Discover Marcali: Culture, Crafts and Healing Waters

Marcali brings together healing waters, art, architecture and the history of local crafts.

Healing Waters and Galleries

Since 1989, the Marcali Spa and Leisure Centre has had state-recognized medicinal water containing sodium bicarbonate and chloride. This makes the healing water a distinct health-focused feature of Marcali; the galleries and museum add a cultural dimension.

The Fürdőgaléria, a permanent photography gallery, is located in the open gallery area on the upper floor of the Marcali Spa. This brings together two distinct themes in the same place: healing waters and photography at the Marcali Spa. The Bernáth Aurél Gallery is housed in a Bauhaus villa dating from the 1930s, which is protected as a local historic monument. The gallery displays 30 works of art and personal mementos; the exhibits may change. Another art venue is the Kulturális Korzó Kortárs Galériája, with a permanent display of works acquired by the town in 2007 and 2008. If you are planning a gallery visit in particular, check current visiting arrangements and exhibitions in advance. The art offerings differ in theme and setting: photography at the Marcali Spa, Bauhaus architecture and personal mementos at the Bernáth Aurél Gallery, and works acquired by the town at the Kulturális Korzó Kortárs Galériája.

Crafts, Church and Monument

The permanent exhibition “Mesterek és műhelyek” at the Marcali Museum presents tools and craft knowledge from five former local trades: blue dyers, shoemakers, ornamental metalworkers, gingerbread makers and rope makers. It also recreates the atmosphere of a market from the period between the two world wars. The exhibition thus presents specific trades and a historical market scene as two ways to explore its displays. Unlike the art galleries, its focus is on tools, occupational knowledge and traditional craft practices.

The Gyümölcsoltó Boldogasszony Parish Church in Marcali combines Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque features. For architecture enthusiasts, this blend offers a special point of interest: three distinct styles shape the same church building. Marcali is also home to a Szentháromság statue erected in 1884. The church offers a perspective focused on architectural styles, while the statue's year of construction provides a historical reference point.

Balaton - South as a Regional Setting

In the wider destination of Balaton - South, the Zselici Tájvédelmi Körzet was named an International Dark Sky Park in 2009 because of its low levels of light pollution. The Zselici Csillagpark was established in the heart of the protected area. This dark-sky park context broadens the picture of the wider destination, while healing waters, galleries, the museum and church architecture shape Marcali's themes. The wider destination of Balaton - South includes several places in Somogy County, including Kis-Balaton, the Zselici Tájvédelmi Körzet, Barcsi Ősborókás and Babócsai Basakert. Baláta lies between Kaszó and Szenta and is among Somogy's most highly valued natural sites.

Discover more destinations: Balatonberény, Balatonszentgyörgy, Vörs, Táska, Böhönye, Gadány, Varászló, Balatonmariafürdö

Back to the regional travel overview: Marcali.