Palinka, sausages and 100-year old deserts attract tourists to Gyula - Healing treatments and good time at the spa center in South East Hungary

The 600-year old medieval castle, 300- year old tradition of palinka brandy production,150 years of the "institution" of sausage and 100-year old hand-made deserts. Sounds like a mathematical problem but these are, along with the spa complex, the main tourist attractions of the little town of Gyula in South East Hungary.

Good location and close proximity to Serbia and Romania attract tourists from these countries during the whole year and especially in the vacation season. Belgrade is 330 km far from Gyula and it takes about 3.5 hours to get there from Belgrade. This small town with the population of 30,000 residents maybe owes its popularity to its spa complex but it wins over its visitors with charm, rich tradition, gastronomy and numerous flower arrangements which you can find around every corner and which gave it the unofficial status of the “ most flowery” city in Hungary.

Ferenc Erkel, the composer of the Hungarian national anthem was born in Gyula as well as Albrecht Durer The Elder, the father of Albercht Durer. A group of journalist and travel agents from Serbia had an opportunity to visit this interesting place at the end of August.

Spa in the 200-year old park

Varfurdo bathing complex, encompassing 20 swimming pools, is situated in the 200-year old park that takes up an area of around 8.5 ha. According to our hosts, the thermal water in the complex with its healing properties helps the recovery from rheumatic diseases and regulation of digestive problems. It is rich in iodine and has a specific smell and colour.
The complex has healing thermal pools and also “water paradise” for kids, a pool with artificial waves and foam, giant water sliders, Olympic pools 50 meters-long which is open during winter too and other sections of entertainment and fun for the whole family.
Last year, in the Hunguest Hotel Erkel, which also belong to the spa complex, aqua park Aquapalotas had its grand opening to the joy of the youngest visitors.

This park covers the total area of 6,000 m2, and out of which almost 900 m2 are waterbodies and structures. For your bathing experince to be complete there is a hallway with water current, standing and sitting hydro massage tubs, waterfalls, geysers, family water slider, slider with a “glowing tunnel” and a unique "donut" water slider with an upwards slide.

Medieval brick

Within the tourist complex there is also a medieval castle, the only preserved construction in Hungary made entirely of brick. Narrow hallways and embrasures on top of this magnificent building remind of a time long gone and could be a perfect set for a historical epic movie. The castle was at one time under Turkish siege who used a part of the castle as their prison.

The little lake that tourist use for boating, fishing and to just generally enjoy nature is located right next to the castle. The castle looks on to the Almasy Mansion, a museum that often hosts classical music concerts either in its atrium or on the balcony. The museum was refurbished recently with modern addition to the classic exhibits so the visitors can now see multimedia presentations, hear about interesting facts of the life in the Almesy Mansion, watch short films and 3D Animations which bring to life the former way of life of masters and servants.

From aperitifs to deserts

Beside its rich historical sights, Gyula is an excellent choice for foodies because the gastronomical offer is fantastic. The locals talk about the famous piquant sausage made in this city from local meat exclusively and how it has become a real “institution” with a 150-year old tradition and many awards. A place in the centre of Gyula where the visitor can take a picture with this local "insitution" proves its popularity.

Although Hungary is mostly know for its wines, Gyula has a long brandy manufacturing tradition, the famous “palinka” brandy. According to the information available, the first palinka distillery was founded by Johann Georg Harrucken in 1731. The Manufaktura distillery continues the nearly 300-year old tradition, making some of the best brandy in the area.

Our charming host Atila , whose office wall is lined up with strings of awards and recognition for his work, told us that this company has 15,000 ha of orchards that yield superb raw product for about 70,000 liters of brandy per year. Among many types of palinka he singled out plum and pear brandies of 60 degrees and added that he supplied numerous restaurant and hotels all across the country with his brandy. He praised his colleagues from Subotica and remarked that because of the EU regulations he was not yet able to export his product to the neighboring country, although he believed he would get a great response to his product.
Gyula is also famous for its wide range of hand-made candy and chocolates which the visitors can try in the city centre. In the 100 year old confectionery more than 30 types of deserts are hand-made and they also have their own chocolate brand made from an original recipe. The confectionery owner commented that maybe they were not the oldest confectionery in Hungary but they were certainly the prettiest”. The place is decorated in the classical style with a small garden that offers a cozy experience to its visitors and the small musem contributes to that feeling.

Our Hungarian hosts said that with palinka, sausages and "100-year old deserts", pleasant strolls and historical sights, visitors remember Gyula fondly and many come back.

Marko Andrejic

Gyula

Gyula spa

Hunguest Hotel Erkel

Aquapalota

medieval Gyula castle

brandy

palinka

brandy manufacture in Gyula

Gyula palinka

Gyula sausage

100-year old confectionery in Gyula

deserts in Gyula

Ferenc Erkel

Albrecht Durer

Johan Georg Harrucken

Varfurdo bathing complex

Almasy Mansion

Gyula chocolate

Manufaktura distillery in Gyula

tourism in Hungary

tourism in Gyula

Serbian tourists in Hungary

Serbian tourists in Gyula