THE VINEYARDS OF HÉVÍZ

We return to the small and picturesque city of Hévíz and we enjoy gazing at the carefully maintained flowerbeds, cobbled pedestrians areas and various sculptures enhancing the attractions of this beautiful town. Therefore it is not all surprising that in 1998, Heviz won the silver medal award for "Flowering Europe".

Heviz is a city that has managed to maintain a family atmosphere. It has a very active cultural life. To hungarian people it is impossible to live without music, without art, without reading. Any city of the country, even the smallest villages, possess its museums, libraries, its concert and Opera House. But the most important is not that they have them, it is that they are always full.

Hévíz has a Danzing Study and a Juvenile Musical Group. Art Gallery and a Museum as well as several artistic groups, such as "Antique Músic." Fortunately there isn't any industrial or agricultural activity in the area. This consequently means that the community derives its existence exclusively from tourism of health.

But Hungary is famous not only for its thermal baths and hospitality but also for its delicious culinary delights and renowned wines. All visitors can enjoy the tastes of international cuisine but also at the same time, the typical specialities of the Hungarian cuisine can be found in the typical "Csárda" restaurants in Hévíz and neighbouring areas.

An important feature to the image of Hévíz is this part of the town known as Egregy. It can be found about 1,5 Km from town centre and has managed to maintain its royal village atmosphere.

We walk toward this peculiar district in which, those visitors that have their vacations in the spa, usually live in the eastern rises of the Karmacs-Hévíz Hills. Here we discover a jewel of Romanesque style, a church built in the XIII century, during the government of Árpád.

Our attention is attracted by its amazingly beautiful architectural proportions, noble simplicity and integration in the landscape of Pannonian. The showy finish is in perfect harmony with the practical architectural resources and that make the building lasts for ever. Behind the church are the picturesque vineyards where one can taste the delicious local wines such as Egregyi Grinzing" .

In theirs cosy restaurants, the local delicacies are offered in a homelike atmosphere. The Hungarian cuisine is an authentic party and if accompanied by violin music seem to be in the seventh heaven. Every year Egregy celebrates its grape harvest, this is time for eating, drinking and having a lot of fun. We will return in September to the vintage!. .

During our last stay at Hévíz we do escapes to the surroundings where there are important towns worthy of visiting, such as Keszthely. To this town we arrive by the motorway nş 84 and it is only twenty kilometres away from the city of Badacsony, famous due to its volcanic landscapes and ghostly basaltic rocks of great beauty.

Keszthely, is the oldest city of those that surround the Balaton Lake. Offers to the visitor a rich artistic patrimony represented by beautiful Baroque castles and traditional houses of XVIII century. It is located in the western part of the Lake and specially famous because the magnify Castle of Festetics, with more than a hundred rooms distributed through two labyrinthine wings.

It is worth to pay a visit to this beautiful palace, to contemplate the portraits decorating the walls of its rooms, the Chinese goblets and the hunter weapons kept in the museum. To admire its grandiose library that contains 52.000 volumes and its park where magnificent concerts take place each summer.

The family Festetics inhabited the castle from 1745 to 1945, promoted the region development. Count György Festetics organized in the castle gatherings of friends and debates on the future of the country. These meetings were attended by celebrate characters of the Hungarian social life of the XIX century.

He was the founder of the first Superior School of Agriculture of Europe, he built the Spa of Hévíz and opened the doors from its library to the public and he gave a strong impulse to the cultural life.

We go through the town and we find interesting and stately buildings and the Balaton Múzeum, with an exhibition about the primitive sailing in the Lake. Also several spas and two large beaches.

We continue now by the highway nş76 toward Zalaegerszeg. We are interested in visiting the Göcseji Falumúzeum, first museum outdoors created in Hungary and one of the most beautiful of the country.

In the Göcseji museum, among other things, you can contemplate, the sculptor's work of Zsigmond Kisfaludy Strobi, author of the celebrates monument to the Liberation of Budapest, located in the summit of Mount Gellért.

Not very far, in the western part of the high lands of the Balaton Lake is located Tapolca, one of the five medicinal caves that integrate the thermal patrimony of Hungary. We suggest to visit Tapolca because the anti-allergic environment and the direct access to the facilities for a thermal cure, are unique in Europe.

No one in the group is asthmatic neither suffers from allergy, but it will be a great experience to breathe pollen free air and to enjoy a microclimate that oscillates between the 14ş C and 16ş C. Without doubting we take the highway nş 84 and straying at Lesencetomaj toward Tapolca, we arrive to the famous thermal town.

In the town centre, in a four hectares park, is the limestone cave and same as it happens in the spa hotels, a direct connection exists to the interior of this medicinal grotto.

The medicinal grotto of Tapolca offers pneumology therapies, hydrotherapy, inhalations and electrotherapy. There are two rooms for physiotherapy and medical examination, rheumatism and an specific program for gynecological sufferings.

We went down to the interior of the cave to enjoy not only a beautiful view but to verify the special microclimate and the facilities where the healing treatments are carried out. Even without suffering some of the above mentioned pathologies, the sensation of well-being is immediately noticed.

The cures by means of immersion bath are also applied. The thermal water whose content of dissolved minerals (calcium, magnesium, sulfates, etc) surpass the 1mg / litre.

We organized ourselves in order to go for a trip by boat. It is fascinating. The humidity is high and the microclimate parameters of the air inside the cave are constant. Same as it happen in the external atmosphere.

By the way, we had been noticed that the permanency in the grotto don't have known contraindications. However when we leave the interior of the cave, we notice the healing and tranquillizing effects. We all coincide that we should recommend a visit to Tapolca, an authentic healthy refuge.

At dusk we return to Hévíz where a pleasing surprise is waiting us. In the gardens of the Danubius Thermal Hotel Hévíz, is already reserved a table exquisitely decorated for the group dinner. It began with a pleasant atmosphere and a cocktail of champagne accompanied by appetizers of smoky salmon with green salad and nuts.

Presented in an original parchment, the menu for the occasion was delicious and it was compound by egg and jelly consommé, pieces of roasted deer with sauce of green pepper with saffron and soufflé of mushrooms and roasted vegetables.

It was accompanied by an splendid selection of wines: Chardonnay of Buda 2003, from cellar Nyakas; Blauportugiese of Villány 2003, from the cellars Wunderlich and Sweet Szamorodni of Tokaj 1996, from the cellars Lauder-Lang. The mineral water of Kékkút.

In an atmosphere of companionship and cordiality and under the maitre attentive look, always watchful of the perfect service, passed our last night in Héviz. Elegance and hospitality are words that summarize the refined style and the quality of this Hotel services.