After soaking for more than half an hour, the chilly winter day finally chased us forward. Check our tips for visiting Szechenyi Baths and Budapest’s other thermal baths in winter: what to expect and pack, how to skip lines, how many hours you’ll need, and other practical tips. €18 (includes the outdoor hot tub). After all the hot pools and steam rooms of Szechenyi Baths, you’ll feel healthy but exhausted. Weekday admission (adults): HUF4,100/c. What’s unique about it? Weekday admission (adults): HUF6,300/c. A smattering of Budapest’s bathhouses are much newer (post-communist Hungary didn’t want to stay stuck in history forever): The Helia and Aquincum, both contemporary hotel baths, have brought Budapest bathing up to date. With 30 and 35 degree Celsius water, the bath provides a relaxing experience for adults and children alike. €9 (includes the outdoor pools). After having some fun, don’t skip the small jacuzzi in the middle of the circuit. You'll do yourself a favor if you visit on a weekday (admission fees are also slightly lower then). Basilica light show. Restaurants and attractions are open all year, and this is the perfect time to wallow in the Budapest thermal baths! If you want to have a truly memorable experience, reserve one of their couple packages, which offer a private cabin for two with other benefits. Budapest Thermal Baths in Winter. Do not miss the baths in December either! The showers, found in downstairs, have more or less public swimming pool feel. Bathing is a year-round activity, but soaking in steaming-hot water is especially reviving in the gloomy winter months, particularly in the outdoor pools (except for Veli Bej, all baths have both indoor and outdoor sections). Discover locals' favorite places in Budapest. These architectural gems surround a … So what’s all the fuss about thermal bathing then? There are many places where you can have fun in … Science has yet to verify the healing effects of balneotherapy, the treatment of pain in thermal water; it’s possible that mineral-rich water is a useful supplement to standard treatments, but there's insufficient evidence to prove it. Percent of locals: Less than 10%. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. In winter the lake at City Park (Városliget) … Number of pools: 7 indoor. With 1.7 million annual visitors, 15 indoor pools and almost 3,000 sqm of water surface, the place can feel more like an amusement park than a thermal bath. I dipped in all of them, although the 16-degree water felt excruciatingly cold even for me. Many people recommend Gellert Baths during the winter since they have even more attractive indoor pools and most foreigners are afraid of swimming outside in cold weather. Go Ice skating at the outdoor rink in the City Park. After passing through grandiose entrance hall beneath the baroque dome, you’ll descent the hallway to the showers and changing rooms. Szechenyi Baths lie on the Pest side of the city, by the leafy City Park. Budapest has almost a dozen thermal baths and this primer will help you choose one that works best for you. Or would you recommend to spend time doing other things instead. Wow, I am definitely all set for going! Budapest is the City of Baths with 118 natural thermal springs. Stone floor felt so freezing that we wanted to run inside, but it’s also so slippery that you have to be cautious when walking barefoot. €21 (includes the outdoor pools). Budapest’s second most popular bath, after Széchenyi, is attached to Hotel Gellért, an art nouveau landmark from 1918. What’s unique about it? Ice skate at City Park – Europe’s largest outdoor ice rink. Thanks for stopping by. So I should be more seasoned for cold water than most people. I am taking some friends out to Budapest at New Year and thought it would be good to take them to one of the thermal baths, especially if it snows. Is a winter trip to Budapest a good idea? Budapest has more than a dozen bathhouses, each with a distinctive character, so if you linger more than a couple of days, I’d suggest visiting two different kinds of baths. Budapest Baths are actually open, and are a lot of fun and relaxation for any winter visitors in Hungary. Consult a map to make the most of your time at the baths as the maze-like complex can be a little tricky to navigate. Sign up to get our Budapest guides and reviews first. Instead of losing your patience as you keep getting lost, think of it as part of the experience. Naturally, we inspected all the indoor pools of Szechenyi, as well. It’s totally fine to come with your own drinks and snacks, as well. The Szechenyi Baths are open daily year-round, and the thermal waters mean that swimming in the outdoor pools is possible even in winter. While Szechenyi is not the best bathhouse for families, there are many other alternatives with pools specially designed for kids (with slides and other fun stuff). Budapest is famous for its spectacular thermal baths, and winter is the best season to spend time in the toasty waters. Water temperatures across the pools usually range from 30 to 40 degrees Celsius (86 to 104 Fahrenheit). Rudas Baths address: Budapest, Döbrentei tér 9, 1013 Hungary After pondering which was the best baths to visit in Budapest, I opted for Rudas Baths for my thermal bath experience. Facebook Tweet Pin Email Print . Three thermal baths I visited in Budapest during winter For travellers making their way through the Eastern European countries, Budapest is often top of the list. The most populated tram lines are taken over by these glowing lights, but it’s definitely worth taking one for a ride along the side of the Danube on tram line 2. And a swim cap in case you'd like to use the swimming pools, too. Some had aromatic medicinal steam; some were so steamy that you couldn’t see others beside you. Yes, every day. spring waters – coming from deep underground … Read More » At this stage, I have to remind that we come from Finland, the country of sauna culture. Coed? I am taking some friends out to Budapest at New Year and thought it would be good to take them to one of the thermal baths, especially if it snows. And if we are talking about saunas and Budapest, it would be a huge mistake to miss out on thermal baths. Most of the saunas are more like steam rooms, or Turkish saunas if you wish. We even have a small sauna in our apartment which we use every week, and we have been pampered with wood-fired saunas at the Finnish countryside. After the hottest outdoor thermal pool, we plunged in the “Whirlpool Pool” at the other side of the inner yard. I adore the euphoric feeling after a cold dip; it really gets your endorphins flowing. Veli Bej is managed by a Roman Catholic order, which doesn’t seem to run it for profit, making it one of the cheaper and least crowded options. Visiting a cigar factory in Nicaragua is an interesting experience. You can also book the same packages through many hotels without any extra charges. Széchenyi Thermal Baths. Most popular and the biggest of all is Széchenyi, located inside Budapest's City Park. Getting to Szechenyi is easy with the metro line M1. Hi. Hot pools and steam rooms leave you dehydrated. Szechenyi Baths are the biggest baths complex in Budapest and a must experience. Number of pools: 4 indoor (an outdoor hot tub during the warm months). We tried both, but for your comfort, I’d recommend the latter. We had a blast floating and swimming through the labyrinth-like whirlpool corridor, bumping accidentally to other bathers and laughing out loud. You can open your personal cabin or locker by just pressing the armband against the lock. Budapest has a total of nine medicinal baths today (and 123 hot springs). During the winter months, Budapest’s trams are often covered in fairy lights, making for a rather pleasing sight as it rattles through the streets. There is a good selection of non-profit places where the welfare of animals comes first. Budapest thermal baths worth checking out include Szechenyi thermal bath, St Gellert thermal, Ruda thermal, St Lukacs thermal bath. Tuesday is “women’s day” at the Turkish pools. Be sure your ticket covers both the indoor and outdoor sections. The presence of the many beneficial medicinal waters is characteristic of the whole country. Only on weekends. Less bombastic than Gellért and Széchenyi, Lukács is a more straightforward bath frequented by many locals. The facilities are open every day, with special parties at night. The Széchenyi Baths are, by far, the largest and the most visited of the Budapest thermal baths. The biggest, Basilica Christmas Market, is in front of the famous Szent … Coed? Here are some highlights of Budapest Thermal Baths. One last tip: reserve at least 2 hours for the bathing experience and don’t plan a massive sightseeing tour afterwards. Hi, I would definitely recommend including Szechenyi Spa into your two days in Budapest! On weekends, baths operate at full capacity, meaning that people are packed like sardines. The Gellért Baths are an institution in Budapest for their Art Deco architecture and the … Don’t lose the wristband or any other rented gear, as you’d be punished with a hefty fee. Band playing by the outdoor pools of Szechenyi Baths, Budapest, Visit Szechenyi Baths in Budapest all year round. spring waters – coming from deep underground … It's Christmas Day! #6 VELI BEJ Baths (location; Monday to Sunday 6 a.m. to 12 p.m., and 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.). It can be pretty cold, and due to its easterly location it gets dark early. Apart from its wellness centre, this bath is also famous for its healing thermal water, states Termalfurdo.hu. Thank you! Most plunge pools accommodate just a handful of people and are in modest surroundings, but there are bigger pools in attractive halls, as well. Weekday admission (adults): HUF5,900/c. Dubbed the ‘City of Baths’ or the “Spa City”, Budapest is a city rich with 120 thermal springs, many of them dating way back to the 16th century. The Széchenyi is lovely, the Széchenyi Bath is Budapest’s largest thermal spring bath. Answer 1 of 4: Was thinking of experiencing the baths with just a visit, but it seems paying the entrance fees just for visit don't seems worth. Gellért Baths -- one of Budapest's most beautiful bathhouses. Getting there is super easy: take a yellow metro line (M1) to the station Szechenyi Furdo, aptly named according to the bathhouse. Be sure to also visit the outdoor thermal pools, which remain open year-round. Enjoy your winter visit to Szechenyi Spa, it’ll be awesome! What’s unique about it? A great Iceland self-drive itinerary. Package 4 includes a private cabin and storage, fast-track entry, and a Szechenyi Spa logo towel (HUF 10,500). You won’t feel the coldness – it’s bliss! Thermal water enthusiasts can buy mineral-rich water to drink. I felt how my muscle pains just melted away. Yes, every day. €20 (includes the outdoor pools). Just watch what locals do if you feel nervous about the bathing etiquette. Well, healing isn’t the only reason to soak in hot water inside grand old buildings — bathing is also a great way to relax, reflect, or socialize. There are around 15 public baths for you to choose from across the city, but the Gellert Baths and Szechenyi Baths are the biggest and most popular. Budapest Spa Guide – detailed info about the city of spas: spas, thermal baths, swimming pools, beaches, spa & wellness and more... by BUDAPEST.COM At the cashier, you’ll get a plastic armband, which doubles as your ticket and key. Unlike the snug hammams, these are striking baths inside lavish classical revival buildings (the best examples are the monumental Széchenyi and Gellért). Weekday admission (adults): HUF3,000/c. Coed? Szechenyi Baths is open in winter months, making the thermal bath and pools one of the major attractions and winter things to do in Budapest, Hungary. Széchenyi, Rudas, and Lukács each have a thermal water fountain with sulfurous water for consumption (if you bring an empty bottle, you can also take some to go). Szechenyi Baths is one of the biggest spas in Europe and can accommodate more than 1500 people, so usually it won’t feel crowded. Bring (or buy) flip-flops – we regretted not having ones since floors in these kinds of bathing houses don’t feel especially clean and walking outside barefoot feels freezing in winter. What’s unique about it? For more than a century the city has been proud the title of ‘city of spas’. Yes, it seems that Szechenyi Spa doesn’t have the same couple’s package anymore, but they sell the same treats under a different name. Three thermal baths I visited in Budapest during winter For travellers making their way through the Eastern European countries, Budapest is often top of the list. We could easily fit in all the pools though some smallest sitting pools were pretty full. Number of pools: 3 indoor, 2 outdoor. After a couple of hours in Szechenyi, you’ll feel rejuvenated for sure. It's also a historical bath built in 1913in neo-baroque style. Nobody will tell you that it’s completely acceptable to share one cabin, though they are extremely tiny, and you won’t fit in together. Kids under 14 are not allowed to plunge in the thermal baths for health reasons, and Szechenyi is all about thermal baths. After a recent gut renovation, old and new harmoniously blend together: through Turkish domes and ogee arches leads the way to modern steam rooms and saunas. You can’t reach its soul without visiting, at least, one of the world-famous spa baths. €14 (includes the outdoor pools). The layout of most of Budapest’s baths is similar: a series of indoor thermal pools where temperatures range from warm to hot, steam rooms, saunas, ice-cold plunge pools and rooms for massage. My only problem is that we are in Budapest for two days only, would it be worth it? If you go to Széchenyi or Gellért, try to get there early in the morning (between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m.) — that's when you'll find the few remaining local regulars and the baths won't be so crowded. Number of pools: 8 indoor, 2 outdoor. Don’t forget to take a water bottle with you! There is one huge Finnish sauna downstairs, but I need to emphasize that Finnish people won’t approve it. Things you should know before visiting the thermal baths of Budapest; Csajda Bath – Kalocsa. Budapest holds the title "City of Spas" since the year 1934, as it has more thermal and medicinal water springs than any other capital city in the world. Enjoy your visit! I was one of those tourists too, at first. Some baths offer refunds for shorter stays. F or some, the mere mention of Budapest evokes images of steamy, tiled pools, tough-love masseuses, and lots of exposed skin. Yes, every day. Percent of locals: 50%. The naturally hot (HOT!) 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