It’s wonderful to feel and see, as the over thousands years old thermal water breaks through the natural rocks to relax and heal you. Don’t skip this!
In Hungary, the “Bath of the Year competition” has been held for many years, in which nearly 200 baths can be voted for in 3 different categories.
The baths run in three categories: Bath of the year, Emerging bath of the year, and the Local’s favourite bath. These categories were necessary because the over 200 baths in Hungary has very different characteristics and opportunities.
Bath of the Year
This way the smaller baths could compete with similar sized baths, rather than with the larger, well-known city baths. The classification is based on the number of baths, the size of the city/village and how well-known it is.
In 2016, the Bath of the Year was Miskolctapolca Cave Bath, which is one of the most special locations for a bath in Hungary.
This beloved bath isn’t only unique in our country, water that’s this warm in karst, can’t be found anywhere else in Europe.
One of the most popular tourist destinations in Miskolc is the Miskolctapolca Cave Bath.
As most part of the bath is covered and the water is warm, it can be visited all year long.
The 30 °C water and the cave’s climate has a healing effect, mainly for joint diseases, but it’s salt content is lower than that of medicinal waters (it doesn’t reach the 1000mg/liter), therefore you can bathe in it as long as you want.
Along the two thermal baths the Roman hall, Star hall, Old cave pool and the Bath Hall awaits those who wish to visit the bath. Exploring the adventurous hiding spots, we can discover light- and sound therapy baths, massaging waterfalls and relaxing baths.
The history of the Miskolctapolca Cave Bath
In the 16th century it became more visited and better known for bathing, healing and washing by the Turkish, the nearby imperial troops, and the greek tradesmen and women from nearby villages.
18th century
In 1711, Vác’s Bishop Zsigmond Kollovich, who was also a abbot from Tapolca, brings the castle’s attention to the bath’s state in a letter, and requests Siking, the emperor’s general and his soldiers, to fix it.
The abbot brought doctors and professionals from Kassa, whose job was to support the importance of the bath’s, water’s and area’s healing properties through their research, even more so, as the area was becoming marshy, and people began to leave.
In this letter is the first time we read about the intention of building a bath.
In 1717, in the “budgeting” of the Abbey of Tapolca is where we can first read about plans and recommendations about utilizing the bath for business, which states “there is water, but it’s missing a connecting building or some sort of cover”.
Between 1720-23 the plans of the bath is drawn up, which consists of 6 rooms, welcoming hall, which after being built will make the healing water more worthy for visiting pilgrims.
Following the abbot’s recommendation they guided the water to three lakes, building small chambers above them, so people, depending on their statuses and ranks, could enjoy the bath by themselves or with others, in separate baths. The 6 roomed bath house is built as well.
The water of the bath comes from a rock cavity, it’s transparent in colour, smells of nitrate, pulls the skin together, decreases fever and increases the appetite. The rock’s water flow is 750l/minute.
During the middle of the 18th century, the bath and the area becomes unpopulated once again, the ceiling of the building falls in, the steam ruins the wooden structure.
19th century
In 1837, Vazul Popovics becomes the new abbot, and through his work the bath gets re-built. This resulted in the bath having 2 sections, the covered, inner bath, and outdoor spring. The first one is used by the richer people, the latter satisfies the common people. But only until the beginning of the 20th century, when the visitation of Miskolc-Tapolca noticeably increases, and brings with it the need for a more developed bath.
20th century
In 1934, Miskolctapolca officially becomes a resort, which results in an increased number of visitors, and speeds up the process of modernizing the spa.
The greeting hall by the cold lake and the Tavi bath has to be re-built, so that they would satisfy the number of visitors.
Ferenc Vajna Pávai requests to examine 4 caves, where he finds water at the temperature of 28 °C, at about 1-1.5m height in the cavity systems, and this system is unique in Europe, as in Karst, there is no other place where you can find water this hot.
They start to excavate, during which they find a new hot water spring with 31.5 °C water, with a water flow of 150l/minute.
The new bath palace is built during the first half of the 20th century. In 1939 they demolish the old bath building, and on the 28th of May, 1941, they open the Thermal Bath, which ranks at number 3 on the list of European Baths. In 1959, they establish the thermal baths at the left side of the bathhouse, so the area for bathing grows to three halls.
After the development in the 1980s, in 1998 a new process of development that will last for years begins, during which the welcoming hall, and the 2 thermal baths are renovated. By exploring new cave systems the area for bathing grows, and a sunbathing garden with kiddy pool is established in front of the main building at the park.
On the right of the main building, the multi-storey therapy building is developed, in which rheumatologist medical service, hydrotherapy, refreshing massage, mud treatment, tangentor, medical massage, electrotherapy, and sauna are waiting for visitors.
21st century
By the end of 2001, the modernisation of the changing rooms, as well as the development of the building complex, whirlpool, heated benches, hydromassage booths, hinged swing doors, restaurant, safe deposit box and a beauty salon is completed and makes the baths services even more complex.
By September, 2002, the main building and the cliff wall surrounding it, the bathing hall surrounded by the resting terrace, which has 120 m2 water, bring the cave’s water we can enjoy and use to heal to 1267 m2, is now complete.
The quality of the water at Miskolctapolca Cave Bath
The temperature of the spring 29,4 °C
anions:
NO3- 1,3 mg/l
Cl- 8 mg/l
SO42- 5 mg/l
HCO3- 366 mg/l
cations:
K+ 1,9 mg/l
Ca2+ 101 mg/l
Mg2+ 11,9 mg/l
Na+ 9,2 mg/l
Illnesses, which can be treated by the water at the Cave Bath
- Locomotor disorders,
- Respiratory diseases,
- Gastrointestinal diseases,
- Cardio-vascular diseases.
Diseases treated at the bath:
- Arthrosis,
- Degenerative Spinal Disorders,
- Damaged spinal function caused by osteoporosis,
- Rheumatoid arthritis in inactive state,
- Spondylarthritis ankylopoetica
- Chronic Polyarthritis,
- Rehabilitation after orthopedic spine and limb surgery,
- Post-treatment of spinal surgery,
- Post-treatment after traumatological surgery,
- Neurological diseases associated with contracture, muscle spasm.
INDOOR POOLS:
Visitors of the Cave Bath can enjoy bathing in the thousands of years old, natural cave systems, and the pleasant massage of the natural water flow. They can hear the mysterious echo in the star hall, and can admire the unique form of this natural formation that is a stand-alone in Europe.
- 2 thermal baths (33-35°C)
- Hidas-hall (33-35°C)
- Roman-hall (32°C)
- Star hall (32°C)
- Old cave pool (29-30°C)
- Bathing hall (29-30°C)
OUTDOOR POOLS:
In the nearly 3.6 hectare of landscaped bath area, the Cave Bath offers 6 swimming pools with rich experiences. The bath has a park suitable for relaxing, which provides accessibility to disabled guests as well.
- 3 kiddy pools
- Tavi bath pool
- Shell pool
- Swimming pool
Kiddy pool 
Sauna park
There are four finnish saunas, a steam room and three infra cabins available at the bath for visitors looking to relax, re-charge and detox, who can reset their temperature after being in the sauna by the 16-18 degree diving pool or with the traditional shower.
Opening hours:
All year long, even on holidays from 09:00-20:00
Till closing: 19:00
Pools closing: 19:30
The Cave Bath’s official prices until September 30, 2020
Prices are in Forint. You can check real time rates here.
Entrance fees
| Tickets | Price |
| Adult entrance fee (with no time limit) | 5000 |
| Children entrance fee until 4 years of age. | Free |
| Children entrance fee (with no time limit) | 3700 |
| Adult entrance fee for 4 hours | 3500 |
| Children entrance fee for 4 hours | 3000 |
| Night-time bathing ticket (at pre-announced times) | 2000 |
Sauna park prices
Additional ticket types that can be added to the bath entrance ticket:
- Sauna entrance fee (the price includes: the finnish saunas, steam room, diving pool, the use of a sauna sheet) 1000Ft/person
- Sauna seance ticket/person/time (available with a sauna ticket) 500Ft/time
- Infra-sauna – 20minutes – 500Ft
Relax at the night-time bathing at the Miskolctapolca Cave Baths!
Every SATURDAY between 20.00-24.00!
Night-time bathing
If you’re in the mood to party, now you can join it with night-time bathing. We are waiting for you for a night-time bathing every Saturday at the Miskolctapolca Cave Bath!
Tickets all together 2600Ft/person, which can be bought between 20.00-23.00.
Pool closing: 24.00
Bath closing: 00.30
The ticket entitles you to use the indoor and outdoor pools.
General Information:
Our tickets are valid for no time limit, or for the indicated time!
The lockers work with a 100Ft coin and RFID bracelets!
Under the age of 2, the use of a swimsuit (or swim diaper) is obligatory!
Child tickets are available for between 4-14 years olds.
The bath is wheelchair accessible.
