This blog is a bit different from my other ones – here I don’t talk about the beautiful greenery of Serbia – however, it still reflects the wish and intent to head outdoor and spend an interesting weekend. I don’t want to turn passionate hikers away from enjoying the winter idyll, but I believe that this option is suitable for a family trip, for “fresh” couples and most of all, conformists.
Since winter is here, bringing some seriously low temperatures, most people don’t leave the house unless they need to visit the store or go to work. Maybe the only thing to motivate them could be the hot water, swimming pools and chilling in the spa.
Coordinates: 46.216385, 19.889331
Distance from BG: 210km
Difficulty: 1 – EASY PEASY
Realization: SOLO
Equpment: SWIMSUIT, TOWEL, SLIPPERS
Many tourist agencies organize visits to the spa, but when I realized that they start at 5 a.m., I had to figure out how to organize this in a more convenient way. A number of hiking groups also organize winter tours, so keep an eye on programs by Planinari avanturisti, Iskra i KAUP.
Morahalom is located about 200 kilometers from Belgrade and two and a half hours of driving. You need to take the highway via Novi Sad and Subotica, so driving is not a big issue. Many opt for the border crossing “Horgoš” but I advise an alternative crossing – “Bački Vinogradi”. Most do not know about this crossing, so it should be less crowded and passage is allowed only to passenger cars. You should also mind the time, since it operates only from 07-19h.
Some 10 kilometers after the border, you will arrive at a roundabout in the center of a village. After that, you can easily find a free parking space and a large orange object – the entrance to the spa.
Morahalom spa (or Eržebet center) is newly built, with rich content and is ideal for all ages, especially for family visits. It has nine outdoor and 15 indoor pools. Beside the pools, there is additional content, guaranteeing an interesting day: Finnish, infrared sauna and aroma sauna, steam bath, salt room, hydro and various other massages, therapeutic services, aqua park, facilities for children. On top of the entertainment of the wellness & spa, the center welcomes those with health problems because of its mineral water and therapeutic services offered. Therapeutic pools are filled only with water, without the addition of chemicals. The temperature is around 39.5 ° C, pumped from a depth of 660 m. The water contains alkaline chlorides and iodine which are useful for the treatment of spinal diseases, rheumatism of the muscles and treatment of gynecological problems.
Nearby, there are also several hotels, the house of strudel, the dolls’ house, wine house, bird park, paprika park … There is also a bison reserve and boat rides on the lake, so for the curious and the explorers, there is enough material for a full weekend.
A ticket for the spa is 2,400 forints or 8 euros, plus 1,000 Serbian dinars deposit for the key to the locker room. It’s good to note that they are very tourist-friendly, so they don’t take exclusively local currency, but also credit cards, dinars and euros. The changing rooms are clean and tidy, but the bad thing is that there are not too many of them. When you finally finish changing clothes, the fun can begin.
The selection of pools is large and it’s up to you how to use them. Most services are included in the price, except massage. All the available activities definitely benefit your health, and I don’t want to diminish that aspect. However, the real magic happens with each stroke of the hydro-massage bathtub, when you put on a blissful smile and realize that you’ve shifted in time and space. At least for a few hours you left behind all your everyday problems and worries. All the negative energy and stress get carried away with each new water treatment. As you “forget” part of your concerns in the pools, you will feel lighter and full of enthusiasm.
The complex also has a 33-meter swimming pool and two nice waterslides for those who want some excitement. It all seems fairly regulated and organized: the information boards next to each pool tell you the temperature of water and recommended time of stay, and the ice cubes are waiting for you to cool down next to the sauna.
Pravi mađarski langoš
When you get hungry, there are a few bars that prepare food, or you can bring your own. The food is mostly of decent quality, at fairly affordable prices. From what I saw, hamburger is 2-3 euros, sandwich 1 euro, a variety of pancakes and doughnuts at 1-1.5 euro. A good goulash in the local restaurant is around 5 euros, but you can also order barbecue, fish, salads…
Tobogani
A few helpful notes:
• With a valid ticket or medical prescription you get unlimited use of the pools and sauna.
• If you want to leave the area of the spa and come back later, you need to purchase an exit ticket for 200 Ft.
• Valid as of January 1st, 2012, there is no designated smoking place in the indoor areas of the spa.
• The spa is open every day of the year except December 24th.
On the way back, true gourmets need to stop and visit Subotica “Boss” patisserie. Their specialties are a true “icing on the cake” of this hedonistic trip.
Leave a Reply