Tóalmási Szent András Gyógyvizes Strand

What to expect

Tóalmás is a village in the Nagykáta district of Pest County, about an hour’s drive east of Budapest, and its bath is a modest local strand rather than a spa complex. You get a grassy, partly shaded park of just over 1.6 hectares, four outdoor pools, a small football pitch and a volleyball court, and a campsite next door. It feels like a village lido, and its low senior prices draw a loyal retired crowd to the warm pool.

The water is the reason it exists. In 1969 an exploratory well drilled in the search for oil and gas struck hot water at a depth of 870 m (about 2,850 ft). It reaches the surface at 118°F47.5°C. The operator describes it as a low-hardness, alkaline, sodium hydrogen-carbonate water with about 1,150 mg of dissolved minerals per litre, which sets it apart from the saltier waters common on the Great Plain. It was certified as a mineral water in 2002 and as a medicinal water in 2004 under the name Szent András gyógyvíz (St Andrew medicinal water), which is where the bath gets its name. The bath markets it for spine and joint complaints. We cannot vouch for any medical claim.

Do not expect indoor halls, slides or a wellness floor. This is a cheap, simple place to sit in warm water in the countryside.

The pools

The operator lists four pools:

• Medicinal pool (gyógymedence): 6 x 10 m, about 97°F36°C, only 45 cm (18 in) deep with built-in seating. This is the one to soak in.
• Swimming pool: 12 x 25 m, about 82°F28°C, up to 1.6 m deep, with some play features. In summer it opens early, from 7 to 9 a.m., for lap swimmers.
• Children’s pool: 6 x 10 m, about 90°F32°C, 60 cm deep.
• Baby splash pool: about 20 square metres, the newest pool, with its own sand-filter pump.

The bath’s Finnish sauna was listed as not operating when we checked in October 2026. The medical department (fürdőgyógyászat) offers underwater jet massage, exercise therapy and medical massage on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Getting there

From Budapest the bath suggests main road 31 east through Tápiószecső and then the turn for Tóalmás, a drive of a little over an hour. Route planners often send you out on the M3 motorway instead and then along minor roads through the Tápió villages; the distance is about 77 km (48 miles) either way. Nagykáta is about 15 km (9 miles) from the bath and Jászberény about 28 km (17 miles).

The bath is at Napsugár utca 1-3 on the north-eastern edge of the village, beside the Hajta stream. The operator says there is a large car park of about two hectares in front of the entrance and that parking is free.

When to go

The bath runs a three-part year. In 2026 the timetable was:

• February 2 to April 30: Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday was a maintenance day.
• May 1 to September 30: daily, with early swimming from 7 to 9 a.m. and the bath open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• October 1 to December 31: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The bath also closes on maintenance days, and the price list says so in bold. An older version of the schedule mentioned one maintenance Monday a month in summer. Check the website or the Facebook page before you drive out.

July and August weekends are the busy time. The bath’s operating rules cap the number of people inside at 298, and once that number is reached nobody else is let in until others leave. Spring and autumn weekdays are quiet and cheap, and the warm pool is pleasant on a cool day.

Prices and booking

There is no online booking for day tickets; you pay at the gate. Prices for 2026, low season (January 1 to April 30 and September 1 to December 31) first, then main season (May 1 to August 30):

• Adult: HUF 2,400 / 3,500 (the main-season price includes the sauna).
• Under 18s and students: HUF 1,200 / 1,500.
• Seniors with a pension card: HUF 1,000 / 1,500.
• Family ticket (two adults and two under-18s, or one adult and three): HUF 4,000 / 8,000, plus HUF 500 per extra child.
• After 4 p.m.: adults HUF 2,400 in main season only; seniors, students and under 18s HUF 800 / 1,000; family HUF 4,000 in main season only.
• Extras: sun lounger HUF 1,000 a day; sauna HUF 1,500 a day outside the main season.

Residents of Tóalmás get lower prices. Ten-visit passes (HUF 30,000 for adults) are sold in the main season only and must be used within 30 days. The operator reserves the right to change prices.

Bathing culture

Hungarian strands work on a simple routine. You pay at the gate, change in the changing building, and spend the day on the grass between dips, with lángos (fried dough) and ice cream from the kiosks. Swimsuits are required in the pools, and you should shower before getting in.

Medicinal pools are for sitting, not swimming. Most regular visitors stay in for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, then rest in the shade. Keep your head out of the water, keep voices down in the warm pool and give older bathers room on the benches.

Where to stay nearby

The bath has its own accommodation, booked by phone (+36 20 353 0348) or email:

• Campsite: 2.3 hectares of grass and trees beside the bath, with 65 caravan pitches with water and electricity, more space for tents, and a block with toilets and showers. A path leads straight to the pools. In 2026 a caravan pitch was HUF 5,100 a night, a tent HUF 2,000 and electricity HUF 3,000, plus HUF 3,100 per adult and HUF 1,500 per child or senior. Groups of ten caravans or more get 10% off.
• Youth camp and hostel: beds in a building on site at HUF 8,000 per person a night (HUF 6,000 for under 18s and seniors), with 10% off for groups of more than ten.

For hotels, look in Nagykáta, about 15 km (9 miles) away, Jászberény at about 28 km (17 miles), or Gödöllő at about 29 km (18 miles).

Safety notes

• Heat: 97°F36°C is warm enough to make you light-headed if you stay in a long time. Keep soaks short, drink water and get out slowly.
• Medical water: If you are pregnant or have a heart, blood pressure or circulation problem, ask a doctor before using a medicinal pool.
• Footing: The pool floors and decks can be slippery. Wear bath sandals.
• Children: The children’s pool has little shade, so bring hats and sun cream in summer.
• Accessibility: The operator gives no information on step-free access or pool hoists. Phone ahead if you need them.