Hévíz

The name Hévíz is known worldwide for medicinal water, relaxation and recharging body and soul. The town’s greatest treasure is Lake Hévíz, Europe’s largest natural warm-water medicinal lake suitable for bathing, which has attracted people seeking healing and relaxation for centuries.

The healing effect of the lake was already known in Roman times, but organised spa life began to develop at the end of the 18th century thanks to the Festetics family. With the construction of the first bathhouses, Hévíz gradually became a spa resort of national and then international renown.

The town’s development has always been shaped by medicine and bathing culture based on thermal water, and these traditions are still alive today. Yet Hévíz is much more than a spa: charming pedestrian streets, green parks, cafés, restaurants and a wide range of programmes make it an attractive destination all year round. The surrounding countryside, nearby Lake Balaton and the Keszthely Hills offer plenty of opportunities for hiking and active leisure. In Hévíz, centuries-old bathing culture, modern health tourism and a peaceful small-town atmosphere come together in a unique way, making it an ideal place for regeneration, experiences and true revitalisation.

The calcium and magnesium content of the water comes from dolomite layers close to the surface, while its potassium, silicon and lithium content and, above all, its significant radium emanation – 0.22–0.28 millimicrocuries per litre – probably reach the rising water from the depths of Permian rocks lying beneath the Triassic layers. The lake water also contains sulphur compounds, of which only elemental sulphur and sulphide are worth mentioning, as these are absorbed by the body. However, the sulphur bacteria in the water also convert (reduce) the otherwise ineffective sulphate into elemental sulphur and sulphide, so part of it is also utilised. Some of the sulphur compounds come from the marsh vegetation and are constantly replenished, while others rise from the depths. If bathers stand still in the lake for a few minutes, their bodies become covered with countless bubbles. This is carbon dioxide dissolved in the water, i.e. carbonic acid, which is characteristic of the last stage of post-volcanic activity (‘acidulous springs’). Besides these, methane is another important dissolved component of the almost neutral water (pH 7.16). This constantly renewing spring, which always supplies fresh substances, therefore combines the beneficial properties of carbonated and sulphurous waters and micro-dose radium emanation, which sets it apart from other spa resorts in Hungary.

The wells drilled in the immediate vicinity of Lake Hévíz – which supply the hospital and the larger hotels – provide essentially the same ‘mixed’ type of water as the lake itself, only in a different mixing ratio. The wells supply water at 39–42 °C with a significantly higher sulphur content (5–6 mg/l) than the lake.

The mud

It contains 80% inorganic and 20% organic matter. Lime predominates among the mineral components, accounting for 60% of the dry matter. Besides limestone, quartz, feldspar, mica and amphibole can be identified. These tiny, sharp crystals play an important role in stimulating the skin. Chemical analysis of the mud has identified sulphate, hydrogen carbonate, chloride and iodine compounds of calcium, sodium, magnesium, silicon, iron, aluminium and titanium among its inorganic substances. The radium salts and reduced sulphur compounds in the mud are particularly valuable healing factors. The radium content of Hévíz medicinal mud, acting deep within the body, is considered to support metabolism, stimulate glandular function, calm the nervous system and help cell function in the direction of healing. Hévíz peat mud has the highest radon content of all muds in Hungary.