After the spa resort in Csíz (today Číž), the Várgede spa, favourably situated in the valley of the Gortva creek, was the second nationally best known and most famous spa in the Gömör region in the peacetime. It lied on a relatively small, protected area under the ruins of the historical sight of the Gedő castle, near the enormous forest at the foothill of the Bükk mountain, reaching the altitude of 280 m. We can state though with regret that Várgede, despite every effort, remained unexplored in the happy peacetimes of the Monarchy: its level of hospitality could be hardly ranked higher than “sufficient”. The obsolete spa and its equipment were in sharp contrast with the national requirements and the demands of the guests, even if it was only of a local interest. The spa, having its second “golden time” after 1918, ceased to exist in the 1990s.


 

Éva Kerényi   615.838(437.6)(091)

Spa life in Gömör in the 19th century. The steamer goes to Várgede

Keywords: Gömör-Kishont (Gemer-Malohont), Várgede (Hodejov), balneology, mineral water.