Budapest, Hungary
* Széchényi Spa (Széchenyi Fürdo). Pest, Ãllatkerti krt. 11 (right next to the Zoo). Nearest metro station has the same name: Széchenyi fürdo (M1 yellow line). Indoor part open daily from 6am to 7pm; outdoor 6-10pm in winter; summer-time hours may be different. Admission fees are complex, but basically you hand over 2300 Ft and can get up to 700 Ft back if you leave within two hours.
Overview: Built in 1909 in the present-day City Park, this is the largest spa in Europe and its waters are reputedly capable of healing pretty much anything, particularly gynecological, dermatological, nervous system and digestive system problems.
Outdoors: Two soaking pools and one swimming pool are all open-air (even in winter), and form the center of the baths. In the swimming pool, swimming caps are mandatory and strictly enforced. All facilities are shared by men and women (except shower and toilets, of course). There’s a swimming tube (a whirling corridor): round- (outdoors) or rectangle-shaped (indoors) pool with artificial flow; a unique feature that can’t be found elsewhere. Another specialty is a tradition to play chess while sitting in the water–even in winter. One or two cafes/juice bars are available directly from the swimming area, near the cabins; around the year.
Indoors: Several saunas, one steam bath. Every sauna has a small cold-water pool near it. Northern part of indoors baths is more modern and clean.
Entrance: There’s a number of safe boxes available (very up-to-date, with digital codes)–they can fit a notebook bag or attache case, but hardly a notebook backpack.
There’re also very modern baths (like Danubius Grand Thermal Hotel) which are usually called spa, although their central component are thermal pool and multitude of steam baths/saunas, which is not always typical for spas in the rest of the world.
* Király Baths. Buda, Fo utca 84 (metro: Batthyány tér). Old, authentic and pretty small; personnel speaks no English. Unreviewed by Wikitravellers yet.
* The Palatinus Outdoor Baths, on the Margaret Island (Margitsziget), have three pools filled with therapeutic water–and a total of 11 pools (totalling 17.5 acres). In front of the baths is a beautiful rose garden, and nearby, an open-air stage where opera and ballet performances are held, plus an open-air cinema used during the summer.
* Rudas, in Buda. Provides an authentic Turkish feel with its 16th century dome. Recommended (as of Jan 2000) as a authentic men-only bath, much more authentic than Gellert or Szechenyi. Parts of Schwarzenegger movie Red Heat was shot here.
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