The power of water
© Meredith Mullins

Going with the Flow in the Thermal Baths of Budapest

It’s summer. And in the hot Northern Hemisphere, our thoughts turn to the cooling force of water. Beaches. Rivers. Swimming pools. Waterfalls. Fountains. We travel in search of comfort.

Water wanderlust can lead us to many destinations, but none more water themed than Budapest—the “City of Spas.”

Budapest is famous for its parliament building . . . but also for its thermal baths.
© Meredith Mullins

There is much to see in Budapest, including

• the Neo-Gothic Hungarian parliament building,
• the elegant State Opera House,
• the exotic beauty of the Matthias Church,
• the vistas of the Fisherman’s Bastion,
• the ornate St Stephen’s Basilica, and
• the lively Great Market Hall (a covered market designed by Gustave Eiffel).

If you’re not spending all your time relaxing in a spa, the Great Market Hall offers
characters, chaos, and color.
© Meredith Mulins

However, throughout this city rich in history, it is easy to see that water holds a place of honor. Oh, I see. For Hungarians (and visitors to Hungary), water is a constant presence. It is sport, medicine, exercise, relaxation, transportation, and fun. It is a life force.

Water: summer fun
© Meredith Mullins

The Danube River is a central artery, running through the city and dividing the old city of Buda on the west side from the newer, more modern eastern side, known as Pest.

The city is also home to a variety of thermal baths, many showcasing past eras of history, from Ottoman influence to Art Nouveau.

At any given time, whether a hot summer afternoon or a cold gray winter morning, water-loving Hungarians and Budapest visitors are immersed — either swimming in cool pools, relaxing muscles and bones in warm water, or soaking in the medicinal baths fed by the city’s more than 100 thermal hot springs.

Water immersion
© Meredith Mullins

Time for Research

What better way to conduct water wanderlust research than to swim and soak in Budapest’s offerings. It’s a tough job, but someone has to rise to the challenge. So, I made several trips to Budapest, in all seasons, to see what the attraction was.

At the end of several soaking/swimming/floating experiences, my vote for favorite bathing setting is a tie between the Gellért Baths and the Széchenyi Medicinal Bath.

Floating in another era
© Meredith Mullins

Another Era: Gellért Baths

The Gellert Baths are located in the Art Nouveau Hotel Gellért, built in the early 1900s on the Buda side of the river. As you walk in, you feel you are entering a time warp or a movie set from another era.

Carved columns and colorful tiles make for an elegant pool setting.
© Meredith Mullins

The main pool is palatial, with carved roman columns, marble sculptures, and mosaic tiles. The various thermal baths are fed by the mineral springs of Gellért Hill, said to be helpful for joint problems, disk issues, and circulatory trouble.

The complex offers 10 indoor pools and 3 outdoor pools, including plunge pools, and a pool that generates artificial waves.

An aquarium of human activity
© Meredith Mullins

In one of the underground passageways, the swimmers become entertainment, like aquatic specimens of the deep, through small aquarium-like windows.

When you leave Gellért after a day of water, you will most likely feel like a wet noodle, have super flexible joints, and smell of minerals.

A moment of quiet at the indoor thermal pool
© Meredith Mullins

Checkmate: Széchenyi Bath

The Széchenyi Bath is the largest medicinal bath in Europe, with water supplied by two thermal springs. The 15 indoor pools and 3 outdoor pools are housed in a palace complex in Budapest’s City Park.

The thermal water is said to be high in calcium, magnesium, and hydrogen carbonate, all believed to be good for joint pain and arthritis.

Relaxing with a game of chess
© Meredith Mullins

I love watching people here enjoying all forms of water—from relaxing in warm outdoor pools throughout the year while playing chess to being pounded by spraying jets to get the blood flowing. Although Széchenyi can sometimes feel like the Grand Central Station of pools, the people-watching aspect of a visit is a never-ending source of entertainment.

The Széchenyi Thermal Baths
© Meredith Mullins

And, if you stay into the night, the latest craze is “sparties” (spa parties)— with DJs, films, and laser shows throughout the summer.

The Ottoman Spas

Also in the running for interesting spas were the Rudas, Kiraly, and Veli Bej baths. All of these venues are reminiscent of Ottoman rule, with darkened interiors under domes dotted with tiny holes for streaming light. A wonderful, mysterious ambiance where you can lose yourself in time.

Losing yourself in time and space
© Meredith Mullins

Finding Fürdő

To enjoy this life of water wanderlust in Budapest, all you need is a swimsuit, some flip flops, a towel, and the word fürdő on the tip of your tongue— the Hungarian word for bath or spa.

And no matter what your ultimate goal for your time in the thermal baths, I can almost guarantee that you will feel better for having been a part of the Hungarian water culture. I know I did.

Keeping fürdő at the tip of your tongue
© Meredith Mullins

Gellért Baths at H-1118 Budapest, Kelenhegyi út 4.

Széchenyi Baths at 9-11 Allatkerti korut Street, Budapest, District 14

Rudas Baths at Rudas Gyógyfürdő és Uszoda, H-1013 Budapest, Döbrentei tér 9.

Kiraly Baths at 38 Nepfurdo Street Budapest, H-1138

Veli Bej Baths at 1023 Budapest Frankel Leó u. 35.

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