Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
With more than a hundred springs offering an endless supply of hot water at temper-
atures of up to 76˚C, Budapest is deservedly known as a spa city, and visiting one of
themanybathsisanunmissableexperience.HousedinsomeofBudapest'sfinestbuild-
ings, the baths are impressive in their own right, while the thermal waters are reputed
to cure myriad ailments - and of course there's the swimming itself. The baths are an
importantsocialhubtoo.AsyouadmirethelightfilteringthroughthedomeintheRu-
das, watch chess players ponder strategies in the outdoor pool of the Széchenyi or peer
through the mists in the steam rooms of the Gellért, there's a real sense of being part
ofatraditionthathaslastedcenturies.Thathistoryofindulgencehasbeengivenanew
twist in recent years with the advent of night-time parties at the baths.
There are three types of bath:
gyógyfürdő
, a
thermal bath
in its original Turkish form, as
at the Rudas and Király, or the magnificent nineteenth-century settings of the Gellért and
Széchenyi;
uszoda
, a proper swimming pool such as the Sport; and
strand
, a lido in a verdant
setting, such as the Palatinus. Most baths are divided into a
swimming
area and a separate
section for
steambaths
(
gözfürdő
or the
göz
, as they are popularly known). The smaller Ru-
das, Veli Bej and Király baths are first and foremost steam baths, with saunas and pools fed
by thermal springs. In the larger baths, such as the Gellért and Széchenyi, you can alternate
between brisk dips in the swimming pool and leisurely soaks in the steam section.
The Budapest bathing experience can be a little daunting, as little is written in English once
you are inside - though in baths that are popular with tourists such as the Széchenyi the
attendants speak much more English and are well-equipped to guide lost tourists through
the system. However, the basic system of attendants and cabins is the same in most steam
baths and swimming pools, and once you get the hang of the rituals, a visit to the baths
becomes most rewarding. The website
spasbudapest.com
has general information on all
the main baths. At present the
night-time parties
take place on Saturdays in the Széchenyi
(May-Sept) and Lukács Baths (Oct-April), where you can enjoy laser discos, music and
films in a most unusual setting (
spartybooking.com
, tickets €25-40), but it is worth keep-
inganeye outforraves at other venues. The thermal baths are notrecommended for
children
under 14,
and baths such as the Veli Bej, which are purely thermal, will not allow them in.
Similarly, some baths insist that only potty-trained (
szobatiszta
) babies are allowed in the wa-
ter.
