Budapest lies on top of warm-water springs and therefore there are numerous baths and spas in the city, many of the public. Visitors are encouraged to visit at least one, for they are safe and reasonably-priced. As Hungarian as goulash or the music of Béla Bartok, the thermal bath is a must for anyone planning to unwind on a central European holiday. The bath has both a social role – as a place to relax and talk, a tradition dating back to Roman times – and a therapeutic function. ‘Taking the waters’ flourished in the 18th century as fashionable Europeans sought rest and relaxation; today, lawyers and other stressed-out professionals follow in their footsteps. Hungary’s thermal waters lie much closer to the ground’s surface than they do elsewhere and the region’s first baths were built during Roman times. Budapest’s baths vary in size, age and atmosphere, but for those with only a few days to spare, the Rudas baths, on the west bank of the Danube and not far from the imposing Buda Castle, are hard to beat.
|
|
|
