Moravske Toplice

May, June and September are the best months, with warm days for cycling and the outdoor pools. July and August are hot, so plan trips for the morning and spend the afternoon in the water. Winters are cold and grey, but the thermal pools are open all year and are most pleasant on a frosty day.

The main seasonal event is the December Christmas market in the village centre, with festive lights, mulled wine and events for children. It makes a winter spa break more lively.

The spas are the reason most people come, and the best sights of the area lie in the villages and hills around them.

Terme 3000 is the large thermal park in the centre of the village, with many indoor and outdoor pools. Its black-water baths use the unfiltered thermal water, and the resort also has water slides, saunas and a wellness centre.

Terme Vivat is the smaller spa at the Vivat hotel. It has indoor and outdoor pools with both black and filtered thermal water, plus a sauna area and a Kneipp pool, and it suits a quieter day.

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is the main landmark of the village centre. Its tower dates from 1925, and the church stands on the site of a former manor house of the Batthyány family.

Plečnik's Church of the Ascension in Bogojina, about 6 minutes by car, is the most famous building in the area. Architect Jože Plečnik added a new nave and a round tower to the old church, and its oak ceiling is covered with plates and jugs made by local potters. Visits are arranged with the parish office.

Selo Rotunda stands on a low hill in Selo, about 12 minutes north by car. It is a small round brick church from the 13th century, with medieval wall paintings inside. Guided visits start from the information point in the village.

Bukovniško Lake is a forest lake about 15 minutes east by car. Around it are a chapel, a spring that pilgrims visit, walking paths and an adventure park with climbing elements.

Grad Castle, about 25 minutes north in the Goričko hills, is one of the largest castle complexes in Slovenia, with 365 rooms. The Goričko Nature Park has its offices here, and parts of the castle are open to visitors.

A stay here is built around the water, with slow trips into the countryside in between.

• A black-water bath: Soak in the dark, unfiltered thermal water, which comes out of the ground at about 54 °C. The baths are cooled to about 37 °C, and the water smells slightly of petroleum.
• A spa day with local treatments: Try a massage with pumpkin seed oil, a Prekmurje speciality, or a pack with medicinal mud.
• Cycling to the churches: Ride the flat route to Plečnik's church in Bogojina, or the hillier loop to the rotunda in Selo.
• Watching storks: From spring to late summer, white storks nest on chimneys and poles in the villages around the spa.
• Golf among the pools: An 18-hole golf course surrounds the thermal resort.
• A balloon or plane flight: Panoramic flights over the flat plain and the Goričko hills are offered in the area.

Moravske Toplice sits close to three borders, so many short trips are possible. Times are by car.

• Murska Sobota: about 10 minutes. The regional capital has Murska Sobota Castle, set in a large park and home to the Pomurje Museum, and the most shops and restaurants in the area.
• Lendava: about 25 minutes. A bilingual Slovenian-Hungarian town with a castle and a synagogue. Above it, the Vinarium lookout tower gives wide views from the vineyards.
• Bad Radkersburg: about 25 minutes, in Austria. A small walled old town on the Mura river.
• Őrség National Park: about 25 minutes, in Hungary. Forests, scattered villages and pottery workshops continue the Goričko landscape across the border.
• Jeruzalem wine hills: about 40 minutes. Steep vineyards, wine cellars and viewpoints above Ljutomer.
• Maribor: about 45 minutes by motorway. Slovenia's second city, with an old town on the Drava river.

Moravske Toplice is one of three main bases in Prekmurje, the region beyond the Mura river.

• Nearest town: Murska Sobota is the regional capital, with the nearest train station.
• To the south-east: Lendava lies below the wine hills near the Hungarian and Croatian borders.

• By air: The nearest large airport is Graz Airport in Austria, about 1 hour 10 minutes away by car. Zagreb Airport is about 1 hour 45 minutes away, and Ljubljana Airport about 2 hours 10 minutes. There is no direct public transport, so most visitors rent a car or book a transfer.
• By train: The nearest station is in Murska Sobota, 7 km away. Trains from Ljubljana take around 3 hours, and some need a change, while trains from Maribor are quicker. Slovenian Railways
• By bus: Long-distance buses run from Ljubljana and Maribor to Murska Sobota. Local buses continue to Moravske Toplice, but they are infrequent.
• By car: Moravske Toplice is about 185 km from Ljubljana, or about 2 hours via the A1 and A5 motorways. Leave the motorway at Murska Sobota. Motorways in Slovenia need an e-vignette.

• On foot: The spa area is compact, and the pools, hotels, church and shops are a few minutes apart.
• Cycling: The best way to see the area. Marked routes start in the village, from short flat rides to Bogojina to longer hilly loops through Goričko. The tourist information centre rents trekking bikes, children's bikes and e-bikes.
• Buses: Local buses link the village with Murska Sobota, but services are rare, especially at weekends.
• Taxis: Useful for the trip from the train or bus station in Murska Sobota, about 10 minutes away.
• Tourist information: Visit Moravske Toplice

• Is a car worth it?: Not for the spa itself, which is easy to walk. A car is very useful for the churches, castles and villages around, as buses are rare.
• Parking: The spa hotels and thermal parks have large car parks. Parking in the villages and at the sights is easy.
• Roads: Country roads are narrow but quiet. Watch for cyclists and farm tractors.

Moravske Toplice serves classic Prekmurje food, with strong Hungarian influences. Look for prekmurska gibanica, a layered cake with poppy seeds, cottage cheese, walnuts and apples, bograč, a spicy kettle stew, and dishes made with local pumpkin seed oil. The hills around the village produce fresh white wines.

For the most local food, go to the village inns and tourist farms (turistične kmetije) in the surrounding hills. In the village, the spa hotels and several family inns serve Prekmurje menus, and small markets in the centre sell home-made products.

Moravske Toplice is a very safe, quiet village, and crime against visitors is rare.

Hot thermal water can be tiring. Keep baths short, drink plenty of water, and ask the spa doctor or staff first if you have heart or blood pressure problems. In the Goričko forests, check for ticks after walks, and use insect repellent on summer evenings.

For centuries, the village of Moravci belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary, like the rest of Prekmurje. The estate was owned by the Batthyány family, and Lajos Batthyány, the first prime minister of Hungary, held it until his execution in 1849. The local Lutheran community bought the manor in 1888 and later built Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on its site. Prekmurje joined the new South Slav state in 1919.

The village changed after drillers looking for oil struck hot water instead. The water was declared a natural healing remedy in 1964, and the spa grew quickly. In 1983, Moravci was renamed Moravske Toplice, which means "Moravci Spa".

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