Egerszalók

EGERSZALÓK

The village lies in Heves County, near Eger, the county seat, by the Laskó Brook. There is no railway station, but roads from several directions make it readily accessible by bus and private transport; the roads to Eger and towards Route 3 and Kápolna are good. Regular bus services via Eger make it easily approached from Budapest, Miskolc, Mezõkövesd and the Mátra Hills.

Its famous historic RC church (1738) contains an image on the altar which has made Egerszalók a popular place of pilgrimage.

A calcareous tufa unique in the country has been formed over thousands of years by the flow of medicinal water with a high salt content. Only 2-3 km away is a 120-ha reservoir much frequented by anglers and water-sports enthusiasts. The village is famous for its excellent wines and its medicinal hot spring.

The hot spring was found during oil prospecting in 1961. The deposit of salt from it constitutes a natural formation unparalleled in the district, its steaming white cone making an attractive sight amidst the dark pine trees.

Analyses of the water have raised the estimation of Egerszalók's hot spring, which is now rated the source in the county with the greatest potentials. Examinations in 1989 for trace elements showed the spring to have international significance for the treatment of both physical handicaps and multiple sclerosis (MS). Rubidium and caesium are present in the water in the concentrations needed for comprehensive balneotherapy for MS victims, the only other spa of the kind known in Europe being at Gornja Trepca in the former Yugoslavia, whose operation is impeded at present.

The water's microchemical composition is truly unique. The plan for comprehensive spa facilities is supported by the combination of unspoilt picturesque surroundings, a developed technical infrastructure (roads, power, drinking water) and strong prospective international demand.

The water is also beneficial to MS sufferers in bottled form. A bottling plant will be operating in a year or two years' time.

Egerszalók's water, with a temperature of 68^oC, was certified as therapeutic in 1992. A study proposing the erection of a high-standard spa-hotel complex of international importance and a public lido is currently being prepared.

Utilization of the medicinal water, preservation and development of the landscape and satisfaction of potential demands will enable the area to become a resort whose endowments and atmosphere place it in the forefront of Hungarian spas and ensure international interest. Ownership of the site has been legally clarified.

Owners:

    Egerszalók Község Önkormányzata
    (Egerszalók Village Local Authority)
    Eger Megyei Város Önkormányzata
    (Eger City Local Authority)
    Mátra Nyugat-Bükki Erdõ- és FafeldolgozóGazdaság
    (Mátra and W. Bükk Forestry and Timber-Processing Estate)

Enquiries:

    Egerszalók Polgármesteri Hivatal
    (Mayor of Egerszalók's Office)
    H-3394 Egerszalók, Sáfrány utca 7.
    Phone: (36-36) 312-366

    Eger Megyei Város Polgármesteri Hivatala
    (Mayor of Eger City's Office)
    H-3300 Eger, Dobó István tér 2.
    Phone: (36-36) 310-144

Related materials:

Heves county

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