Little is more integral to Budapest culture than the thermal bath. By far, the most popular introduction to the custom for tourists is the Szechenyi Thermal Bath, the largest medicinal bath in Europe.
The sprawling complex of Szechenyi Thermal Bath includes a spacious courtyard with two large outdoor pools, filled with fountains and jets, both of which remain open late into the night for bathing under the stars. Indoors, tiled chamber after tiled chamber houses individual pools of varying temperatures. Take an icy plunge before relaxing in a hot bath, or skip the pools entirely in favour of sweating out your toxins in a sauna.
Szechenyi Thermal Bath has its own stop on the Budapest Metro, Széchenyi fürdő. It is within walking distance of Heroes’ Square or Hősök tere in the native Hungarian. A tram ride from the Hungarian Parliament Building or Buda Castle would take roughly 30 minutes.
Originally called the Artesian spa, Szechenyi Thermal Bath was first planned in the 1880s and opened to the public in 1913. Since its turn of the century construction, it has retained its beautiful neo-Baroque architecture. Its design has many similarities to the smaller, but less touristed Gellert Baths, which were constructed at the same time.