Hungary / Lake Balaton / Hévíz & KeszthelyHévíz & Keszthely
Bathe in a Warm Lake, Even in Winter
Lake Hévíz, near the western tip of Lake Balaton, is one of the largest natural thermal lakes in the world that you can swim in: spring-fed, lined with water lilies, and warm all year, about 33-35 °C in summer and still over 20 °C in winter, when it steams. Bathing is from the lake's piers and pavilions, by the hour; the central bath house is shut for works in 2026, so bathing is outdoors. Hévíz is a spa town of hotels with medical treatments; Keszthely, 7 km away on Lake Balaton, has the Festetics Palace, one of the grandest baroque palaces in Hungary, and a lakeside promenade. The volcanic Badacsony wine hill and the castle at Szigliget are short drives along the shore. Trains run from Budapest to Keszthely (about 2 h 40 on the InterCity), then a local bus.
Highlights
- Swimming in a warm thermal lake among water lilies
- Lake Hévíz steaming on a winter morning
- Festetics Palace and its library
- Keszthely's lakeside promenade
- Badacsony's basalt hill and views over Balaton
- Szigliget castle ruins
Things to do
- Bathe in Lake Hévíz (3-hour ticket)Morning · 3h
- Festetics Palace, KeszthelyAfternoon · 2h
- Keszthely lakeshore promenade and pier at sunsetEvening · 1h 30m
- Badacsony hill walk to the Kisfaludy lookoutMorning · 4h
- Szigliget castle ruinsAfternoon · 2h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: All year (warmest May – September)
Heads up
Hévíz Bath House Under Works
Lake Hévíz's central bath house is closed for works, so bathing is outdoors only (the lake is warm all year). In winter 2025-26 the lake was entered only through the Festetics Day Spa on Ady Endre utca: check the entrance and hours for your dates on spaheviz.hu.