The Széchenyi Bath (Szechenyi fürdő / Szechenyi Gyogyfürdő es Uszoda) is a thermal (healing) bath and pool, which is the largest thermal complex not only in Budapest, but throughout Europe.
The Széchenyi Bath - the first medical bath of Pest (now part of Budapest), built between 1909-1913 years in the style of modern Renaissance. Since 2012, the bath is the owner of the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Today, the Secheni bathhouse is the most famous and visited of all the thermal baths in Budapest. Also, the bath itself is one of the iconic sights of Budapest. It is difficult not to recognize the monumental yellow building with towers and catchy architectural elements that looks like a palace.
Medical water of the Szechenyi bath
The therapeutic water of the Szechenyi baths is extracted from the second deepest well in Budapest, from a depth of 1246 meters and comes to the surface at a temperature of 76 degrees Celsius.
Healing water contains calcium, magnesium, hydrogen carbonate, chlorine, sulphate, alkalis and a substantial amount of the fluoride ion.
Bathtubs, pools and saunas of the Szechenyi baths
The Széchenyi health and Wellness complex has thermal pools, including outdoor and plunge pools, as well as swimming pools, several steam and saunas with temperatures from 50 to 100°C.
Indoor swimming pools Szechenyi baths
Indoor pools and saunas are located in the building, where one room with pools goes into another. Here are: places for rest (deckchairs), cells where you can leave towels and bathrobes, a drinking fountain, showers and toilets.
More than a dozen indoor pools are divided into a warm bath, cool and cold. The water temperature in the warm therapeutic pools ranging from 28 to 40°C. In a cool pool of 20°C in two cold-submersible - 18°C.
An indoor swimming pool. The water temperature is 28°C.
Indoor swimming pool with free water fitness. Near the bath with a water temperature of 38°C.
Hall with columns in the Greco-Roman style, in which there are two thermal pools with water temperature of 35°C.
Hall with two small pools. The water temperature in one of which is 40°C, in the other - 20°C.
This is one of the most visited halls of the complex. Guests of the complex move from one pool to another: having warmed up in a bath with a water temperature of 40°C, plunge into a pool with a water temperature of 20°C, then again return to bask in a pool with 40-degree water. Pleasant tingling in the feet and tone of the whole body are provided.
Also in the premises of the baths are located: three saunas, two of which are in temperature from 50 to 55 degrees, and the third - 80-100°С; submersible indoor pool 18°C.
In the basement, which is accessed from the external (outdoor) pools, there is sauna 80-100°C, a font with a temperature of 18°C and showers.
Open (external) pools of Szechenyi baths
In the open part (in the open air) of the Secheni baths there are three swimming pools, next to which sun loungers and parasols are placed.
In the center of the outdoor swimming area there is a swimming pool with a water temperature of 26-28°C. Entrance to the pool is allowed only in a swimming cap. Beanie you can bring with you or purchase at the baths.
On both sides from the outdoor swimming pool are two smaller pools:
- open thermal, water temperature 38°С;
- outdoor entertainment pool with surprises, water temperature 30-34°С. In the pool: artificial circular flow, jet water for the back, souls for the neck and underwater bubbles.
Here, in the open part of the baths are: a café-bar, a dining area, a dedicated area for Smoking.
In addition to the listed in the complex baths Szechenyi, at your service: drinking well, fitness room, as well as additional paid services in the form of massages, thermal beer bath, foot care, pedicure, Solarium, cosmetic and other beauty services, sale of therapeutic water and mud.
Medical treatments available on prescription or doctor's recommendation.
Practical information
In the catering area of Szechenyi bathing areas, you must pay by credit card or a special bathing card, which can be purchased on the spot. Cash is not accepted. Money will be deposited to the card + deposit (it was 300 forints). When returning the card, the money that was left on the card + deposit is returned.
When you purchase a ticket to the baths, you can enjoy all indoor and outdoor thermal baths and swimming pools, saunas, fitness room, sun beds, showers, toilets and a shared courtyard area.
There are day tickets - for the whole day during the opening hours of the bathhouse, as well as morning (from 06:00 to 08:00 hours) and evening (from 19:00 to 22:00 hours).
Tickets are divided into: tickets with a personal booth or tickets with a common locker room. You can use one personal booth for two, a family or a small group. That is, we buy one ticket with a personal booth, the rest with a common locker room, and all together we go to one personal booth. The cabins are roomy, they close and open with the help of a wrist bracelet key.
In addition to General tickets are also available various types of packages, which will include, for example: bathrobes, Slippers or gels and shampoos, etc.
Payment at the cash desks of the baths is possible only in cash in forints, credit cards or Visa cards. Day tickets can be paid with Budapest Card.
Swimwear, slippers, towels, and also when necessary, swimming cap and bathrobes you can bring with you or buy on the spot, directly in the bath. Payment for rental is cash only in HUF! (Exchange and ATM is in the lobby of the baths).
Address of Secheni baths: Allatkerti street, 9-11 (kerület Allatkerti körut 9-11, Budapest), the territory of Varoshliget park.
The website of the széchenyi baths, where you can learn the cost of tickets and services, hours of operation of the baths, as well as information about the pools: szechenyifurdo.
A little advice! Come to the bath is better in the morning, so the baths will be a little less people. In addition, not all people with long hair, take those in a bundle, from which may fall hair, and even a few, accidentally and do not understand where, fall paper, peel off the adhesive plaster and show up on the territory of the bath or in the pools, other small waste of human life.
The hall under the dome
A separate attraction of Secheni's baths is the "Hall under the Dome" - the main dome of the bathhouse, where the lobby and ticket offices are now located.
Upon entering the hall under the dome, you can see the fountain called centaur - tritons fisherman, sculptor József Róna.
Special attention is drawn to mosaic pictures in the dome (the work of Zsigmond Vajda), the Central place among which is occupied by the image of Helios - the sun God controlling a horse quadruplets. Between four semicircular dome Windows are Roman, Greek, Oriental and Egyptian bathing scene.
