The "Baths" of Budapest

School ended on June 30, and boy was I ready to leave. So when our friends Connie and Bruce suggested a trip to Budapest for the July 4th weekend, we were all for it. We took a bus, of all things, which really wasn't as horrible as you might imagine. We were able to see quite a bit of the countryside as we passed through eastern Czech Republic into Slovakia and finally into Hungary.

Budapest is known for its hot mineral baths. It seems the city sits on top of quite a bit of hot water, and has put that to use through the centuries to promote healing and healthy living. It was hot when we arrived, about 100, so the idea of a hot bath wasn't that inviting, but you can't go to Budapest without trying the baths, so off we went.

We were quite disappointed to see that the baths were being torn down to make way for a McDonalds.....

Just kidding - whatever this was, it was being renovated. :-)

This is the entrance to one of the baths. According to our travel guide, this one located in the city park is one of the best, and the one that locals like to frequent.

Once inside, you pay your fee and hustle off to your "cabin" for changing. If you need a towel, they advise that you can rent them, but the thing was actually a sheet. I had wanted to bring our own beach towels, but Tom said no need..... Definitely bring your own!

One of the indoor pools...

Each pool has a sign on the wall letting you know the temperature and the mineral composition of the water. This one was hot.

Hotter!

The grand pool...

There are saunas and steam baths, massages, and exercise classes available if desired.

The outdoor pools are open year-round as well....

There is a fun pool, a lap pool, and a relaxing pool. The fun pool temperature felt just right to me, about 30C (90F). The lap pool is cooler, running 26c in the summer and 28c in the winter. The relaxing pool was listed to be 38C, (about 105F) and was definitely hot! There was a warning to only stay in 20 minutes.

This one is the fun pool. Note the white bubbly water in the upper left. When that quits, a current starts up that carries you around that outer ring area - fun!

Definitely worth visiting, not only for the water but also for the grand setting.