Széchenyi Thermal Bath
塞切尼温泉 · City Park, Budapest, Hungary
A yellow, palace-like Neo-Baroque bath in City Park, with 3 outdoor and 15 indoor pools — 18 in all — fed by two thermal springs at 74°C and 77°C; on winter days steam rises from the outdoor pools, and locals playing chess in the water are its signature sight.
Know before you go
- Shouting in the water
- disturbing chess players by talking
- photographing other people directly
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
A spring drilled from the earth
The mining engineer Vilmos Zsigmondy drilled in City Park for years before striking artesian thermal water at a depth of about 970 metres or more. The name given to the bath while it was being planned, the Artesian Bath, comes from this well.
Source: Wikipedia: Széchenyi Thermal Bath; Foresyte: Széchenyi Thermal Bath
History
Named after Széchenyi
The bath opened on 16 June 1913 and was named after the 19th-century statesman István Széchenyi. More than 200,000 bathers came in its first year, and by 1919 the figure was close to 890,000.
Source: Wikipedia: Széchenyi Thermal Bath; Foresyte: Széchenyi Thermal Bath
History
Chess in the water
In the steaming outdoor pools, locals set chessboards on floating boards and play, a habit that has gone on for decades and become the bath's most iconic sight. If you watch, please keep quiet and do not disturb the game.
Source: The Wanders: Széchenyi Thermal Bath; Wikipedia: Széchenyi Thermal Bath
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
The Széchenyi Thermal Bath stands in Budapest's City Park (Városliget), at Állatkerti krt. 9-11, 1146 Budapest, near Heroes' Square. The building is in Neo-Baroque style, with 3 outdoor and 15 indoor pools, plus saunas, steam rooms and massage. Its two thermal springs run at 74°C and 77°C, and the pools vary in temperature. When it was planned in the 1880s it was called the Artesian Bath (Artézi fürdő), its water coming from the artesian thermal well that the mining engineer Vilmos Zsigmondy drilled in City Park (the drilling is dated to 1865–1875 or to 1868–1878 in different accounts, and the well is about 970 metres or more deep). Built to the design of Győző Czigler, the bath was begun on 7 May 1909, opened on 16 June 1913 and named after the 19th-century statesman István Széchenyi. In its first year it received more than 200,000 bathers, rising to 890,507 by 1919. It was extended to its present size in 1927; in 1938 a second deep well struck water at about 1,256 metres (one account says over 1,200 metres), at 77°C, supplying about 6 million litres a day. The bath was completely renovated between 1999 and 2009. English Wikipedia calls it the largest medicinal bath in Europe, and some guides call it "one of the largest thermal baths in Europe"; this is reported only, not a confirmed ranking.
Local customs
- Soak in the outdoor pools all year round, with winter steam and snow the most distinctive
- rotate through the indoor pools at different temperatures
- try the saunas, steam rooms and massage treatments
- watch locals playing chess on floating boards in the water
- photograph the yellow colonnades and the architecture
- stroll through City Park and on to the Heroes' Square area
- if a Sparty night party is on, you can join it in the outdoor pool area (check the official website).
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Don’t DON'T
- Shouting in the water
- disturbing chess players by talking
- photographing other people directly
- ignoring the venue rules during Sparty
Locals appreciate DO
- Shower before entering the pools
- wear swimwear, and a swim cap where the pool rules require one
- keep valuables in a locker
- follow the zoning and dress guidance in saunas and steam rooms
- check the temperature sign beside each pool before getting in
- if you have a cardiovascular or other underlying condition, follow your doctor's advice and stay within your limits
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Tickets are sold by time slot
- weekends and public holidays are busy, so try to go off-peak. Bring your own towel, slippers and swim cap, or follow the arrangements on site — check the official website before you go. The pools differ in temperature, so read the sign beside each one first
- the health notes above are general reminders, not medical advice.
- Széchenyi fürdő station on metro line M1 is right outside, Heroes' Square is within walking distance, and buses and trolleybuses also serve the area. The bath is open all year: the outdoor pools are liveliest in summer, the contrast of steam and snow is greatest in winter, and spring and autumn are relatively quiet.
