With the onset of cold weather and with Egypt closed, our beachgoers with low incomes were overcome by despondency. Of course, there are plenty of places on the planet where you can swim to your heart’s content at any time of the year, but not everyone can afford them. Meanwhile, just two and a half hours flight from Vnukovo airport there is a completely budget thermal resort.
Lake Heviz and the adjacent town of the same name are located in the southwest of Hungary. This is the largest thermal reservoir in Europe with a very active healing “mineral water”, the composition of which would be unique if it were not for its analogue – Lake Rotorua in New Zealand. You can guess how much a flight to New Zealand and a vacation on Lake Rotorua will cost. But you can get to Heviz relatively cheaply – either from a travel agency or on your own.
The lowest prices for air tickets and accommodation are from October to mid-December, as well as from January 9 to the end of April. The greatest influx of vacationers, and, accordingly, an increase in prices – starting from Catholic Christmas and through the first ten days of January, and then from May to early September. Winters in Heviz are mild, the air temperature rarely drops below minus 3°C, while the water temperature in the lake remains at 22-26°C, and in the indoor swimming pool in the middle of the reservoir it is maintained at 32-38°C all year round.
Three main factors thanks to which Heviz has become popular among people with diseases of the musculoskeletal system: thermal water, peat mud and a unique microclimate. This video will tell you about them in more detail and competently:
The full range of procedures and related services, as well as prices for them, can be found on the resort’s website.
By the way, since most Russians today work either sitting (offices),
or standing (trade stores, etc.),
Swimming in Heviz water is also important for them – as a prevention of all kinds of scoliosis, chondrosis, problems with the spine, etc.
Where did the lotuses in the title come from? – They were brought from India about 100 years ago. Exotic flowers took root well in a foreign land and since then have delighted the eye with their unique beauty (plucking them is strictly prohibited). You can understand how much lotuses are revered here by looking at the official coat of arms of the city of Heviz:
Useful information for independent discoverers of Heviz
The fastest budget way to get to Heviz:
- Hungarian low-cost airline Wizzair, operating daily flights on the Moscow-Budapest route; flight time – 2 hours 35 minutes
- bus 200E from Budapest airport to the station. metro station Kőbánya-Kispest; departure every 5-10 minutes, travel time 20-25 minutes
- 4 metro stops to Népliget station (the name of the central bus station) – it will take at most 15-20 minutes.
- a comfortable Volánbusz bus from Nepliget to Heviz bus station; you need to choose flights from this particular carrier, then the travel time will be 2 hours 40 minutes, the usual “Ikarus” of other carriers “bow to every pillar”… however, the cashier in Nepliget will warn you about this.
The return trip to the airport will be more expensive, but faster. Since Wizzair planes depart from Budapest to Moscow at 6:05 am, buses and metro are no longer needed. It is best to gather a group of 4 to 8 people returning on the same flight and pool together to order a transfer from one of two tour operators – “1000 Roads” or “Robinson” (offices on the main street of Heviz; staff – Russian-speaking) . There are a lot of us here, so finding travel companions won’t be too difficult, it’s just better to take care of this issue in advance, talking to your compatriots in the bathhouse.
Another way: book a room in a Budapest hotel or even a hostel for the last day of your stay and at the same time order an online shuttle (website in English),
delivering passengers from anywhere in the Hungarian capital to the airport around the clock at an affordable price. This option gives you a day in Budapest, a short sleep in a normal bed and arrival at the airport at the right time.
And finally, the most economical and unpretentious ones can return to Budapest on the eve of departure by the last Volánbusz bus (departure from Heviz at 18:25),
then the metro and bus 200E, but in this case you will have to spend the night at the airport before check-in for the flight begins.
How to find the best housing option
The town of Heviz with a population of less than 5 thousand people can simultaneously accommodate 10 thousand guests. At the same time, despite its small size, it has all the necessary infrastructure – that is, it is literally “tailored” for tourists.
In addition to two dozen hotels of different stars (some of them have their own mud baths and spa complexes), almost all residential buildings are guest houses with separate 2-3-4-bed rooms priced from 9 to 15 euros/night per person. Each apartment is equipped with everything necessary for independent living, including separate kitchens and bathrooms. Breakfast can either be included in your booking (where available),
or cook yourself from purchased products, but I would recommend having lunch and dinner in the numerous cafes, taverns and restaurants that serve amazingly delicious Magyar dishes, desserts and wines.
It is better to book accommodation much in advance, that is, as soon as the start and end dates of the holiday become known. When looking for the best option, it is very important to pay attention to the rating and carefully read the reviews of guests who have already been here.
But housing has been found and booked. First of all, after moving in, carefully read the booklets and business cards that are in a visible place: the owners of many apartments have agreements with nearby cafes for a discount for their guests. The owners of some guest houses went even further, agreeing with the resort administration on a discount on the cost of swimming. It’s also not uncommon to have free swimming laps waiting for you on your beds.
Bad news: the owners of most apartments in Heviz speak German very well, but, alas, speak neither Russian nor English. Therefore, I recommend downloading “Google Translator” to your gadget, which quite successfully solves the problem of communicating with Hungarians.
Good news: in hotels, restaurants and cafes the Russian language is already in use, there will be no difficulties here. And knowledge of spoken English will help in communicating with local youth, who will willingly answer the questions “What? Where? How much?”.
Sights, entertainment, pleasures
The main street of Széchenyi can be walked at a leisurely pace from start to finish in a maximum of half an hour. From any corner of Heviz you can see the cross crowning the Church of the Holy Spirit in the center of the town. There are several more churches, much older than the main cathedral and very interesting in their own way. There are original monuments, for example, a very sexy nymph in the fountain installed between the city hall and the high school. I believe that this view from the windows will adequately motivate both officials and students.
However, you can explore the entire town without exerting any muscular effort, but sitting in a trailer driven by this funny little train (it’s actually an electric car):
Often on weekends, not to mention holidays, concerts of Heviz music and dance groups are organized on the central market square of Heviz. The guys give it their all, for which the audience rewards them with generous applause.
In general, there are not so many attractions and entertainment in Heviz; to save time, I will omit their descriptions, but I recommend listening to gypsy violinists, watching csardas performed by Magyar dancers and attending a tasting of local wines and products followed by delicious dinner.
For a complete cultural program It’s best to go to the above-mentioned offices of the tour operators “1000 Roads” and “Robinson” – there they will give you free and detailed advice on the topic, and at the same time they will offer you a whole bunch of excursions, like in the Zala region (many castles, fortresses and the famous “Hungarian Sea” – lake Balaton),
and larger scale ones, with trips to European cities – Bratislava, Vienna, Venice … (a full list of offers can be found on the websites of these operators).
My pleasures, in addition to swimming in the lake, include meals in numerous restaurants, cafes and even street food in Heviz, where you will be offered a huge selection of drinks and dishes of Magyar cuisine.
And finally: the Hungarian language is very difficult, but try to learn at least two phrases:
- good afternoon – jó napot (yunapot);
- thank you – köszönöm (kosonom).
