Bad Heviz - now!
Getting rid of winter fat, bathing in the largest biologically active thermal lake in the world and playing a round on Hungary's No. 1 golf course "Zala Springs" - that could be the program for spring.
Over 1 million visitors can't be wrong, there must be something to the Bad Heviz healing method. I read: Useful for back, neck and spinal pain, joint wear and tear, muscle and tendon problems, prevention and sports injuries. There you go, that applies to the majority of golfers. In addition, healing massages, exercise, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy as well as drinking cures are prescribed. That sounds perfect for a spring cure, especially as bathing in certified healing water in the hotels as well as healing mud packs and baths are also included.
But it's not just the healing method, which has been certified since 2015, that is a big hit here - the wellness treatments and the 38° warm bathing lake also justify a year-round trip to Hungary. The former focus entirely on the anti-aging program: whether with mud packs for the metabolism, skin tightening, Far Eastern massages, water wellness in any form and of course "Beauty with Laser & Co." This is the place to be for body-conscious golfers who want to test their "market value". Because the competition on the world's golf courses is fierce and great equipment alone is no longer enough. Body shaping and facelifts are the order of the day and you can get them here in almost all 4-star superior hotels - above all in the "Europa Fit" Hotel with Vitalium Laser Center or in the Danubius Heath & Spa Resort.
Bad Heviz thermal lake
Surrounded by blooming water lilies, you can bathe here all year round in the pleasantly warm water, surrounded by a flower-filled park not far from the center. No wonder it has been popular with visitors from all over the world since the 18th century. Even if the "bathing establishment" is getting a bit long in the tooth, the charm of the good old days is still visible. It is interesting to note that the spring in the 38-metre-deep crater supplies the lake with 410 liters of fresh thermal water every second. In addition, the air around the thermal lake is low in dust and allergens and the evaporating thermal water is particularly good for your health. Regular bathing is also said to help with rheumatism, osteoporosis, musculoskeletal disorders and after operations. So you can kill two birds with one stone here. Both locals and spa tourists don't miss out - the lake is always full.
Incidentally, the foundations for the Hévíz spa and the entire spa industry were laid by Count György Festetics at the end of the 18th century, when he had the first wooden changing house built on the still unpaved shore.
Wine & Golf
Who would have thought it? There are around 22 wine-growing areas in Hungary, three of which are in the Balaton region: the famous Badacsony wine region around the mountain of the same name on the north shore, the Dél-Balaton wine-growing area around the town of Balatonboglar and the area around Balatonfüred and Csopak on the south shore. In Bad Heviz in particular, the Egregy vineyard with its 35 wine taverns is one of the highlights. It feels a bit like Grinzing, even if everything here is on a smaller scale but with lots of good food.
Special white wines are: Welschriesling, Chardonnay, Muskat Ottonel, Rheinriesling, Müller-Thurgau, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon, Traminer and Zenit. Among the red wines, the Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch are particularly popular. The best time to come back for a tasting is in August during the grape harvest. In many places, this is celebrated with large wine festivals - with colorful old costumes and traditional dances.
Or you can come here twice - in spring for spa and golf, in fall for wine and golf. These are also the best times to play golf here - especially for those who want to escape the hustle and bustle around Lake Balaton. After all, "Lake Balaton" is the largest inland lake and, alongside Lake Neusiedl in Burgenland, the most important steppe lake in Central Europe - at 79 km long. Of course, it is a tourist magnet in the summer, when children and parties are the order of the day in the baths around the lake. In spring and fall, however, you can enjoy the good Hungarian cuisine with excellent Hungarian wines and two completely different golf courses.
Idyllic on the lake - the GC Imperial Balaton
The 9-hole course was built in 2010 by Austrian emigrants who took over a farm on Lake Balaton 20 years ago. Today it has almost 200 members, half of whom come from Hungary and the other half from nearby Austria or as long-distance members from Germany. You play on a 2.6 km long course in the middle of the Balaton Nature Park, a nature reserve around the lake on slightly hilly terrain. It's not too difficult because the flags are clearly visible, so even beginners can have fun. Quite different - the new Zala Springs Course. The 18-hole championship course, built by Robert Trent Jones Jr. is only 15 kilometers away and will be home to a spacious resort with apartments and villas once it is completed. The stylish clubhouse with its huge glass front, loungy white seating on a huge terrace and a lake with a water fountain in front of it reflecting the sunset is already finished. The golf course is reminiscent of Florida, is completely flat and looks a little manicured. But in contrast to the "Imperial", it is much more difficult to play. If only because of the seven larger ponds, which also contribute to the fantastic appearance of the course. In addition, the many bunkers characterize the image of the course - there must be hundreds of them, many of them beautifully shaped and large in area. The many undulating greens are also typical of the course. Hole 9 (par 5, 500m) could be called the "signature hole" - a dogleg to the left with five fairway bunkers on an embankment and a pond that stretches to the green and beyond. Afterwards, a good glass of wine on the restaurant terrace overlooking the course is a must - especially beautiful at sunset. The whole area with the apartment buildings, hotel and spa belongs to Hungary's most successful entrepreneur Gábor Széles. He invested in the development of the Zala Valley 6 years ago, acquired the golf course and renovated the Batthyány Castle Hotel and Manor House. Here you can spend the night in a castle ambience, while the modern rooms and apartments in the resort hotel are furnished in a rather purist style. Whichever you choose, you won't regret it.
www.bad-heviz.de,www.europafit.hu, www.zalaspring.hu
