Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
admission deposit 2400Ft; baths men 6am-8pm Mon & Wed-Fri, women 6am-8pm Tue,
mixed 10pm-4am Fri, 6am-5pm & 10pm-4am Sat, 8am-5pm & 10pm-4am Sun; pool
6am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 5pm Sat & Sun; 7 or 86, 18 or 19) These renovated baths are the
most Turkish of all in Budapest, built in 1566, with an octagonal pool, domed cupola with
coloured glass and eight massive pillars. They're mostly men-only during the week but turn
into a real zoo on mixed weekend nights.
Gellért Baths
Soaking in these Art Nouveau baths, now open to both men and women at
all times, has been likened to taking a bath in a cathedral. The indoor swimming pools are
the most beautiful in the city.
Széchenyi Baths
The gigantic 'wedding-cake' building in City Park houses the Széchenyi
Baths, which are unusual for three reasons: their immensity (some 15 thermal baths and
three outdoor swimming pools); the bright, clean atmosphere; and the high temperature of
the water (up to 38°C).
Veli Bej Baths
This venerable (1575) Turkish bath in Buda has got a new lease of life
after having been forgotten for centuries.
Other baths also have their special features. The waters of the
Lukács Baths
are meant to
cure just about everything from spinal deformation and vertebral dislocation (ouch!) to cal-
cium deficiency. The four small Turkish pools at
Király Baths
, while begging for renova-
tion, are the real McCoy and date back to 1565. The facilities at the
Danubius Health Spa
Margitsziget
on Margaret Island are soulless but modern and the choice of special treat-
ments (lymph drainage, anyone?) is enviable.
As for pools, well, again it depends on what you have in mind. If you're serious about do-
ing laps and keeping fit, visit the pools at
Alfréd Hajós
on Margaret Island or
Császár-
Komjádi
in Óbuda. If you're just after a day of sunbathing with the occasional dip, consider
the
Palatinus Strand
on Margaret Island or the
Dagály
complex north of Újlipótváros.
