Miskolc-Tapolca

Miskolc-Tapolcai Tavasbarlang

Useful Information

Location:	3519 Miskolctapolca, Pazár István sétány 1. Miskolc-Tapolca, Bükk Hills. (48.060402, 20.745043)
Open:	Summer daily 9-19. Winter daily 9-18. Closed January for maintenance. [2022]
Fee:	Full Day: Adults HUF 6,850, Children (4-13) HUF 5,050, Children (0-3) free, Student (14-25) HUF 5,050, Seniors HUF 5,050, Family (2+1) HUF 14,400. Groups (15+): Adults HUF 5,900, Children (4-13) HUF 4,500, Children (0-3) free, Student (14-25) HUF 4,500, Seniors HUF 4,500. 4 Hours: Adults HUF 4,800, Children (4-13) HUF 4,100, Children (0-3) free, Student (14-25) HUF 4,100, Seniors HUF 4,100. Groups (15+): Adults HUF 6,850, Children (4-13) HUF 5,050, Children (0-3) free, Student (14-25) HUF 5,050, Seniors HUF 5,050. [2022]
Classification:	Karst Cave Karst Spring warm springs
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:	T=31 °C (water), Y=3,700 m³/d.
Guided tours:	n/a
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	yes
Bibliography:	Rita Miklós, László Lénárt, Enikő Darabos, Attila Kovács, Ágnes Pelczéder, Norbert Péter Szabó, Péter Szűcs (2020): Karst water resources and their complex utilization in the Bükk Mountains, northeast Hungary: an assessment from a regional hydrogeological perspective, Hydrogeology Journal (2020) 28:2159–2172. DOI László Lénárt, Enikő Szegediné Darabos (2013): The Hydrogeological Relations of the Thermal Karst of the Bükk Mountains Based on Monitoring Data, Geosciences and Engineering, Vol. 2, No. 3 (2013), pp. 91–99. pdf László Kordos (1984): Magyarország barlangjai, Budapest
Address:	Barlang- és Gyógyfürdö, Pazár István sétány 1, 3519 Miskolc-Tapolca, Tel: +36-46-560-030, Fax: +36-46-560-035. E-mail: E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1711	abbot of the Greek Orthodox abbey of Görömböly starts the use as bathing place.
1723	three pools and an inn erected.
1837	spa rebuilt.
1934	officially recognized as a leisure centre.
1958-59	bath built in its actual shape, caves transformed into pools.
14-MAY-1959	Cave Bath opened to the public.
1992	first monitoring system measuring karst water levels installed.

Description

The spa of Miskolc-Tapolca, Tapolcai barlangfürdő (Cave Bath of Tapolca) is a karst cave with a hot spring inside. The cave is known as Tavas Barlang (Lake Cave). The water has 31 °C and contains calcium-magnesium-hydrocarbonate, iodine, bromine, fluorine, radon, and carbon dioxide. It is heated inside the karst body and the minerals are dissolved from the rocks, then emerges in this small cave. It's a quite exceptional karst spring, as thermal springs are quite rare in karst, except in Hungary obviously.

The spring was known (and definitely used) for a very long time, the Roman Hall was named for the fact that the spring was used in Roman times. But some remains from the stone age tell us that already early man used the cave. In the Middle Ages the spring was supervised by the monks of a nearby Greek Orthodox abbey named Görömböly. The development as a spa sraterd after the end of the Ottoman rule. In 1711 the abbot Zsigmond Kollovich had the idea that this could be healing water and opened a spa, he even brought doctors from Košice in Slovakia to examine the beneficial effects of the water. There was a short hype, but soon the bath was neglected. In 1837, Vazul Popovics becomes the new abbot of Görömböly and has the buildings restored and expanded. He also had the first indoor pool built for wealthy guests. In the early 20th century the city of Miskolc needed drinking water and bought the area from the Greek Orthodox Church for the cold spings, which are used as drinking water until today. The karst is the main water resource for the city water supply in Miskolc. The current complex is the result of a massive renovation in the early 2000s.

Today there is a modern spa, with cave pool, sauna, outdoor swimming-pools, and sun-terraces. There are medical treatments, the therapeutic effect of the water is good against physical exhaustion, pain in the joints and muscles, and infections of respiratory system, stomach or intestines. There six different basins, all in natural caves or in caverns which were dug into the limestone: Fürdőcsarnok (Bath hall, 29-30 °C), Öreg barlangi medence (Old cave pool, 29-30 °C), 2 termál medence (2 thermal pool, 33-35 °C), Hidas terem (Hidas hall, 33-35 °C), Római terem (Roman hall, 32 °C), and Csillagterem (Star hall, 32 °C). There are numerous pools outside, which are normal swiming pools, not thermal. Additionally, there are Finnish saunas, steam cabins, and infrared saunas.

Miskolc is located in the Bükk Mountains in northeast Hungary. The uncovered (cold water) karst of the Bükk is around 207 km² in size, the water catchment area is about 230 km². The thermal karst water system of the Bükk is estimated to be 1,000 km² but its hydrogeological boundaries cannot be delineated exactly. Thermal karst aquifers are covered with thick sedimentary layers of Neogene age. It yields water with temperatures exceeding 30 °C. At the rim of the mountains there are about 20–25 karst springs and thermal wells. Miskolc hosts the largest geothermal heating plant in Central Europe with 60 MWt capacity