Széchenyi Thermal Bath

Budapest can rightly be called the city of spas, and the Szechenyi Bath and Spa was its first thermal baths on the Pest side. At the time, back in 1881, it was called "Artesian Bath", and was only a temporary establishment. 

Rudas Thermal Bath

This charming complex is split into three parts; the Ottoman-era steam bath, the swimming pool and the recently opened wellness centre. The cupola-covered Turkish bath with its octagonal main pool dates back to the sixteenth century. Bathing is single-sex during the week but mixed on the weekend. The Roman-style swimming pool and wellness centre are always mixed. Our tip? Hotfoot it to the rooftop jacuzzi with front-row seats over the Danube.

Gellért Thermal Bath

These art nouveau baths, located at the bottom of Gellért Hill and adjoining the hotel of the same name, capture the golden age of 20th-century Budapest with their marine-tiled indoor thermal pools and intricately carved columns surrounding the indoor swimming pool. The exterior includes smaller pools and a large pool, famous for its 1920s wave machine that runs on the hour.