Budapest Bath Time: Our Favorite Baths in the Hungarian Capital

Budapest Bath Time: Our Favorite Baths in the Hungarian Capital

You haven't seen anything of Budapest if you haven't put on a bathing suit to immerse yourself in its thermal waters. If the pearl of the Danube has imposed itself as one of the centers of hydrotherapy in Europe, it is because the culture of bathing is an integral part of the DNA of Hungarians. They stay there for long hours, in the heat of summer as well as in the biting cold of winter. More than a pleasure, it is a lifestyle in its own right and a health reflex.Budapest at bath time: our favorite spas in the Hungarian capitalBudapest at bath time: Our favorite spas in the Hungarian capital

The Hungarians have thus redoubled their creativity to compose the settings of these thermal baths with virtuous sources. From rich Secessionist details to Ottoman domes, stepping into a bath is a true cultural experience. The small size of the Hungarian capital and the concentration of its baths in the center and then on the banks of the Danube guarantee a serene spa trip in Magyar land.

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The Gellért Baths: Art Nouveau-style splendor

The Gellért Baths could well be the first stop on a spa break in Budapest: housed in a superb Art Nouveau hotel and nestled on the banks of the Danube , they set the tone for a relaxing weekend. Their name, they owe it to Mount Gellért which overlooks them: you will probably not miss, even from afar, its historic citadel illuminated at night.

Despite successive renovations, the place has retained the soul of the past century, sometimes enclosed in picturesque wooden furniture, in a neon café or even in the convolutions of an Art Nouveau motif. It is then a whole section of local history that can be read on the walls. Lined with Zsolnay ceramics, adorned with sculptures by Miklós Ligeti, topped by an impressive glass roof, the Gellért baths bear witness to the splendor of the Austro-Hungarian era.

Cooled up in this luxurious setting, you can enjoy saunas, hammams and baths at 12 to 40 degrees. Its waters are particularly recommended for circulatory disorders but also for those of the respiratory system. Remember to stop at the café on the way out and leave with a small bottle of thermal water for the road!

Opening hours: daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Budapest bath time: our favorite spas in the Hungarian capital

Address: Gellért thermal baths, Budapest 1118, Kelenhegyi utca 4. Bus / metro / tram stop: Szent Gellért tér – Műegyetem.

Rates: from 6300 HUF (~€18.50) on weekdays, 6600 HUF (~€19.50) on weekends.

Official website: www.gellertfurdo.hu

The Széchenyi baths: quite a symbol

It is impossible to escape the neo-baroque yellow silhouette of the Széchenyi baths. Perhaps you have even seen on a postcard from Budapest these chess players immersed in their game, immersed in water at 40 degrees? It is a real local curiosity that these men dispute king and queen in the vapor of thermal waters.

The itinerary is also not lacking in interest: you can get to the Széchenyi baths by the famous Millennium metro or via the old carriage alley in the large city park, the Városliget. The water of the Széchenyi thermal baths draws its richness from the depths: it is the second deepest spring in Budapest. But even more than the quality of the water, we appreciate its imposing domes, its mural frescoes and its sculptures of sea monsters. The other curiosity of the place? Beer baths, to be booked at an additional cost at the entrance, which are absolutely unique among all the thermal establishments in the city.

Opening hours: daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Address: Széchenyi Thermal Baths, 1146 Budapest, Állatkerti körút 9-11. Trolleybus / metro stop: Széchenyi fürdő

Rates: from 5900 HUF (~€17.50) on weekdays, 6200 HUF (~€18.50) on weekends.

Official website: www.szechenyibath.hu

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The Rudas Baths: Ottoman Wonders

The Rudas Baths are an integral part of the Ottoman heritage in Budapest. Their historic part is a work of art in itself: an octagonal indoor swimming pool reflects turquoise waters under a dome worthy of the Thousand and One Nights. Within these walls, the past meets the present: on the other side of the building, a change of scenery, a very contemporary wellness and sauna area, opened in 2014, houses a jacuzzi on the roof with a breathtaking view of the Danube.

It's easy to switch from one to the other and sometimes slip into a sauna - try the aromatic one! - sometimes let yourself be transported in a subdued decor where the lights filter through the colored stained glass windows. These baths are probably the most complete in Budapest since they house a multitude of themed saunas, steam rooms, a swimming pool, an ottoman-style set, bubble baths and massage jets as well as a top-of-the-range restaurant. open to the Danube.

Opening hours: daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., except the swimming pool from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the hammam from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Address: Rudas Thermal Baths, 1013 Budapest, Döbrentei tér 9. Tram stop: Rudas Gyógyfürdő

Rates: from 5500 HUF (~€16.40) on weekdays, 6900 HUF (~€20.50) on weekends.

Official website: www.rudasfurdo.hu

The Kiraly baths: the little cocoon

The Kiraly baths are the other Ottoman baths in Budapest: you will find the same cupolas and octagonal pools there as in Rudas. Once the doors are pushed open, the decor is not deceiving: these baths have nearly 500 years of history behind them. But, it is better to be warned, if you were looking for one of these thermal baths with innumerable rooms, basins and whirlpools, you will be disappointed here. Kiraly's spirit is different and that's what makes it so charming.

These intimate baths have a mysterious aura very conducive to relaxation and relaxation. You feel like you are in a cave in which the gentle clatter of water resonates. An experience, much more than a bath, recommended for lovers of spirituality. Also remember to go to the garden: it houses a mini-jacuzzi that could easily go unnoticed.

Opening hours: daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Address: Kiraly Thermal Baths, 1027 Budapest, Fő u. 84. Tram / metro stop: Batthyány tér

Rates: from 2700 HUF (~8€) on weekdays, 3000 HUF (~9€) on weekends.

Official website: www.kiralyfurdo.hu

The Szent Lukács baths: the meeting place for the intelligentsia

Located on the banks of the Danube, on the Buda side but not far from the parliament and just opposite Margaret Island, these baths have the reputation of sheltering the Magyar soul: few tourists in their waters, indeed, but many local personalities. It is even said that half of Hungarian politics and history is developed in the murmur of its bubble baths.

Access is through a garden with a confidential look: the tone is set. Szent Lukács has a labyrinthine side but it is not unpleasant: each maze of corridors corresponds to a bath, a sauna, a swimming pool or a whirlpool, massage jets and current corridor. Its thermal water is particularly virtuous: during the day, you will find a well where it is sold by the glass and by the litre. Don't worry: this particular smell of sulfur cannot be distinguished by taste!

If you are tempted by a day in "loukach", a little advice: go to its roofs where a solarium and a panoramic view of the hills of Buda await you. And a little extra: entrance to the baths is free for those who have taken the BudapestCard.

Opening hours: daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Address: Szent Lukács Thermal Bath, 1023 Budapest, Frankel Leó u. 25-29. Tram stop: Margit híd - budai hídfő.

Rates: from 4100 HUF (~€12.20) on weekdays, 4300 HUF (~€12.80) on weekends.

Official website: www.lukacsfurdo.hu