Spa Center Historic Ensemble

World Monuments Watch
Balatonfüred, Hungary

1998 World Monuments Watch

Hungarians wanting to take the cure in the late 18th and 19th centuries went to the baths at Balatonfüred to soak in restorative carbon-rich waters. When the beneficial properties of the springs near Lake Balaton were recognized, a fashionable spa resort arose. A complex of Swiss cottage style villas were built in town, as well as restaurants, a theater, and a sanatorium. In between bathing, guests could stroll on the waterfront promenade or sail on the lake. Beginning in the 1960s, though, large resort facilities were being built on the shoreline, sapping the historic center of life. The final blow was the dissolution in the early 1990s of the organized holiday system upon which hotels had relied. Many of the old spa center buildings became abandoned and shops have relocated to more active parts of town. Since the newly adopted strategic plan of the municipality stresses conservation of historic heritage in the town, finding new uses for the structures and upgrading the quality of the area is urgent.

Last updated: June 2018.

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