Lake Hévíz

Hévíz is a thermal lake rather than a pool: a natural body of water fed from a spring deep beneath it, whose flow is strong enough to replace the entire lake every few days, and which is the largest lake of its kind in Europe used for bathing. The water arrives warm, holding around 33 to 38 degrees in summer and rarely dropping below the mid-twenties even in the depths of winter, so bathing goes on year-round and the most memorable time to come is a cold January day, when steam rolls off the surface and swimmers drift among the mist with snow on the banks. A wooden bathhouse stands out over the water on piles, reached by covered walkways, and in summer the surface is spread with pink water lilies. The mineral water and the mud beneath have been used as a cure for centuries, and the town around it is a spa resort geared to long, slow treatment stays.

What you actually see

• The thermal lake - bathing in the open, naturally warm water.
• Winter steam - the mist rolling off the surface on a cold day.
• The water lilies - the pink blooms covering the lake in summer.
• The wooden bathhouse - the stilted building and walkways out over the water.

When to go

Year-round, and winter is the most extraordinary time, with steam over the water and snow on the banks; summer brings the water lilies and much larger crowds. Tickets are sold by length of stay, and medical advice is to limit time in the water rather than soak for hours.

Honest expectations

Long soaking is discouraged: the water is strongly mineral and mildly radioactive by nature, and the recommended limit is short sessions rather than a lazy afternoon, which surprises visitors expecting a leisure pool. The lake bottom is deep mud, so you float and swim rather than stand, using rings and boards. The town is a health resort with an older clientele and a treatment-oriented atmosphere rather than a party one.

Nearby

Lake Balaton's western shore and the Festetics Palace at Keszthely are minutes away; the Balaton uplands lie east.