You haven't seen anything of Budapest if you haven't put on a swimsuit to immerse yourself in its thermal waters.
If the pearl of the Danube has established itself as one of the centers of hydrotherapy in Europe, it is because the culture of the bath is an integral part of the Hungarian DNA.
They stay there for long hours, in the heat of summer as well as in the bitter cold of winter.
More than a pleasure, it is a full-fledged hygiene of life and a health reflex.
The Hungarians have thus redoubled their creativity to compose the cases of these thermal springs with virtuous sources.
From rich secessionist details to Ottoman cupolas, 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 thermal spree in Magyar land.
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The Gellért baths: splendid Art Nouveau style
Details of the Gellért baths.
Budapest Spas cPlc
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 weekend of relaxation.
Their name owes it to Mount Gellért which overlooks them: you will probably not miss, even from a distance, 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 cafe 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.
Upholstered in Zsolnay ceramics, seeded with sculptures by Miklós Ligeti, surmounted by an impressive glass roof, the Gellért baths bear witness to the splendor of the Austro-Hungarian era.
Nestled in this luxurious setting, you can enjoy saunas, hammams and 12 to 40 degree baths.
Its waters are particularly recommended for circulatory disorders but also for those of the respiratory system.
Remember to stop at the café at the exit and leave with a small bottle of thermal water for the road!
Opening hours
: daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Address
: Thermes Gellért, Budapest 1118, Kelenhegyi utca 4. Bus / metro / tram stop: Szent Gellért tér - Műegyetem.
Prices
: from HUF 6,300 (~ € 18.50) on weekdays, HUF 6,600 (~ € 19.50) at weekends.
Official site
: www.gellertfurdo.hu
The Széchenyi baths: quite a symbol
A characteristic of Széchenyi thermal baths in winter: being able to walk in the snow when leaving a hot pool.
Budapest Spas cPlc
Impossible to escape the yellow silhouette, of neo-baroque style, of the Széchenyi baths.
Perhaps you have even already 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 fighting over king and queen in the steam of thermal waters.
The route is also not lacking in interest: one goes 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 cupolas, its murals and its sculptures of sea monsters.
The other curiosity of the place?
Beer baths, to be reserved at the entrance, which are absolutely unique in all the spa establishments in the city.
Opening hours
: every day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Address
: Széchenyi Thermal Baths, 1146 Budapest, Állatkerti körút 9-11.
Trolleybus / metro stop: Széchenyi fürdő
Prices
: from HUF 5,900 (~ € 17.50) on weekdays, HUF 6,200 (~ € 18.50) at weekends.
Official site:
www.szechenyibath.hu
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Rudas baths: Ottoman wonders
The Ottoman-era baths are a unique curiosity in Budapest.
In the Rudas baths, this historic part now adjoins a modern wellness area.
Budapest Spas cPlc
The Rudas Baths are an integral part of the Ottoman heritage in Budapest.
Their historic part is a work of art in itself: an indoor swimming pool with octagonal shapes reflects turquoise waters under a dome worthy of the Thousand and One Nights.
Between these walls, the past meets the present: on the other side of the building, a change of decor, a very contemporary wellness and sauna area, opened in 2014, houses a rooftop jacuzzi with a breathtaking view of the Danube.
You can easily go from one to the other and sometimes slip into a sauna - try the aromatic!
- sometimes let yourself be transported into a subdued decor where 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 an upscale restaurant. open to the Danube.
Opening hours
: every day 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
Prices
: from 5,500 HUF (~ € 16.40) on weekdays, 6,900 HUF (~ € 20.50) on weekends.
Official site:
www.rudasfurdo.hu
Kiraly baths: the little cocoon
The Kiraly baths consist of a room under this unique dome.
They are small baths, so avoid peak hours so that they are not sold out.
Budapest Spas cPlc
The Kiraly thermal baths are the other Ottoman baths in Budapest: you will find the same cupolas and octagonal basins as in Rudas.
Once the doors are pushed open, the decor doesn't deceive: these baths have nearly 500 years of history behind them.
But, better to be warned, if you were looking for one of these thermal baths with countless rooms, ponds and whirlpool pools, you will be disappointed here.
Kiraly's spirit is different and that's what makes her so charming.
These intimate baths have a mysterious aura very conducive to relaxation and relaxation.
One feels there as in a cave in which resonates the soft clicking of water.
An experience, much more than a bath, recommended to lovers of spirituality.
Also remember to go to the garden: it has a mini-jacuzzi that could easily go unnoticed.
Opening hours
: every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Address
: Thermes Kiraly, 1027 Budapest, Fő u.
84. Tram / metro stop: Batthyány tér
Prices
: from 2700 HUF (~ 8 €) on weekdays, 3000 HUF (~ 9 €) on weekends.
Official site:
www.kiralyfurdo.hu
Szent Lukács baths: the meeting place of the intelligentsia
The Lukács baths have the particularity of being composed of a multitude of small pools and saunas nestled at the end of long corridors.
A maze of well-being!
Budapest Spas cPlc
Placed on the banks of the Danube, on the Buda side but not far from the parliament and just in front of 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 shaped in the murmur of its bubble baths.
Access is via a confidential garden: the tone is set.
Szent Lukács has a labyrinthine side but it is not unpleasant: to each maze of corridors corresponds a bath, a sauna, a swimming pool or a whirlpool, massage jets and a current corridor.
Its thermal water is particularly virtuous: during the day, you will find a well where it is sold by the glass and the liter.
Don't worry: this unique smell of sulfur is indistinguishable to taste!
If you are tempted by a day in "loukach", a little advice: go to its rooftops where a solarium awaits you and a panoramic view of the Buda hills.
And a little extra: entry to the baths is free for those who have taken the BudapestCard.
Opening hours
: every day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Address
: Szent Lukács Thermal Baths, 1023 Budapest, Frankel Leó u.
25-29.
Tram stop: Margit híd - budai hídfő.
Prices
: from HUF 4,100 (~ € 12.20) on weekdays, HUF 4,300 (~ € 12.80) at weekends.
Official site:
www.lukacsfurdo.hu
