both the inside and the outside pools of the animals can be filled up with this water. The water pipe, connecting the two establishments, was already built before the war, but it does not mean that the Zoo only uses this water every time they have to fill up the pools of the animals. In fact, the zookeepers also have to add some cold water, since the temperature of the thermal water is around 70 °C that would be too hot for the animals.

4. Hajdúszoboszló and the sea

Around 100 years ago, people were searching for natural gas in Hajúszoboszló, and during one of these drillings, besides natural gas, water erupting from deep down also came to the surface. This was referred to as “hot gold” which had a distinctive smell and brown colour.