Our beloved town: Bük

Bük’s timeline

1265

FIRST REFERENCE OF BÜK

The first written reference of Bük was found in 2015 after long research.

1408

ST. CLEMENT CATHOLIC PARISH CHURCH

A 13th century Romanesque church was rebuilt in Gothic style in 1408.

1696

SZAPÁRY MANSION

The Baroque style Szapáry Mansion was built by refurbishing a reinforced 16th century country house and became a symbol of the town.

1785

LUTHERAN CHURCH

The Late Baroque Lutheran church was consecrated on the Advent of 1785, without a tower according to the rules of the time.

1865

THE NEW RAILWAY

The construction of the railway brought a huge change in the life of the settlement, and Bük was placed on a new development path.

1867

SUGAR FACTORY

The new railway in the town contributed to the expansion of sugar beet cultivation. The sugar factory of Nagycenk opened its new unit in Bük in 1867.

1896

BRICK FACTORY

The Feiglstock brothers founded their brick factory—operating until 1934—on the present football pitch with artificial grass.

1931

PHARMACY

The village recommended the establishment of a pharmacy by a decree on 15 March 1913, but it was not actually completed until 1931.

1932

LUTHERAN YOUTH CENTER

The Lutheran Youth Center was built and became the site of the local movie theater in 1950.

1965

COMMUNITY CENTER

At the cost of more than a half million euros, the village built a home for culture with its own resources, and it has been the venue for numerous performances ever since.

1967

REFURBISHING OF THE SZAPÁRY MANSION

The reconstruction of the Szapáry mansion began in the spirit of its future use for tourism.

1972

HOTEL IN THE MANSION

Hungary’s first mansion hotel was opened in the Szapáry Mansion, with the staff dressed in authentic costumes welcoming guests arriving to heal.

1980

ARANYHORDÓ

After the refurbishing of the renowned Lökkös Restaurant, the newest restaurant of the municipality opened.

1985

ICE CREAM FACTORY

As the result of one of the most significant investments in Vas county in the 1980s, the ROLL ice cream factory started its operation.

1994

SUPERMARKET

Due to the increased needs of the guests, a shopping mall was built on the spa side of the town.

1995

SPORTS STADIUM

The settlement’s sports stadium was ceremonially inaugurated, and it has since been used by many top athletes.

1996

ELECTRIC LIGHTING IN THE STADIUM

The electric lighting of the sports field was inaugurated with the guest appearance of the football team Ferencváros, a participant in the Champions League.

1999

NESTLÉ

Nestlé’s new pet food factory was inaugurated on the settlement’s border, which meant a major step in the life of the municipality.

2007

BÜK BECAME A TOWN

The municipality of Bük was granted township by the President of Hungary, making the spa town the 11th town in the county.

2011

BICYCLE PATH

The Thermal bicycle path’s new section of almost four kilometers between Bő and Bük was opened.

2012

NEW TOWN HALL

The administrative center moved to a new location that is more worthy to the town status. After the opening, locals started using the new town hall right away.

2013

NAPSUGÁR PLAYHOUSE

The huge playhouse of 3,100 sqm was inaugurated as part of a gap-filling investment next to the old quarry lake.

2014

FISHING LAKE

The newest highlight of Bük’ tourism offer benefitted freshwater anglers: the building and its surroundings—formerly used as a slaughterhouse, then later as a shooting range–were refurbished.

2017

GOVERNMENT CUSTOMER SERVICE OFFICES

On the 10th anniversary of Bük becoming a town, the new local government customer service office was opened.

2020

ST. CLEMENT CHURCH PARK

The church park, in addition to its touristic function, also having religious and historical role and botanical value, was rebuilt.

Our beloved town: Bük

The former sugar factory

The best possible way to start the hundreds of years of history of one of the most popular spa towns in Hungary is “in medias res.”

Although the first written reference to the settlement in Vas county—that was granted township in 2007—dates back to the 13th century, 1957 was the year in its history that changed the lives of Bük’s residents the most.

The development during the 19th and 20th century may be called the “sugar factory period,” since the factory played a key role in the economic life and social development of Bük.

After its closure in 1917, mass emigration began, and exactly 40 years had to pass until the fortunate coincidence that opened a new chapter in the lives of the locals.

The beginning of the “success story” was far from easy, since hydrocarbon explorations—started in the 1920s, then intensely and systematically conducted from the 1950s—in the Bük area got sidetracked, and experts were disappointed to only find hot water instead of crude oil. However, due to the favorable expert opinion on the water, the town’s leaders took steps to exploit it, and their decision to do so set a new course for the tranquil daily life of the village of Bük.

Needless to say, any other mineral resource would have been valued more at that time, yet—maybe because of the memory of the monarchy’s bathing culture—there was hope of building something big.

The moment the thermal water gushed to the surface

The first patients

The news of miraculous recoveries traveled fast, and, by the summer of 1961, thousands of people from near and far visited the new thermal spring of western Transdanubia. It was like a massive pilgrimage: people with demijohns and curious ones on foot, by bicycle, horse carriages or motorcycles arrived to take a bit of the “miracle water” with them—and thus began the success story of the spa, which continues up to this day.

Who would have thought that such a success story was about to begin?

Prospecting and drilling took place in many parts of Hungary, and spas of various sizes were built, but, in many places, the establishment or the success of spa complexes hit a dead end.

Fortunately, it was different in Bük.

The spa of Bük—opened in August 1962—had an outstanding influence on the development of the municipality that was created by the incorporation of three villages of the lower nobility. Thousands of people visited the spa already in the early days, and, on several occasions during weekends, there were so many people that many could only stand in the only sitting pool.

The following decades of the spa town were marked by continuous development and renewal. Hotels, restaurants and different tourist attractions were built to serve the needs of the guests comprehensively; all of which together with the traditional hospitality of the people in Vas county created a unique and special Bükfürdő that became famous throughout Europe.

The desire for development and improvement has always characterized the approach of the town’s leaders and entrepreneurs.

An old entrance

A newer entrance

The biggest success of the 2000s was clearly the elimination of the stereotype “Bükfürdő is just a spa.” The accelerated pace of life and the change in the clientele created a new trend, to which both the spa and the town’s developments were perfectly adapted.

Vibrant festivals, modern saunas and spas, an adrenaline-filled adventure park and the best thermal water in Hungary. These are just a few of the unforgettable attractions that guarantee the perfect relaxation and rejuvenation for all ages, making the stay in Bük unforgettable.

Today, Bük makes excellent use of its favorable geographical location, its good accessibility and its proximity to Győr, Szombathely, Sopron and Austria.