Tourist information Heviz

Heviz

Location:
Heviz is a popular town of spas, located on the northern shore of Lake Balaton, in Mid-Western Hungary. The closest city: Keszthely, famous for its pretty castle, liest at a 6-kilometers distance. Other cosy towns, such as Alsopahok, felsopahok and Cserszegtomaj, dot the immediate neighbourhood, with sites (lookout, fort theatre, cave, botanical garden) to visit during a good day's excursion. The town of Heviz has about 5000 residents, but due to its world-famous spa, it often has 2 million visitors a year. Surrounded by hills, the town enjoys a unique, Mediterranean microclimate, with many wind-still and sunny days, and an 11.2 average yearly temperature.

History:
The area has been populated since the end of the 4th century, BC. Ruins of a huge mansion with corridors and central heating from the Roman Era can still be observed in the historical garden. On the hill of Egregy, an old church from the times when Hungarians entered the Carpathian Basin, still stands to revive their history. The spa was discovered anew, and a spa village was built here at the end of the 18th century. After the First World War, when Hungary lost most of its major spas with the areas that were distributed to surrounding countries, the spa village became even more important, and the present bath was built, along with vacation houses, forming some outlying settlements. The village became a town in 1992, which year also marked the accelerating of further improvements. Hotels, pensions and restaurants were built and renovated, high-standard infrastructure was installed, and a through reconstruction of the bath section began.

Natural treasure:
The Heviz Lake is a geological curiosity, as it is a warm water lake with a peat-bed. It is situated in a 60.5 ha nature conservation area, of which water surface takes up 4.44 ha. Springs of different temperatures diffuse in a narrow cave, and became a constant (38,5 °C) temperature stream when entering the lake. The water's and the lake bed's specific composition leads to unique micro organisms, which contribute to the thermal water's healing power - especially good for treating locomotor's disease. The lake is also famous for its beautiful water lilies, which also appear on the town's flag and coat of arms. The Red Indian water lily was brought to Hungary at the end of the 19th century. The leaves slow down evaporation, while the creepers protect the medicinal mud on the bottom of the lake.

Sights to see in town:
Egregy is the most unique part of town, with an atmosphere on its own. The Mansion in the Roman Ruins Garden is open to visitors with no restrictions. The well known Roman Catholic Church, built around the 13th century, is situated here as well, surrounded by a cemetery used by many generations of time. The vine hill by the cemetery, and its fiery "grinzling" vine and local food specialities is widely popular among those who come for wine tourism. A yearly harvest festival draws a host of visitors from far and wide. Other parts of town are dotted with various statues, relieves and ornamental wells - such as the cherubims with wings by thw western entrance of the bath. Additional sites include the new Church of the Holy Spirit, a newly built mall. Renowned local artist groups: Musica Antiqua - a band playing historic music, a dance studio, and a band playing classical music.

Programs:
Heviz offers a great variety of - mostly free - programs for visitors. The gallery on Deak Square includes exhibitions of local history, a decorations- and a toy exhibition. The atrium hosts various entertainment programs. The museum on the pedestrian street includes a local history exhibition, as well as temporal fine art exhibitions. The Aquamarin Gallery of Fine Arts displays temporal fine art exhibitions, where visitors can meet the artists during the opening sessions. The Coutry Tavern displays the masterpieces of local artists, selling these without commission to interested visitors. Musical programs, concerts are held periodically in the hall of the Town House. Local sport facilities include a Sport Centrum, swimming pools in most major hotels, tennis courts at various locations. Surrounding sites may well be visited during an enjoyable bicycle tour.

Hotels in Heviz - hotel list

• Balaton
• Bukfurdo
• Eger
• Gyor
• Heviz
• Pecs
• Sarvar
• Sopron
• Zalakaros