BALATONFÜRED

During the XIX century it was the venue for meetings of political and cultural leaders, thence a colony of writers and towards 1900, a vacation place for the emergent middle class of the country. Today is a famous thermal station well know around the world. Every summer several tens of thousands visitors arrive to enjoy the wonderful waters of the Balaton Lake, the beautiful landscapes and its excellent wines.

Balatonfüred is proud of possessing a theatre since the beginning of the XIX century and one of the oldest spas in Hungary. .

Its fame is partly supported by its medicinal waters with dissolved carbonic acid, with a content of 1100-1400mg/litre; it is used in drinking cures to improve the gastrointestinal disorders and in the form of bath for a significant improvement in the peripheripic circulation and it also alleviates the blood pressure.

The State Hospital of Cardiology of the city, has diagnosis services and therapy of advanced technology and it is considered the most important in Hungary .

In fact, Balatonfüred was granted the category of healthy place and its sour waters were declared waters and springs medicinal, in the year 1772. The first thermal specialist was doctor József Oesterreicher (1786). It was in the year 1971 when it became in "City of the Health" .

Balatonfüred conserves its aristocratic aspect. We come closer to the square Gyógy (Health) where it is the spring Lajos Kossuth, a beautiful source dating from 1800. We stop to contemplate it.

Over the spring there is a roof supported by 12 columns and remembering that "this is the house of health" of Füred and in the catalog of monuments it can be read: A lobby to drink, neoclassic style. Built in 1800. Reconstructed in 1853".

We leave the spa and we went to know the beautiful promenade in the bank of the Lake Balaton that is named after Rabindranath Tagore's name (previously it was called Promenade Kolos and later Promenade Deák). The heart illness of the famous Hindu poet was treated in the Hospital of Balatonfüred, in 1926. After their recovery, he planted a tree in the park of health.

This act was motivated by an old Indian legend that says that if the tree tosses root, its planter will live a lot of time so that he or she can see the new buds. "If I am not present in this world never more, oh my tree, allows your new leaves to whisper in spring on those that wander around; the poet will love you until his death." - the poet wrote.

In fact, Tagore lived for other 17 years after having planted the tree. A Hindu grove has been created around the commemorative tree and the poet's statue rose in the last decades. Several presidents of the Indian Republic, Indira Gandhi, greeted the memory of Tagore also planting several lindens.

A long list of personalities from all over the world has left in Balatonfüred the print of its presence planting trees in the Tagore Promenade, such as the Italian poet Salvatore Quasimodo, winner of the Nobel in 1959. The commemorative trees of several astronauts and scientific included the winners of the Nobel Prize, Jeno Wigner, János Harsányi, and György Oláh-they also can be seen in this beautiful walk.

The park extends along Tagore Promenade for more than a kilometre long. During the whole walk, it is very moving to relax contemplating the statues, the commemorative badges and the badges of brass of the banks of the park. There is a feeling that unites all them: to perpetuate the famous Hindu poet's example. It is really worth seeing.

Balatonfüred is also a town of big vinegrowers. In 1987 won the Prize of International City of vinegrowers, in recognition to the activities of its people for the cultivations of vineyards of Balatonfüred and surroundings. A great event for the city and whose certificate was given in Rome.

The healing power of its thermal waters and the wine-producing tradition of Balatonfüred, are the perfect combination for some healthy vacations, experience that we are living in the Route of the wellness and one among many reasons to make an escape, a trip or a route across Hungary, a friendly country that is in fashion.

We leave Balatonfüred by the highway nş 71 and we enter in the toll-paying motorway M7 with the same labels that we use to depart from Budapest. The entrance in the Hungarian capital, at this first hour of the afternoon, is calm with a fluid traffic. We pass in front of the Hotel Spa Gellért, majestic building in the historical Buda, declared patrimony of the Humanity.

We stop in order to visit its facilities accompanied by the Sales Director of the hotel and we find an relaxing ambient in spite of the many swimmers that circulated through the thermal enclosure. The originality of the pool with artificial waves impress those visiting it for the first time.

I could photograph the pérgola of the indoor pool and our partners admired the sliding roof that allows the penetration of the natural light, what gives a much more grandiose aspect to the space of the Roman columns.

Concluded the journey and with the time very adjusted, we cross the Bridge of the Freedom that is in front the Hotel Gellért and we go to the Danubius Thermal & Conference Hotel Helia, where we will spend the night.

During the lunch we were accompanied by the Director of Sales of the Central Danubius Hotels Rt, and the Sales Director of the Hotel, both were interested in this original traveling experience.

In an cordial atmosphere, we comment the anecdotes and impressions picked up in the itinerary of the Healthy Route, having traveled some twelve cities, medieval towns, spas an d visited hotels wellness through the green region of the Western Trandanubio.

Before saying goodbye, we were pleasurably surprised with invitations to attend the last concert of the series "Europe Concerts", dedicated to France, sponsored by Danubius Hotels Group. One musical event of highest relevance in Budapest, and in this year it had an special significance due the incorporation of Hungary as a member of the EU.

When we were over flying the Hungarian sky, returning to Madrid, and the silhouette of the Danube was stumped slowly from the air, still sounded in the memory the notes from this musical gift, homage to France with works of Saint-Saens, Ravel, Ibert, Debussy, in the Academy of Music of Budapest.

After having enjoyed an authentic festival of cultural, artistic, thermal and gastronomic experiences, nothing was as moving as the beautiful concert with which we say goodbye to Hungary and her welcoming to Europe. A true flourish finishing for this Healthy Route through the paradise of wellness.