Budapest is the capital of Hungary, a very old city and a long time a city famous for its hot springs, for its fantastic hot springs that the Romans already knew how to enjoy.
Nowadays, Budapest hot springs They are still among its main tourist attractions so if you pass through the Hungarian capital you cannot miss a visit. Here we tell you how they are, where they are and how you can enjoy them.
Budapest
Capital of Hungary, it is a city whose origins are Celtic but which developed more as Roman settlement. The Hungarians themselves would arrive at the end of the XNUMXth century and from then on the area would always come into conflict, with the Mongols first and then with the Ottoman Empire. Later it would be part of the Austro Hungarian Empire.
Its name derives from the union of the name of three towns, Buda, Óbuda and Pest. The unification took place in 1873. The city is 216 kilometers from Vienna, a little more than a thousand from Athens, 788 from Milan or 1500 from Moscow, for example.
It is a city that Danube river part in two. It has hills that frame it and a climate of mild summers and very cold winters. During the XNUMXth century it underwent some typical urban modifications of the time, such as the construction of boulevards that opened the oldest neighborhoods where different architectural styles converge.
Thermal baths of Budapest
The Romans loved water so they went after it in their conquests. That is why they chose this area to build one of their cities, Aquincum. They arrived and settled west of the Danube to enjoy the thermal baths, the ruins of which are still visible.
The oldest baths, however, date from the time of Turkish rule, back in the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries. They are still used so they are great. At that time there was no concept of spaThis appeared more at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, when tourism for the upper classes was already more developed and the city began to become famous. There is no other city that has as many thermal baths as Budapest.
The old hot springs have been modernized and today, thanks to modern technology, more modern swimming pools, saunas and steam baths have been added to the simple baths. There are many sites: For example, Veli Bej and Dandár have a more familiar atmosphere, Gellért is extremely elegant and Rudas is very popular for its Turkish pools. Lukács and Széchenyi are open 24 hours, there are even night parties with light effects and shows.
All the Dagály hot springs They are the largest in the Pest area, near Margarita Island. It is very popular with locals and includes a spa on the river, a whirlpool pool to massage the body, a strong neck shower, and calmer pools just to relax. There are also wave pools and it has a beach in a huge park with grass and trees.
Szechenyi It has 21 pools and is one of the largest complexes on the continent. It has an underwater Jacuzzi, neck showers, a bubble pool, medicinal treatments, a gym, a sauna ... It opens at 6 am and closes at 10 at night.
El Dandar It is in the 9th district of the city, in a beautiful building with an art-deco brick facade, typical of the 30s. It contains a sauna, an ice machine, a steam room, medicinal waters, a deep pool, mass service and an outdoor park with two relaxation pools and chess boards to hang out. The prices are friendly.
All the Lukács hot springs They include swimming pools, adventure pools, and hot springs. There is a sauna, Jacuzzi, showers and according to what they say, a very good medicinal service. They are also open from 6 am to 10 pm. For their part the Veli Bej hot springs They are the ones with the most family atmosphere. They are located in front of Isla Margarita, on the Danube, and not far from the Lukács Bath. It's about a typical turkish bath built in 1574. It is beautiful!
Veli Baj has a huge hot water pool and four smaller thermal pools. It also has a Jacuzzi, two steam chambers, massage showers and a walking pool, a Finnish sauna and massages. It is run by the Order of Hospitaller Brothers and has affordable prices. The number of visitors is small but the age of the site is worth it.
There are also the Király bathroom, another Turkish hot spring built on the orders of the Arslan Pass in 1565. It is a historic hot spring, one of the first to introduce Ottoman-style baths to the city. There are four pools with water of different temperatures, steam cabins and saunas. Women and men are welcomed every day of the week.
All the Gellért Thermal Baths we said that they are luxury. There are indoor and outdoor pools, private baths, massages, pedicures, steam rooms, Finnish baths, wave pool and much more. It opens at 6 am but closes at 8 pm, every day. Brown It is another thermal bath built by the Turks five centuries ago. On weekdays men and women are kept separate but on weekends they can mix.
El Palatinus Thermal Bath is the first open-air bath. It has ten pools, it is huge and open all year round from 8 am to 8 pm. There is also the Aquatic World Resor Budapest, more modern, newer, with indoor water parks for all ages and open all year.
It is north of Budapest and it is great if you do not want to relax but have fun with a lot of adrenaline since there are soaring slides, waves, you can surf and all that. this site is open from 6 am to 10 pm.
Finally there is the Mandala Day Spa, a new and luxurious place that tries to combine a more spiritual experience as well as a relaxing one. It is luxurious because it has exclusive services and high prices. It opens from 10 am to 10 pm.
Experts in Budapest say that if you visit the city and only have one to three days to dedicate the best thermal baths are those in Szechenyi. Because? It has good prices, not cheap but in relation to what it offers they are very good (from 18 euros), they are historical hot springs with more than a century serving and it is a fun place because it is almost a labyrinth with its many pools.