Land of Waters
10 September 2019
The small town of Makó in Hungary, famous for its excellent onions, has a veritable thermal bath complex in the town centre. On a plot of 12 thousand square metres, the complex offers 18 different pools, 8 kinds of saunas, a steam cabin as well as leisure, therapeutic and wellness services, offering visitors an unforgettable recreational experience.
In a plot that was the yard of the Makó District Council at the time, a well was drilled in 1956, and the hole yielded thermal water at 41 degrees Celsius. After the discovery, a pool was built around the well, followed by the construction of the Makó Bath from 1961 with a thermal water pool, a leisure pool, a children’s pool and a sunbathing terrace added as the years went by.
The medicinal section of the bath was opened in 1982, and the thermal water was officially declared to have medicinal qualities in 1988. Shortly afterwards, the beneficial effects of mud from the Maros river were discovered, and the facility was extended to include additional medical services based on them.
The most beautiful building of the bath, known as the Hagymatikum (’Onionicum’) was designed by the celebrated architect Imre Makovecz: it was his last work, completed in 2012. The complex, with its characteristic cupolas, also has a spectacular interior, ornamented with stylised heads, angel’s wings and plant motifs. The tree of life in the middle of the leisure pools and the windows towards the sky make for unforgettable visits.
The baths offer 18 pools, including an adventure pool with a 75-metre slide, a flowing river section, geysers, as well as a wave pool and a relaxation pool. The atmosphere of rainforests is brought to life in the cave pool with various sound and light effects. In addition, there is a training pool, a 33-metre standard swimming pool and two children’s pools to serve visitors.
The wellness section offers massages, beauty treatments, saunas and resting areas for those seeking leisure and recreation. The Hagymatikum Bath at Makó is a superb choice for children, adults, families as well as those seeking healing or recreation.
30 km from Budapest, Hungary, near the town of Vác and the village of Sződliget, there is a hidden treasure: a romantic little fishpond that is a veritable entrance to the world of fairy tales. The lake’s shore is composed of a series of tiny coves, with idyllic little lodges of reeds and wood hidden under the gigantic floodplain trees.
The Hungarian Museum of Science, Technology and Transport has digitized and published a unique collection of Balaton photos on its website. The material primarily documents the lakeside works and the construction of harbours that took place between the two world wars, and the social conditions of the labourers who worked by the lake.
Lake Balaton and its environs are rewarding photographic themes in every season: along with the lake itself, the surrounding landscapes are also astonishingly beautiful. The natural areas and the hidden wildlife around the lake are favoured themes for many photographers – and the autumn sunrise lends a spectacular splendour to the Balaton Uplands and Mount Badacsony, captured this time by Josef Jordan.
The Old Lake at Tata is Hungary’s oldest artificial lake, created before the Hungarian conquest by building a dam across the Átal-ér Stream. There is a comfortable footpath around the lake, but it is a popular destination not only with hikers but also with migratory birds. Tens of thousands of wild geese and ducks spend the autumn and the winter on the lake.
Lake Fertő is an increasingly popular destination for nature-lovers: it has a cycle path all around it, many exciting beauty spots, atmospheric small towns and inviting, beautiful landscapes. Although it lies partly in Hungary and partly in Austria, the open border means that the Fertő Region still forms a single unit.
The Sárvár Medicinal and Wellness Spa, completed in 2002, is the largest bath complex in Western Transdanubia. The spa offers thermal pools, giant slides, kiddie pools, a climbing wall and wellness services to entertain visitors looking for relaxation and recreation.
Along the with its pools of thermal water for those seeking its therapeutic effects, the unique Miskolctapolca Cave Bath also offers visitors an opportunity to bathe in naturally formed cave passages and chambers.
The most famous sight of the town of Tapolca is hidden underground and may be explored in an extraordinary fashion. The Tapolca cave lake, unique in Hungary, is not famous for its spectacular stalactites and stalagmites, but the underground boating that it offers.
There is a special lake near Oroszlány, Hungary, by the foothills of the Vértes Mountain: meandering wooden piers and boardwalks lead to the small, red, blue and yellow cabins floating on the water. The Bokodi Lake is the artificial lake of the Vértes Power Station, but it offers a living
fairy-tale world for visitors.
Riverbanks with ancient trees, a diverse birdlife, branches arching over the water: amazing backwaters await nature lovers along the Tisza River outside the town of Mártély in Csongrád County.
