DESTINATION GOLF 2022
The 47,500 square-metre lake with a depth up to 38 metres , is fed by mineral-rich water coming from an underground spring , and the water in the lake completely replenishes itself every few days . The water temperature can reach 38 ° C during the summer months and even on the coldest winter days it doesn ’ t drop below 22 ° C . It ’ s a unique experience to swim in the lake ’ s turquoise waters carpeted with water lilies - the perfect place to relax and sooth aching muscles following a round of golf . All manners of health-related facilities are available in the complex including sauna , steam bath , ice cave , massage , beauty treatments and mud baths .
After a few day ’ s golf at Zala Springs and exploring the local area , it ’ s time for us to travel to Hungary ’ s idiosyncratic capital to sample some of its attractions and activities ...
IN THE CITY – BUDAPEST
Budapest is a city made for exploring on foot and there are sights around every corner- from a decorative facade to a brightly tiled gem of an Art Nouveau building . What the city may lack in medieval buildings it more than makes up for with baroque , neoclassical , Eclectic and Art Nouveau architecture . Keep your eyes open , look up from time to time and you ’ ll spot bits and pieces everywhere . Some of the best examples include the Geology Institute , National Institute for the Blind , Gresham Palace , Applied Arts Museum , Postal Savings Bank and the city zoo ’ s main entrance .
The city is well known for its ornate bath houses and the Gellért Baths on the of Buda side of the Danube River is arguably the finest of them all . Its main swimming pool surrounded by high galleries and marble columns decorated with colourful mosaics is a stunning example of neoclassical architecture . As at most baths in Budapest , standard entry at Gellért includes access to the main swimming pool ( there ’ s also an outdoor pool for warmer months ), medicinal thermal baths , sauna and steam room . Another excellent Budapest bath house
Gellért Baths
is Szechenyi , one of the largest in Europe with its variety of 15 pools . Here , it ’ s a common sight to witness men playing chess in the warm waters encased in a veil of rising steam .
After visiting Gellért Baths we head over to the Pest side to visit the wonderfully restored Great Market Hall at Nagycsarnok dating from 1897 . Stalls are stacked with garlands of paprika , sausages , salamis , bacon , goose liver , goose breast and goose crackling . There ’ s also typical Hungarian drinks such as unicum ( a herbal liqueur drunk as a digestif or apéritif ), pálinka ( a powerful brandy distilled from fruits such as pears , apricots or plums ) and legendary Tokaji Aszú dessert wines , which King Louis XIV ( 1638-1715 ) famously called “ The Wine of Kings and the King of Wines .” Another great shopping experience is the Esceri Piac , one of the biggest and best flea markets in Central Europe . It ’ s fascinating to wander the labyrinth of passageways and stalls selling everything from 1940 Leica cameras and antique jewellery to Soviet army watches and old gramophone players .
Sunset on The Danube , Budapest
24