Everyone should try a Hungarian spa at least once. It really is a cultural experience quite different from anything you can find outside the region of Central and Eastern Europe. Budapest is known as the ’Spa City’ or ’Spa Capital’ because it has the highest number of thermal springs (118) within the city limits in the world. The word ‘spa’ in English conjures up images of relaxation, luxury and beauty treatments, but in Hungary this is misleading for most foreigners and the words ’thermal bath’ should be used instead, as the main function of so-called spas in Hungary has been to treat patients with long-term medical problems. Spas mean waters here – mineral waters, thermal waters, medical waters. Lots of research is done to determine which conditions and illnesses the waters are good for. However, in Budapest the baths are mainly recreational and most people only spend 2-3 hours in there. You get a 3 hour ticket automatically but can claim a refund if you stay for less time.

Although spas like Gellért and Széchenyi in Budapest have now been renovated, there was a time when the information provision and signage was so baffling that you might have problems a) knowing which ticket to buy, b) finding the baths! The changing rooms vary enormously and you may be offered the chance to pay extra for a ’luxury’ or cabin one. Sometimes, the procedure involves chasing around after a locker ’guardian’ who will eventually issue you with a locker and a number which you have to remember. However, once you eventually get in, the baths are truly beautiful in terms of architecture, and the warm waters are incredibly relaxing. The whole experience takes away all your aches and pains and can even feel meditative. There are also steam rooms and saunas, which are pretty basic but they do the job, You can pay extra for a short, brutal but effective Hungarian massage, or pay even more for a less authentic Thai or Swedish one (still cheaper than in most other countries though).
What is spa etiquette in Hungary, you may ask? Well, you are not forced to be naked like you are in Germany and Austria, but you might find yourself in a position where many of the local women or men ARE naked and entirely comfortable (and these are not the ’body beautifuls’ either – the majority of local visitors are over 60!). This is common in Gellért, Király, Lukács and Rudas, but women and men have separate sections or even different days (note: beware of the ‘men only’ nights if you are a straight man. They are sometimes more gay than advertised, and even my gay friends told me that they are quite full on!). This makes it difficult to enjoy the spa together as a couple. Széchenyi, on the other hand, is mixed and non-naked so it is the best bet for the modest and those who want to visit with husbands, children or guests (however children under 6 are not allowed because of the mineral content of the waters). If you forget your costume, they may offer you some kind of ’apron’ which does its best to protect your modesty, but fails miserably once you enter the water!

Don’t expect to find healthy, light, or organic food in the spas. Most locals will be tucking into deep fried lángos (a kind of savoury doughnut) washed down with a beer or an espresso and topped off with a cigarette. Medicine is curative rather than preventative here, so by the time elderly Hungarians get sent to the spas by their doctors, the damage is already done! However, if you were beginning to think that spas were for old folks and the medically challenged, think again. Once a month in the Rudas spa (Saturday nights) there is a Cinetrip party, where the whole spa is converted into a giant nightclub complete with DJs, bars, films and entertainment. Tickets need to be bought in advance from the Mercury theatre, or from the spa on the night, but it gets so busy it is better to buy in advance. I haven’t experienced this first hand, but my students and sister tell me it gets pretty wild and is mainly for the young and hedonistic! Some of the spas also open late at night until 10pm but remain disco free. The Rudas is sometimes open from 10pm until 3am at the weekends.

by Melanie Smith