After the Debrecen Marathon: Hajdúszoboszló
The Route: Debrecen → Hajdúszoboszló → Debrecen Airport Logistics: Regional train or a short drive. The town is about 22 km from Debrecen and the train takes roughly 20 to 25 minutes; check current times at mavcsoport.hu. Marathon Month: April Duration: 1 night
Debrecen ──(approx. 20-25 mins by train, or 25 mins by car)──> Hajdúszoboszló
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Debrecen Airport (DEB) ◄──(approx. 35-40 mins by car)────────┘
The Debrecen Marathon finishes on Sunday morning, and by Monday the legs want warm water and a bench. Hajdúszoboszló sells exactly that, 22 km down the road, and the whole town is flat.
April in Hajdúszoboszló is a cool month in a place built for summer. The large open-air beach at Hungarospa, the thermal bath complex that dominates the town, opens in May, and the big aquapark season comes later still. In April the indoor facilities are the draw: the covered thermal pools and the Aqua-Palace, which the operator lists as open daily. Check the opening hours for the week at hungarospa.hu before you go, and confirm which pools are running. Evenings are cold enough for a coat on the walk between hotel and bath.
By train, the line from Debrecen to Hajdúszoboszló is short and regional. Journey time is in the region of 20 to 25 minutes, but trains are not frequent, so check the schedule and the last return. The station is a walk from the centre, though not a short one at post-marathon pace; taxis wait outside. By car, the drive is simple and the thermal complex has its own parking.
Night one: Hajdúszoboszló
The town owes its existence to a mistake. In 1925 drillers searching for oil here found hot water instead, reportedly at around 73°C. The water proved to be rich in dissolved minerals, a bath was built and the town became a spa, and it is now one of the biggest in the country. The 1925 date and the temperature are widely quoted, so check the complex's own history page before repeating them.
The recovery asset is the water. Hungarospa lets you stand in a warm indoor pool and do nothing for an hour, which is what a body two days after 42 km wants. Entry prices vary by season and by what is included; look them up on the operator's site and book online if the site offers it. Take your own flip-flops and a towel, or hire both, and keep to the shallow end if the stairs are the problem.
The town centre is a short, flat walk of about a kilometre from the baths, with a main square, a park and a modest church. Nothing here involves steps. It is better to go slowly and sit more.
Where to stay: The Hungarospa Thermal Hotel is directly attached to the baths, which means you can go from bed to pool without going outdoors. If you prefer a room in the town and a walk to the baths, ask the town's Tourinform office for the accommodation list; prices and availability vary by weekend. Book early for a weekend, because Hungarian spa towns fill with domestic visitors in the school holidays.
Where to eat: Many hotels here serve a set menu, and the surrounding Hajdúság region is known for stuffed cabbage and for paprika-based stews. Ask your hotel for a table on the first night and look for one with a Hungarian wine list, which usually offers an Alföld or Tokaj white at a fair price.
Getting to Debrecen Airport
Debrecen Airport (DEB) is about 35 to 40 minutes from Hajdúszoboszló by car, on the south-east side of Debrecen. By rail you would change in the city, so a taxi booked the evening before is simpler. If your flight is out of Budapest, allow a full day for the journey and check the connections at mavcsoport.hu.