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 Central Budapest |
 Heros square Budapest |
If you want to go on a similar trip please look here: http://www.velo-touring.hu/ |
Cycling tour in Hungary with hot water thermal baths, easy rides, good food and company
We went on a one week cycle tour holiday, on the flat, alongside rivers, woods, vast fields and flat plains to the east of Budapest in Hungary. Led a very knowledgeable local English speaking guide and followed by driver, with support minibus for our luggage. Daily hot thermal water spa baths allowed us to relax, drink champagne and gaze up the stars and satellites.
Cycling Grade=1 (easy) .....Total cycling distance 233 km.
We stopped for a rest about every 10 km and did 38 to 52 km per day
 Hotel Waltzer in Budapest |
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 Hotel at Mata |
Saturday, arrived Hotel Walzer, Budapest. If you arrive early there is an
opportunity to visit the Budapest thermal baths before your start your Hungarian cycle tour. 6pm briefing and city tour by bus. Hero's square, Hungary
was formed by seven tribes from Siberia in 872, many Kings and temporary (sometime long) occupations since. Viewpoint across the Danube later.
Sunday:. Bus 95km east from Budapest to dyke alongside the Tisza river to the north of Szolnok. Cycled via Nagykoru and Kotelek. Picnic lunch and water
powered ferry crossing. On to Kunhegyes and stay in private houses (now Hotel). Outdoor music, lace and basket making. First thermal bath with hot water pouring from
pipe coming up out of the ground. Lots of noisy frogs heard while walking back to the private house, late at night. 47 km today.
 Staying at private houses |
 Thermal spa bath Kunhegyes |
 Church at Kunhegyes |
Monday. Kunhegyes. Very good breakfast at private house. Tribal leader on horse in the town square, shooting arrow eastwards
(towards Russia!). Large white church, we climbed into the roof, ate ice cream outside,
cycled via Abadsolok to Tiszafurad along top of dyke to find holiday area with
water flume ride, the along dyke to nature conservation area with many moored boats. Hot picnic lunch cooked at almost empty camping site sitting at
comfortable table under trees. Then near Tiszaentimetre across railway and through Kunmaderas to Hotel Panorama at Tiszaors-Furdo. Through gate opposite
to thermal baths open all evening, night and morning. Total 43km today.
Tuesday: Bus back to near railway engine museum then to Tiszaszolos for stop near supermarket/post office. Then off into the country
again to find a dyke and eventually nature reserve lake and holiday/fishing boats.
Boat trip in reeds to see black and white storks and other water birds.
Lunch in restaurant. Then TiszaFured, Egyek. Stopped cycling at junction with Route E33. Then by bus to Hortobagy Mata Club Hotel. Large posh hotel with
modern large pool & sauna. Much appreciated live local music at supper, meatballs, chocolate pancake à la flambeé. Total: Cycle 52.km
Stop for drinks and biscuits on cycle tour.
 Flat plains to the horizon |
 Cycling |
Wednesday: Horse carriage ride, horse riding, truly organic grey cattle, sheep with twisted horns and pigs. Set off on bikes. 9 arch bridge, visitors centre/museum, via several poor remote farms. The concrete cycle track had a few unusual bumps. Picnic lunch after Balmazvjaros alongside quiet river. Enormous loaves of bread. Snooze in the sun under a line of trees, alongside canal. Eric went to see if there were any walnuts on the ground from last year (none). Then to Trofors Hunting lodge hidden in woods with fishing lake about 3km north of Nadudvar. 52km today. Evening meal outside. Evening bus to pool. Best so far with plenty of champagne, stars and satellites to watch. Massage/sauna.
 Horses on Hortobagy plains |
 Tradional horse riders: Hortobagy plains |
 Giant white cattle |
 Donkey |
Thursday: Cycled into Nadudvar to see local black pottery making. Then 10km south to Kaba Thermal bath in town. Kaba is
famous for its meteorite which exploded with fragments all over the place on April 15th 1857. Large open grass area, nice new brick walkway around pools.
Lunch cooked in large witches cauldron under shady trees. Natural gas flare tower. Afternoon route partly off road but not difficult. Chris did tumble
bumpkin beside bridge while walking down steep slope with bike pulling. (All mended now.) Arrived Hajduszoboszio town at enormous thermal baths with 17 pools
and plenty of tiling and stainless steel. Ice cream before bus back to Trofea Hunting Lodge. 38km cycling today.
Friday: Breakfast in the Kings Room with gallery, wooden panelling. Bus back to Budapest, afternoon in town using No 8 local bus to Elizabeth Bridge
- food market. Final evening meal. Thanks to all.
Saturday morning: Departure, although some stayed on to visit Gellert bath, music concert, library, museums etc.
 Cycling |
 Map reading |
 Pottery in Nadudvar |
 Marking the pottery |
The groups contributions to the velo-touring guestbook are below:
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The first spa tour of 2002 came with warm, sunny weather and skies clear and blue. Our guides were George and Steve in the van and we all had a good time even getting a tan. When the sun grew much hotter and the wind blew much stronger the Hungarian kilometre grew very much longer. The navigational aid was quite a delight we could always find the next satellite. When travelling through scenery lush and bucolic we were urged on by Vitamins quite alcoholic. Food, weather and the company of such splendid folk will live long in memory and 'it's not a joke' When tiring and wishing we could all travel slow we were comforted by Georges's 'Gemma lets go' The last day nearly brought disaster as down the hill Chris went faster and faster Like an acrobat she tumbled down, Got to the bottom and felt such a clown. Then MaryJo went into the pool she lost her clothes and felt a fool. The lady in white searched every box till at last she found MaryJo's socks. Three cheers for the guides, we all used to say EGESZSEGEDRE, once more at the end of the day |
Ach, wir können es nicht fassen, kaum sind wir da, müssen wir Ungarn schon verlassen. Die Radtour war sehr schön, von uns aus könnt' es weitergehn. Und waren es manchmal 40 Kilometer nur, der Sattel hinterließ trotzdem seine Spur. Die Sonne hatte uns richtig lieb, wie gut, dass es soviel Bäder gibt. Wir ließen so manches Wässerchen rinnen, teils von außen, teils von innen! Der Kuckuck ruft, die Nachtigall singt, der Reiher seine Flügel schwingt. Radeln, Entspannen und gutes Essen ließen uns den Alltag schnell vergessen. Ein letztes "Gemma" hängt wehmütig im Raum, dass wir nie mehr wiederkommen, das glauben wir kaum. |
 9 arch bridge at Hortobagy |
 Lunch |
 Boat trip on Tisza lake |
 Stork on its nest |
 Sitting in hot thermal spa |
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Any comments please e-mail eric@satsig.net. Many thanks to contributors for pictures and text. All content Copyright (c) reserved 21Group 12 May 2002, updated 25 Feb 2022. |