When you have finally tired of walking around Buda palace on its hill top, or the old district of the Citadel… When you’ve had it with the Art Nouveaux buildings on the Kis Körut (Small Circuit) or the statues of long-departed kings on Heroes’ Square… when a strong fekete (black espresso) in one of the city’s numerous cafés, old and new, no longer give you that lift… it is time to soak your aching bones and muscles in any one of Budapest’s fifty baths, spas, and public pools supplied by natural geothermal springs.
This world capital city has 118 hot springs within the city limits - the highest number in the world, and yields huge amounts of mineral-rich waters to hotels, spas and baths. You can even take some home to drink. In Hungary, going to the spas has been a part of cultural life for centuries. After all, there are over 200 developed spas all over the country. Soaking in warm/hot mineral waters as often as possible/affordable is a part of a well-balanced life. There are over 1000 springs and wells that give 40°C+ hot water loaded with medicinal minerals all over Hungary. The wellness system is well developed and most spas offer a range of treatments.
In Budapest some baths are housed in neo-baroque piles that look more like palaces than bath houses (the Szécsenyi Baths). If you have time for just one, this is the one to enjoy - very near to Heroes’ Square in the City Park. Built in the early 20th century it’s a feast for the eyes as well as the body. Its shape is ‘monumental rectangular’ and houses 11 indoor pools and three very large outdoor pools in the inner courtyard. The middle pool of cool water is designed for doing laps (Olympic length), the two semi-circular outer pools of warm and very warm water are for enjoyment. Its water is supplied by two thermal springs from 3600 ft down; the combined springs put out a phenomenal 6 million liters of hot water (at 77˚C) a day. The outdoor pools range in temperature between 25˚C to 38˚C and the indoor pools range from 20˚ to 40˚.
The silver-haired gent studied the chess board with a sour expression on his face. Absent-mindedly, he ran his fingers through the short hairs on his chest. His hand hesitated over a bishop, then withdrew. He drew languid patterns with his left hand in the water; I think it was to distract his opponent.
His opponent, a much younger man in a Speedo with shoulder-length hair tied back in a knot, was much more agitated, moving from foot to foot, it seemed - itching to get on with the game.
The crowd of kibitzers looked on – it is not unusual for a crowd to gather to watch a particularly exciting chess game in any European city. Occasionally one would whisper a comment to his neighbour and the gent would offer them a glare. The sound of children shrieking and splashing nearby just added to the ambience, as the sun came and went through the clouds. Occasionally a public announcement would come over the loud-speakers informing us of the start of this or that activity.
As the temperature was a bit cool for the middle of August, one or the other of the kibitzers would bob down and immerse themselves in the water to their necks. This is the iconic image is the locals playing chess while half immersed 😊 on the steps. I greatly enjoyed watching them and, rarely, participating.
Of yeah, the chess game – the silver-haired gent applied the coup-de-grâce five moves later.
Of course, second only to spas (some will say first), is Hungarians’ love of food, so every spa that has surrounding outdoor areas will also have restaurants, or at least food stalls, including the Szécsenyi. Open year-round, it is quite a sight to see the courtyard covered with snow, steam rising from the pools and bathers taking the waters in February. A whole host of spa and medical treatments are also offered.
Cinetrip has been organizing its popular audio-visual Saturday night pool parties for over a decade. There's plenty of loud music accompanied by spectacular LED light shows (used to be old silent movies), but what really sets these parties apart is the unique setting. All Cinetrip Sparties are held in one of Budapest's thermal baths. Summer parties (also known as 'Szecska') are hosted by the Széchenyi, while the fall-winter-spring sparties (Also known as 'Magic Bath’) are held at the Lukács Baths. Definitely for the younger over 18 crowd, or the young-at-heart bunch, sparties are a unique experience, Bring a swimsuit, a towel and a pair of flip-flops. Sparties run every Saturday from 9:30 pm to 3:30 am. Tickets are about $25CDN and you may purchase them in advance at the Cinetrip website, where you will also find more info, including a detailed event calendar and some important sparty rules.
The Szécsenyi is just the most impressive bath complex, but some others date back to the Turkish occupation during the 16th century (Rudas Baths, Császár Baths and the Király) all on the Buda side of the Danube and very close to it. All three were built to be indoors, octagon-shaped pools topped by high domed ceilings letting in rays of light that pierce the water, best appreciated when the sun is high. There are smaller pools around the main one, and saunas and steam rooms beyond.
The remains of others date back 1700 years to Roman times. The excavations in Florian Square uncovered a large Roman bath complex to serve the thousands of soldiers in their fortress from the first through the fourth centuries. The bath complex covered an area of 16,000 square feet - the sprawling complex had 50 rooms, hot and cold pools, sweat chambers and a gymnasium. The Romans called it their Thermae Maiores, or Great Baths. The excavations are freely available to the public, unfortunately right underneath an elevated light rail system. Of note: The Romans named the city Aquincum, referring to the abundant waters.
If you have time to visit another, do go to the Palatinus Strand in a parkland setting on St. Margaret island in the middle of the Danube, accessible by two bridges. All the several pools are outdoors, including a warm pool for sitting, a larger lukewarm pool, a wave pool and water slides surrounded by wooded, grassy acreage – an oasis in the middle of the city on Margaret Island. Affordable, family-friendly fun.
Try some pogácsa (savory scones) or lángos (fried dough) with your choice of sweet or savory toppings wash it down with a glass of ‘Soproni’ beer, a ‘deci’ (100 mls) of Szürkebarát semi-sweet white wine or fruit juices from the stalls offering a variety of fast foods.
Sit in the warm pool…
Work on your tan on the grass…
Sit under a tree and watch the parents with their kids..
Relax…
Sit in the warm pool again…
Have some lángos…
Repeat.
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