Can I bathe in thermal water? Can I take a mud wrap? Is the weight bath recommended for me?
Before starting therapy, it is essential to consult a specialist, who will be able to identify any conditions that may make treatment advisable or contraindicated.
The therapies in Hévíz are called "complex therapies", which means that the treatments are built on each other and are planned in advance. Each patient needs to have an individualised treatment tailored to their condition, taking into account contraindications (underlying illness or health conditions for which a particular treatment is not recommended). The optimal duration of therapy is 3 weeks. Treatments not only bring improvement during treatment but can also make the patient pain-free for months.
Indication for Hévíz therapies
- Rheumatic musculoskeletal complaints of all types of degenerative abrasion and calcification (arthrosis, problems of the vertebrae, ligaments, small joints and discs - spondylosis, spondylarthritis, discopathy).
- Inflammatory joint and spine diseases at the dormant stage (arthritis, polyarthritis, PCP, spondylarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis). It is only effective in osteoarthritic diseases when the acute stage has already passed.
- However, the symptoms of chronic joint diseases can be effectively relieved. Connective tissue rheumatism (muscle and ligament diseases).
- Secondary joint diseases, joint complaints associated with metabolic disorders (e.g. gout).
- Disorders of endocrine glands.
- Joint inflammation associated with skin diseases (e.g. joint and spinal changes associated with psoriasis).
- Fractures, accidental injuries, post-musculoskeletal surgery (especially limb fractures) at a stage suitable for rehabilitation.
- Treatment of metabolic bone diseases (manifest, severe, i.e. T-score < 2.5, osteoporosis and cases of osteoporosis with non-traumatic fractures).
- Traumatology - rehabilitation of musculoskeletal disorders following injury (post-traumatic);
- Chronic disorders of the peripheral nervous system (e.g. ischialgia, polyneuropathy, paresis), mainly due to mechanical causes.
- Pre- and post-operative treatment of joint surgery, post-operative treatment of disc hernia. Rehabilitation of post-operative cases, post-operative conditions following arthroplasty of the small and large joints and other joint reconstruction operations.
- Neurology and neurosurgery, cases with manifest neurological deficit "residual" symptoms after hernia disci opus.
- Chronic gynaecological diseases.
Contraindications for Hévíz therapies
- Malignant tumours (at a stage requiring surgical or pharmaceutical treatment).
- Heart disease (decompensated) causing a circulatory disturbance, vascular disease.
- High blood pressure (if it cannot be adjusted to the desired level or if it causes organic complaints).
- Severe atherosclerosis, coronary artery sclerosis.
- After a heart attack (if prohibited by a cardiologist). Severe varicose veins (venous thrombosis).
- All acute inflammatory diseases (varicose veins, as well as the active phase of arthritis).
- All acute and chronic infectious diseases (e.g. TB, hepatitis, etc.)
- Leukaemia, other serious haematological diseases, severe anaemia (leukaemia, anaemia, haemophilia).
- Pulmonary asthma, with frequent attacks.
- Active ulcers (gastric or intestinal), renal failure, kidney stones. Sudden fainting attacks (epilepsy, Adams-Stokes syndrome).
- Chronic alcoholism, severe liver cirrhosis, poor liver function.
- Weeping eczema, extensive, open wounds.
- Hyperthyroidism (unadjusted!) accompanied by organic complaints.
- Uncompensated diabetes, severe weight loss or gain.
- First six weeks after therapeutic radiotherapy.
- Pregnancy.
The indications and contraindications are not the same for all treatments, so they are not set by the specialist for the complex therapy, but by type of treatment.
Those with Hungarian health insurance can participate in the treatment as in-patients or out-patients but treatments are available to anyone as a guest of a qualified spa hotel.
If your health insurance fund allows you to receive treatment in Hungary, please enquire about your options at the qualified spa and wellness hotel of your choice.
Hévíz has several certified spa and wellness hotels where you can receive medical treatment. This means, of course, that you can enjoy the full equivalent of hospital treatments. In hotels, all treatments are preceded by an on-site medical examination as well. It is a good idea to bring previous medical records and test results with you. The treatments are prescribed by the hotel's medical specialist and carried out by qualified medical hotel staff in the treatment rooms. All the certified spa hotels in Hévíz have access to the thermal water of Hévíz, so treatments in thermal water and with thermal mud are also available. The services provided in hotels are therefore medically equivalent to those in hospitals, however, combined with hotel surroundings and comfort.
Medical treatments are provided in the hospital, in the Festetics Bathhouse and the spa hotels.
Only patients with Hungarian health insurance can use the hospital's state-funded medical services.
Lake Baths
The services of the Lake Baths are open to everyone. There are several types of tickets available, some of them entitle the holder to use the wellness services as well. Occasional or regular bathing in Lake Hévíz is typically recommended alongside medical treatments either as a preventive measure or as a medicinal therapy.
Festetics Bathhouse
The Bathhouse offers wellness and medical wellness treatments for a fee, and complex condition assessment tests are available in the Kinesio Movement Analysis Laboratory.
Therapies and treatments in certified spa hotels in Hévíz
In the hotels listed here, you can find all the medical treatments included in the Traditional Hévíz Therapy, and according to medical criteria, these treatments meet the requirements both in terms of content and quality.
Other wellness hotels that also offer complex health therapy services:
One million visitors a year, regular customer rate of 80%, thousands of cured people in Hévíz, this is not a coincidence!
Proof, not promises– effectiveness of the therapies of Hévíz
It has been known for a long time that the water of Lake Hévíz is a remedy for several complaints and many people owe their recovery to the therapies carried out here. The recent researches of Hévíz Spa and St Andrew’s Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases are now also scientifically proven beneficial effects. Several research programmes were carried out in the institute and all of them ended with positive results.
The following research was also presented at an international congress and even published in a well-known European specialist magazine:
Examination of the medical effects of Lake Hévíz in patients with knee joint degenerations
In the course of the research the patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis were divided into two groups. One group bathed in the lake and the other in a pool with heated tap water for 3 weeks, 30 minutes 5 times a week. The patients did not get any other physiotherapeutic treatments and the doctors carrying out the examinations did not know in which group the patients were. The doctors measuring various parameters before the treatments, after the treatments and 12 weeks after the end of the treatments found that the difference between the two groups were significant. The research has clearly shown that the water of Lake Hévíz reduced the pain of the patients who were suffering from knee joint degenerations, improved their movement functions and thus positively affected the patients’ quality of life both in the short and long term.
You can download the article here.
After the successful international acceptance preparation of further scientific articles is going on about the following researches:
1. Proving the effectiveness of the weight bath therapy in case of low back pain
The aim of the research was to prove the effectiveness of the weight bath, which was introduced by Dr. Moll Károly in 1953, in case of patients suffering from mild or moderate lumbago.
In addition to the parameters showing the movements and the indices of the quality of life the authors placed special emphasis on the data measured by the Spineliner device, which has an objective method to measure the stiffness or flexibility of the joints and muscles. The medical examinations carried out directly after the weight bath therapy and then 3 months after the therapy showed improvement in almost every parameter, demonstrated significant improvement in several parameters proving the positive effects of the treatments.
2. Determining the effects of the healing mud of Hévíz in case of patients suffering from hand arthrosis
The aim of the research was to examine and document the therapeutic and chemical effects of the healing mud of Hévíz in case of patients suffering from mild and moderate hand osteoarthritis. In the course of the research the patients were divided into two groups: the patients in group one were given medicinal mud directly on both of their hands, whereas the patients of the second group got the healing mud on both of their hands through a layer of nylon for 3 weeks, 5 times a week.
Various parameters were tested at the beginning and at the end of the therapy and after 15 weeks. Based on the clinical tests, improvement was observed in patients who received mud treatments.
3. The effect of the complex physiotherapy of Hévíz in case of a specific autoimmune disorder
The ongoing research program carried out together with the University of Pécs examines the effects of the complex physiotherapy of Hévíz in case of patients suffering from a specific autoimmune disorder (systemic sclerosis) affecting their hands.
The aim of the study is to improve the functions of the hands by the help of a 3-week-long complex physiotherapy as well as to determine the short- and long-term effects. On weekdays the patients were given the following treatments: medicinal bath, whirlpool bath, mud treatments, massage, physiotherapy, ergotherapy. At the weekend they got 30 minutes’ bath, went for a walk and relaxed.
In the short term most of the measured parameters have improved and the used treatments have been effective. In the long term the hand function tests have partially shown promising results. The findings of further examinations are expected by autumn 2014.
4. Cardiospa – the experience of the technical testing of the telemetric cardiologic monitoring during balneotherapy in Hévíz
The general objective of the project is to provide a partially automated remote medical monitoring for patients who would stand in need of thermal water because of their underlying disease, but cannot take it because of their contraindications of cardiologic nature. The tests were carried out in 51 volunteer patients who do not suffer from heart diseases and it was found that the measuring instrument was able to give appropriate signals during staying in the thermal water and was well tolerated also by the patients.
In the next phase of the research it is planned to try the instrument out on patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases.
The above findings motivate the doctors of Hévíz for carrying out further researches, which are hoped to also have positive outcome.
Visit Hévíz and try out the proven medicinal therapies of Hévíz!
From 3 November 2025, Lake Hévíz can be accessed only via the entrance on Ady Street through the Festetics Day Spa.
Bathing is allowed only outdoors.
• Wellness area (the admission ticket includes the wellness usage fee)
• Vital Bar and Medio Buffet
• Covered rest areas in the section between Festetics Bathhouse and Vital Bar / Medio Buffet (“C” and “D” buildings)
• Outdoor shoreline section between the main entrance and the Festetics Day Spa (seasonally)
A limit is introduced on the accessible territories of the Lake Bath, which determines the simultaneous capacity of the facilities. For up‑to‑date information, please contact the information desk:
E‑mail: spaheviz@spaheviz.hu
Mobile: +36 30 959 1002
• Deák Square entrance
• Central Bathhouse (“A” building and “B” terrace)
• Northern water surface (between the “A” building and the Summer building)
Detailed information about the closure of the central Bathhouse (“A” building and “B” terrace) is available on www.spaheviz.hu.
Due to technical preparation work, phased closures on the water surface and shoreline are expected.
• Patient lift: at the outdoor seating pool (Vital Bar terrace, “C” Building )
Our staff provide assistance with the use of the patient lift.
Yearly opening hours |
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| Opening | End of bathing and wellness time | Closing | |
| 2025.10.06. - 2025.10.25. | 9:00 | 17:00 | 17:30 |
| 2025.10.26. - 2026.02.08. | 8:30 | 16:00 | 16:30 |
| 2026.02.09. - 2026.03.29. | 9:00 | 17:00 | 17:30 |
Closing time on 24.12.2025 is at 14:00; on 31.12.2025 at 16:00. Opening time is at 11:00 on 01.01.2026.
Hévíz Lake Bath and Festetics Bathhouse price list
Valid from 03.11.2025 to 31.03.2026
2-hour admission + WELLNESS ACCESS |
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| Valid only on the day of purchase – entitles to a one-time entry. Includes the use of the wellness area. An additional charge will be levied if the allotted time limit is exceeded. Additional time extension cannot be purchased after the time limit has expired. Admission for children under the age of 6 is free of charge. | |
| 2-hour admission | 3 000 HUF |
| 2-hour admission seniors - Available for individuals over the age of 60. Can be purchased upon prior presentation of a valid photo ID. | 2 500 HUF |
| 2-hour admission students - Available for individuals over the age of 14. Can be purchased upon prior presentation of a valid student card. | 2 500 HUF |
| 2-hour admission children - Available for children aged 6 to 14. | 1 500 HUF |
| 2-hour admission groups - Discounted 2-hour admission - available for groups of 20 people or more, if payed in one sum. | 2500 HUF/Person |
Memberships + WELLNESS ACCESS |
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| 10-hour membership - Valid for 20 days (can be used on the day of purchase + 19 calendar days) - the pass grants entry twice per day. Includes the use of the wellness area. The deposit is refundable within 5 calendar days after the expiration date. | 13 000 Ft + 2 000 Ft deposit |
| 20-hour membership - Valid for 30 days (can be used on the day of purchase + 29 calendar days) - the pass grants entry twice per day. Includes the use of the wellness area. The deposit is refundable within 5 calendar days after the expiration date. | 23 000 Ft + 2 000 Ft deposit |
Other rates |
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| + 1 hour extension - Usable for extending the 2-hour admission. Valid once per admission. | 1 500 HUF |
| Additional charge - For exceeding the allotted time limit, payable for every 30 minutes. | 1 000 HUF |
| Cloakroom - Operates seasonally - the fee applies per coat/package. | 300 HUF |
| Safety deposit box - Usage is free of charge. |
2000 HUF deposit |
| Swimring rental - Daily fee. | 700 HUF + 2 000 HUF deposit |
| Sauna towel | 500 HUF |
Online purchased tickets and gift vouchers can be redeemed at the information desk located in the Festetics Day Spa.
Gift vouchers purchased from 1 October 2025, can be redeemed between 1 April 2026 and 31 October 2026.
General information
- The depth of the lake is 2 to 38 m.
• We reserve the right to change prices and opening hours.
• The price of purchased tickets can not be refunded.
• Accepted means of payment: cash (HUF), bank card or SZÉP card.
• By purchasing admission to the lake area, visitors implicitly agree to adhere to the house rules.
• Admission for children under the age of 6 is free.
• Swimring rental is possible only with the purchase of a rental ticket and the payment of a deposit. The Bath refunds the deposit only, if the rented equipment is returned until the end of bathing time, on the day of rental. Payment is possible only in cash (in Hungarian Forint).
• The admission tickets include the use of the wellness area. Wellness and sauna services are available to individuals over 12 years of age only. For reasons of hygiene, one sauna towel is provided for each wellness admission.
• For more information, please contact the information counter at the Festetics Day Spa
