Miskolc’s cave bath, destroyed by fire two years ago, will reopen on 20 August, including its outdoor pools, the city’s mayor announced on Facebook on Wednesday evening. They mayor of the city also gave update about the pollution that coloured local Szinva stream orange yesterday.
Hungary’s world-famous cave bath reopening
József Tóth-Szántai (Pont Mi Association – Fidesz–KDNP) thanked residents for their patience and trust, writing: “Months of work lie behind us, but we are now in the final stretch.” Earlier this month, during a press tour, Tamás Horváth, technical lead on the restoration project, had predicted a September reopening, depending on the results of wet testing. He stressed at the time that the project involved not merely post-fire reconstruction but broader development, the Hungarian news agency wrote.
According to Horváth, all mechanical systems within the complex will be fully replaced ahead of reopening, alongside a comprehensive overhaul of ventilation systems and the boiler house. Underfloor heating is being installed in both the bath halls and the cave passages, the pool lining in the main hall is being reinforced, and the electrical network and lighting throughout the cave system are being completely renewed.
The roof structure of the therapeutic centre at the Miskolctapolca Cave Bath was destroyed by fire during the night of 6 September 2024. The blaze began on the second floor of the aqua therapy unit and spread to the roof, rendering the nearly 1,000-square-metre main building unusable. A subsequent fire investigation found that “a series of installation faults, coupled with a lack of maintenance and regulatory inspections”, had led to the incident.
Within a week of the fire, the former Ministry for National Economy issued a statement pledging full support for reconstruction. The municipality also opened a donation account, while Miskolc received 1.29 billion forints in extraordinary government funding to finance the first phase of rebuilding.
Updates concerning contamination colouring Szinva Stream orange
Contamination detected in the Miskolc section of the Szinva stream on Tuesday caused not only discolouration but a marked deterioration in water quality, the mayor said in a Facebook post on Wednesday afternoon.
Laboratory tests showed that levels of iron, manganese and organic pollutants at the point of discharge on the upper stretch of the stream through the city exceeded permissible limits several times over. Fish toxicity testing indicated that the discharged water had adverse, toxic effects on aquatic life.
Further downstream, near the Szinva Terrace in the city centre, lower values were recorded, suggesting that the pollution began to dilute as it moved along the watercourse. Specialists noted as a positive sign that a significant proportion of fish were able to escape the most affected areas.
However, smaller organisms living in the stream bed and sediment were likely to have been severely impacted.
More photos about the contamination: Miskolc, Lillafüred landmark Szinva stream turns orange; human error suspected
Ongoing investigations are expected to determine not only the immediate effects but also the longer-term consequences for the stream’s entire ecosystem.
The Szinva turned orange along its Miskolc section on Tuesday afternoon. Earlier, the mayor had indicated that the discolouration was likely caused by a technical fault during maintenance or by human error.
During maintenance work at the city’s district heating plant on Tatár Street, water containing iron oxide was drained from a steam-generating boiler and entered the stream, the mayor said.
Solvent harmful to foetal development detected in water reservoir at Komárom industrial park
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