Budapest is the only European capital that is also considered a spa city and is proud of its thermal springs. Only here you can improve your health in just one weekend without interrupting the other joys of metropolitan life.
Hungary, one has only to dig deeper, as some hot spring will inevitably clog out of the ground – a whole thermal sea with water unique in its healing qualities is hidden in the depths. Immersion in it not only cures a long list of all kinds of diseases (from rheumatism to asthma), but also “tightens” the skin, “washes away” cellulite and “dissolves” extra pounds. And the best part is that there are about 70 pools and baths in Budapest. And most of them are not just public baths with a thermal pool, but real architectural monuments. Even those who are not going to swim, just to quench their thirst for beauty, should visit the baths “Gellert”, “Szechenyi” or “Kirai”.
Practice
- Visa: 45 euros, takes a little more than a week.
- Flight: on flights with Aeroflot or Malev (from 265 euros).
- Accommodation: a night in a 4-star hotel with meals, but without treatment – from 90 euros.
- Food: lunch for two without wine – 20-25 euros.
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But if you are going to Budapest for a spa weekend, it is better to stay in one of the thermal hotels, of which there are also many. The most pleasant, perhaps, are located right in the center of the city, right in the middle of the Danube – on the island of Margitsiget. There are no cars or business centers. Only gardens, cozy alleys, ponds with golden carps and the ruins of a Dominican monastery. And two balneological hotels of the Danubius chain – the old Grand Hotel and the brand new Thermal. They have a common spa center, where guests can spend time, moving from the thermal pool to the jacuzzi, and from the aroma chamber to the infra-sauna, and alternating mud therapy sessions with oxygen therapy. In general, you can endlessly combine all kinds of procedures, especially since the prices by European standards are simply ridiculous (the price of a day package is from 55 to 90 euros), and in the local relatively Russian-language price list there are very intriguing offers – for example, “wrapping in a hay bag “,” Mud application package “or” underwater extension “.
After getting out of the pool, you can go to explore the sights of Buda and Pest, the ancient Roman ruins and the monument to Anonymous. And after a walk, as an exception to a strict wellness diet, indulge in a custard cheesecake or local strudel.
Top 5: Spa resorts in the vicinity of Budapest
- Lake Balaton. The most popular wellness place in Hungary.
- Heviz. A small and very cozy town on the shores of the hot lake of the same name – the largest in Europe.
- If. Here are the oldest hydropathic establishments in the country, built by the Cartesian monks, and the famous “Valley of Beauties”.
- Хайдусобосло. Mecca for those suffering from rheumatism.
- Miskolztanpolc. Thermal springs gush under the vaults of an impressive cave, and guests are offered accommodation in a castle hotel with terraces, hanging gardens and fountains.
- Hotels in Margitsiget Island: four-star Danubius Grand Hotel and Danubius Thermal Hotel… The general thermal center Danubius Health SPA is equipped with the latest technology and offers all the necessary wellness treatments.
- Danubius Thermal Hotel Helia. The four-star Scandinavian-style hotel is located opposite the island of Margitsiget, therefore the local SPA Vital Center uses the water from the Margaret springs and the healing mud of Lake Heviz.
- Corinthia Aquincum Hotel. The only 5-star thermal hotel in Budapest.
- Danubius Hotel Hellert. An old hotel under a dome on the mountain of the same name – traditional rooms with vintage furniture and as a bonus – the legendary Gellert bath, which hotel guests use free of charge.
- Gellert. The most beautiful baths in Budapest are on the list of must-see attractions. The bath has always been equipped with the latest technology – back in 1927, the first swimming pool with an artificial surf appeared here, and in 1934 – the first jacuzzi.
- “Cut”. One of the largest thermal baths in Europe, in antique style. Glass stained-glass windows and sculptures were created by the best craftsmen in Hungary.
- “Rent”. The bathhouse began to be built back in the XNUMXth century during the Turkish domination, so from the outside it looks more like a mosque.
- “Saint Lukach”. Favorite bathhouse of Budapest citizens. The water in 8 pools and the drinking pavilion, as local residents assure, has an extraordinary healing power – after all, St. Luke, whose name the institution bears, was a noble healer.
- Royal Bath. One of the most luxurious in Budapest – in oriental style and with oriental traditions.