How to spend a long weekend at Nyíregyháza-Sóstó

The justly famous zoo in Nyíregyháza opened its gate in 1974 named Nyíregyháza Menagerie back then. In the beginning, the visitors could see only European animal species. Still, with time and a change in leadership, it became the most developed zoo in Hungary, providing home for almost 5000 animals on 30 hectares.

It is worth spending a whole day in Sóstó Zoo, as you can go around the entire world in that one day. A tour in the Andes a few metres high, a stroll in the ocean’s stomach and the rainforest’s depth, a seal show on the arctic, a savanna tour in Africa – there is no such place on Earth which you cannot admire during our journey in the zoo. The park staff did not forget about children and older people either; the long hike can be done on foot, by baby taxi or using the “KocsikáZoo” bus line. If you feel hungry, you can have a delicious bite at the buffet, the Bamboo Restaurant or the Jungle Restaurant.

Be it winter or summer, snowdrift, rain, or sunshine, you can have a bath anytime if you visit Sóstó. In cold weather, you can splash in the pools of the Aqua Park. During a heatwave, the Spa and the Lake Bath await water enthusiasts.

The slide park, wave pool, swirling aisle, and bubble bath of the Aqua Park provide an unforgettable experience for visitors. While children are invited to water adventures by the Inca ruin church and treasure island, adults and seniors can spend time in the beneficial waters of the Kneipp pool and outdoor thermal bath.

In the hot summer, the Spa offers pleasant relaxation. More athletic visitors can swim back and forth in the 50-metre-long pool, those longing for peace can taste the cocktails of the PoolBar in thermal water, and Wednesday and Thursday evenings pool parties with some retro music await those seeking for a party. If someone prefers natural waters, they can try the Lake Bath: the Southern part of the divided Sóstó lake has been used for bathing since the 1700s. On the 2000-square-metre landscaped area, you can find a restaurant, a buffet, a beach volleyball court and a water slide among others.

The Sóstó Museum Village invites you for a real time-travel; it brings you back to the 19th century. The biggest Skansen of the country displays the folk architecture in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county. Walking in the artificially created village, you can see how poor and middle-class peasants and noblemen lived back in the day. You can sit on the old school bench, admire the wooden bell tower and the Reformed church with its wattle-and-daub walls, walk through a series of workshops showcasing various folk crafts, and enter the grocery store, the pub and the fire station.

On holidays, colourful events and gastro festivals enrich the programme. At Easter, traditionalists dressed in folk costumes revive the festive customs, the boys chase the girls with water buckets, and on the shortest night of the year, the lovers can strengthen their relationship with a St. John’s night fire jump. For those who are interested in pálinka culture, it is recommended to visit the Pálinka House located next to the museum village, where you can get to know the three protected fruit spirits of the county: pálinka using apples from Szabolcs, plums from Szatmár and sour cherries on fruit bed from Újfehértó.