Bükfürdõ

The reputation of the settlement is based on the local thermal waters and the spa baths built around them.

Thought to have been established at the time of the founding of the kingdom of Hungary, this village once belonged to the governor of the Sopron Castle. It was populated by castle serfs who gave service to Sopron Castle on occasion. In the Middle Ages the inhabitants obtained lands and ranks of nobility.

The villages of Upper, Middle and Lower Bük (Felsõbük, Középbük, Alsóbük) unified to form the relatively large settlement known today simply as Bük. In spite of its urbanisation, the street layout has retained its village character with lovingly maintained small gardens and courtyards, attractive buildings, and an abundance of flowers everywhere. In 1999, Bük won second place in the European Floral Competition for Villages and Towns.

The place has gained a worldwide reputation for its medicinal water. In 1957, experts prospecting for oil found 58 degree Centigrade thermal water at a depth of 1282 metres. Laboratory tests soon revealed that the water contained valuable minerals. The first bathing pool was inaugurated in 1962 and the thermal water was declared to be medicinal in 1965.

Thanks to its waters the village has been a nationally and internationally attractive thermal and tourist resort as early as in 1977. The practically independent resort of Bükfürdõ (Bük Baths) is 2 kilometres south of the village. Today it is not just a spa, but has grown into a genuine medicinal and tourist centre.