Aaron and I are no stranger to thermal baths. We discovered them living in Germany and now look for one whenever we travel. They aren’t common to find in the US where water-based activities are generally of the more thrill-seeking type, but I’ve found them all over Europe. They are great to relax as a couple, or to let kids burn off some energy. Years ago I had heard of the amazing thermal baths in Budapest so when I started planning our adults-only trip, I knew we had to visit one.

If you google “thermal bath + budapest” you’ll be inundated with hits. The most famous is Szechenyi Bath with it’s yellow-hued building and outdoor heated pools, usually photographed with steam rising off of them in the early morning coolness. But, there are actually 17 thermal baths in Budapest! 17! Once I discovered that, I knew I’d have some research to do and a decision to make.

After reading countless reviews and blog posts on all the different thermal baths in Budapest, I decided that Gellert Spa was right up our alley. We wanted something more relaxing with fewer tourists than Szechenyi; some place where we might also be able to schedule a massage and spend some time in a sauna or thermal bath. I also wanted something relatively close to our hotel. Gellert checked all my boxes.

Szechenyi bath - seemed like it might be very crowded and we wanted something more low-key. But that yellow! So inviting!

Walking in, we were greeted with a long, art deco style hallway with a glass ceiling letting in TONS of natural light. It really was beautiful. I’ve not been a hug fan of art deco in the past, but it’s growing on me - something about the brilliant colors and intricate, geometric patterns makes me happy. Beyond the entrace lays a labyrinth of hall ways, changing rooms, locker rooms, relaxation rooms, and more. There were multiple pools, multiple levels, and we got lost on more than one occasion. Historically, the bath used to be divided between men and women and was nude. Today, bathing suits are mandatory and there are no longer women or men-only sides; it’s all co-ed.

Entrace hall to Gellert. Photo Credit: Budapest Spas cPlc. www.spasbudapest.com

Once we figured out where to change and where to go for our massage, we waited patiently, enjoying the beautiful arcitechture around us. Our massages were solid; I had opted for a unique mud treatment add on to mine and was shocked at the cold mud being applied at the end of the massage! After the warm hands of the massage therapist, the coolness was actually slightly unpleasant!

After massages, we explored more of the thermal baths. There is a lap pool in the center of the building where a swim cap is compulsory here, but not in the rest of the baths. I wish I had known this because we bought the caps when we rented towels, but ended up not using them. Side note - I will send them to you for free if you’re headed there!

Indoor lap pool. Photo Credit: Budapest Spas cPlc. www.spasbudapest.com

By far, my favorite bath was, what used to be, the men’s bath. The bright blue walls adorned with medallions and stunning inlayed tile work gave the whole place a very relaxing feeling. The sound of the water cascading from the fountains echoed loudly around the chamber. The mineral deposits on the fountains gave them an almost mystic quality. There were two baths in this room - one warmer than the other. I’ll let you decide which I preferred….

Showers in the men’s bath. Photo Credit: Budapest Spas cPlc. www.spasbudapest.com

Beautiful fountain in the men’s bath. Photo Credit: Budapest Spas cPlc. www.spasbudapest.com

Not wanting to miss anything, we explored the women’s bath - which was significantly less adorned than the men’s (sexist much?!) - and the outdoor baths. The women’s bath was still beautiful, but compared to the men’s bath, was rather quite plain. The large outdoor wave pool was closed for the season, but the warmer soaking bath was open. Adjacent to the outdoor soaking bath was a wood-clad nordic sauna (dry heat as opposed to a wet heat like in a steam bath) and a plunge pool designed to look like a giant barrel. We sat in the warm water, in the sunshine, and watched people emerge from the hot sauna and plunge themselves completely under the cold, icy waters. No. Thank you! Totally not my thing and the idea of it makes me shiver. But hey, if that’s something you like, then by all means, you do you!

Back inside, there were steam rooms and saunas available, too. But, we spent hardly any time in them. I guess the German idea that wearing a swimsuit in a sauna or steam room is unsanitary has worn off on us. Most of the thermal baths we have been to are clothing-free in the sauna portions. You carry two towels - one to sit on and one to dry off with after showering. We both found it hard to sit there in our suits without a towel, so we didn’t spend much time in there at all.

We whiled away most of the morning at the spa enjoying our massages and relaxing in the thermal baths. As we were leaving, we noticed how much more crowded it had become then when we arrived. So if you’re planning on visiting yourself, try to arrive early, when they open, to have the most relaxing experience.

Outdoor pool at dusk. Photo Credit: Budapest Spas cPlc

So back to the title of this post - how does Gellert stack up against the many other thermal bath’s we’ve visited? Overall, it was nice - the buildings and pools were absolutely stunning and it’s in a great location. I loved the bright but relaxing blue of the men’s bath and sitting in the bath outside in the cool fall weather was perfect. It was very very busy with hundreds of tourist, so it wasn’t the most authentic bathing experience we’ve had. But, I expected that going in. According to my research, Szechenyi is even more tourist-laden. It appears that even though Budapest has a long history of bathing culture dating all the way back to the Turks, few modern day citizens take part. And despite our American-ness, I would have preferred if some areas of the thermal bath were clothing optional - mainly the saunas and steam baths. Admission prices are reasonable - about $22 depending on the exchange rate - and you can buy or rent everything you need there including swim suits, towels, bath robes, and swim caps. Of course, rentals are an additional cost. All in all, if you’re looking for a morning or afternoon activity in Budapest, I’d give Gellert a shot!

Tickets can be booked online too!