The top Hungarian destinations where you can combine dipping in nature with a spa experience

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How would you like a pleasant swim in nature? Dipping in the water of cooling lakes, rivers and dead channels is even better after a thermal bath experience. There are several baths, spas in the country, where you can also enjoy the power of natural waters. Termalfurdo.hu collected some great options for you.

The news that inspired the original article was the report of the European Commission, according to which 71% of Hungary’s bathing-places with natural waters are of excellent quality. So why not visit them? 😉

For instance, it’s worth visiting Göd, which is called the “Gate of the Danube Bend”. There aren’t too many legal public beaches along the main arm of the river, but the ones at Göd are very pleasant, elaborated and well-built. Besides the popular pebbly section, you should also visit the romantic and mysterious Homoksziget (Sand Island), which is basically a mini Riviera. After or before your swim in the river, soak yourself in the thermal bath of Göd.

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Csongrád and Szentes lie 10 kilometres from each other, so it’s recommended to visit the beautiful estuary of Csongrád and the Szentes Recreation Centre at the same time. The public beach of the city, which is the widest sandy beach of Hungary, can be found at the meeting point of River Tisza and Körös. Lifeguards watch over the safety of guests during the season, and there’s also a separate beach section for children.

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The other stop of the journey, the Szentes Recreation Centre welcomes guests with different pools, slides and a local thermal spring. There are thermal pools of 42-38-35° Celsius, three swimming pools, one pool for kids equipped with experience elements, a paddling-pool and water slides of different difficulty levels. After exploring the pools, you can relax in one of the saunas.

Another great destination is Lake Velence. If you choose to start the day by bathing at the beach, you can relax on the “health island” of the Agárd Thermal Bath and Spa in the evening. Visitors are welcomed with thermal water, regenerating and entertaining sections, family pools and sauna worlds. The bath’s water coming from a depth of 1000 metres is perfect for curing the symptoms of rheumatism, musculoskeletal diseases, certain gynaecological issues and surgical pain.

Photo By Susulyka (Own work) CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When going on holiday to Lake Balaton, you probably don’t even think about thermal baths, where you could survive colder days or finish off a day spent at the beach. The Galerius Bath and Wellness Centre of Siófok is the home of diverse recreational services. Besides the standard pools and saunas, the complex welcomes guests with kids’ pools, a toyhouse, slides, an experience pool, thermal pools, relax rooms and two sauna worlds.

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If you happen to pass by Barcs, don’t miss the unique experience of dipping in the water of River Drava. The local public beach has a guest hall, where you can do sports, cook and even go camping in the parkland. You can complete the experience by visiting the Thermal Bath and Recreation Centre of Barcs, which welcomes guests wanting to relax and heal all year around.

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Last but not least, there’s a lido close to Budapest: Lake Palatinus in Esztergom. On the city front of the lake, small vacation houses form a line with separate piers. The atmosphere created by them is just lovely, but the real wonder is the relief and landscape surrounding the lake. The Aquasziget Esztergom is within reach of the lake, so you should definitely visit it. It offers a wide variety of bathing and sporting opportunities from Turkish bath, fitness hall to wellness sections. The traditional Turkish bath of the complex, the Hamam helps you relax and detoxify. The renewal of the body and soul is guaranteed 🙂