Rudas Baths in Budapest: description, reviews

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Hungarian legend says that if you stick a stick into the ground on the territory of the country, then a mineral spring will surely come out from there. And this is probably a true opinion, since Hungary is the only country in the world in which springs are located on 80% of the area, there are more than 60 thousand of them.

Healing properties of water serve as an excellent aid in the treatment of diseases of the musculoskeletal system, vascular diseases, diseases of the nervous system. Enterprising Hungarians have turned their natural we alth into a brand and built a huge number of medical sanatoriums and bath complexes for residents and numerous guests of the country.

About the Rudasha bath, located in the very heart of Budapest, and will be discussed in the article. Let's talk about its history, features of architecture, healing properties of water. We will also acquaint you with the reviews of our tourists about their stay in this balneary. Most often, travel agencies offer tourists to visit the cave springs of Miskolc-Tapolca or the Szechenyi baths in the metropolitan park Varosliget on the way to Budapest. But the Hungarians themselves rarely go tothese places due to the large influx of tourists, preferring to them a hospital on the left bank of the Danube, on Mount Gellert, with the same name and located at the foot of the mountain, the bath named after Rudash, which will be discussed further.

Location

The Rudas Bath is built at the address: Döbrentei tér 9, 1013. The entrance to the balneological clinic is located from the side of the road along the Danube. The building can be seen from the side of the Hungarian Parliament building and the Central Market of the city.

If you are walking along the embankment, then it is enough to cross the Elisabeth bridge to the other side, the length of which is only 290 meters. This is the narrowest place along the river in the city. After crossing the bridge, turn left, the first building along the road will be your destination. On the right side you will see the Buda Castle with the magnificent Royal Palace.

You can get to the Rudash baths from six in the morning, and relax there until ten in the evening, but there is one caveat. Hungarians go to the terms completely undressed, so all days of the week in the work schedule are divided into men's (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) and women's (Tuesday) days. On weekends, when it is allowed to swim only in bathing suits, you can visit the baths together: for both men and women.

How to get there

The Rudas Bath can be reached by tram number 19, which follows the route Bécsi út / Vörösvári út. Stop near the entrance to the complex. Also suitable for travel tram number 17, 41, 56 and 56A.

From the stop of tram number 56A, which travels along the Móricz Zs route.körtér M, you will have to walk a little in the opposite direction along the embankment, since it does not drive up directly to the baths of Rudas. But the tram number 56 stops very close. Buses No. 5, 7, 8E, 86, 108E, 110, 112, 907 and 973 are also suitable.

If it is more convenient to get from your hotel by metro, then the nearest stations are Astoria and Fővám tér. Although both are located on the opposite bank of the Danube, it is only a few minutes to walk to one of the bridges (Erzsébet) closer to Astoria, and Szabadság híd (the next bridge) is next to the Fővám tér station. It's not hard at all, as you'll enjoy some of the best sights in Budapest along the way.

Historical information

From ancient times, hot springs spouted from the ground at this place, which attracted ancient tribes. The king of the Huns Attila stopped and camped here, then the leader of the Hungarians Arpad, who is the founder of the country, found refuge. In ancient writings of the XIV-XV centuries, the first mentions of baths were found. According to the description of the location, most likely, these were the springs at the foot of Mount Gellert. King Zsigmond then ruled.

The hospital building was built by the Turks during the Ottoman Empire, in 1550. Since then, a huge dome with columns over the Ottoman pool, an octagonal pool and the interior decoration of many halls have been preserved.

Features of the bath

If everyone can be in the Széchenyi baths, then only men were allowed into the one in question, up tountil 2005. Even now, only Tuesday is singled out for women. They were allowed to visit only after the last renovation.

More interesting is the fact that on weekends from 10 pm Friday to 4 am Saturday and also the next day the bath is open for romantic meetings. By the way, morning visits will cost a significant discount. Also on these days, both the male and female population can visit the medicinal bath and the Rudasha pool, but only in swimsuits.

In the premises of the complex, free services have been preserved, which is not found in other baths. For example, steam cabins located in the thermal and steam part of the building, as well as Finnish saunas near the swimming pool.

In 2014, a new kind of entertainment in the bath, the adventure pool, opened.

The structure of the complex

The Rudas Baths in Budapest have several thermal sections with different water temperatures. The largest indoor pool (20 meters long) has a depth difference of 80 to 180 cm. It has a constant temperature of +29 °C. Next to it there is a sauna with a small cold pool, in which the water temperature is only +11 °C.

Two baths have a similar temperature - +36 ° C, and one of them is located on the roof of the building, offering a wonderful view of the Danube River, bridges and the opposite bank.

There is also a bowl with a slightly lower water temperature - +32 °С. The hot spring "Juventus". The water temperature in it reaches +42 °C.

There are no bright lights in the building. It's made for the bestrelaxation, vacationers are in a relaxed state of half sleep. For convenience, pump rooms are located next to the pools, there is also a relaxation room and several massage rooms.

Healing effect

The thermal waters of the source in the medicinal bath and the Rudasha pool have a small level of radioactivity. Most of all in its composition sulfates, calcium, bicarbonate, magnesium and fluoride ions. It is recommended to take a course of therapeutic water procedures for people suffering from the following diseases:

• diseases of the joints with degeneration;
• chronic and subacute inflammation of the joints;
• backbone problems;
• arthritis;
• rheumatism;
• lack of calcium in the bones of the skeleton;
• diseases of the nervous system, including neuralgia.

After reading the reviews about the Rudash baths, you can understand that balneotherapy also helps in violation of the respiratory tract, normalizes blood pressure and even restores the microflora of the stomach. Water from the hottest spring has a beneficial effect on the female body. According to the stories of visitors, the skin becomes soft, silky, fine wrinkles are smoothed out even after one session, this procedure will also help women during menopause. It has long been believed that mineral springs prolong human life and slow down aging.

If you decide to go to Hungary and visit the baths, then before the trip, be sure to go to the therapist and ask if you can be there. Although the source haswater quality certificate, there are some chronic diseases in which visits to such procedures are not recommended.

Treatment Services

In addition to simply swimming in the healing waters of the pools, in the bath to them. Rudasha you can get a professional therapeutic massage. Visitors can independently massage the body with underwater jets. There is an aromatic and refreshing massage treatment.

If necessary, you can take a drinking course without even going into the bath. Not far from the Erzsébet bridge, there is a mineral bar where you can choose from water for every occasion. In total, three types of water are served. It helps to get rid of high blood pressure, diseases of the respiratory system, rheumatism. But to get the effect, you need to drink water in courses, and not one-time.

For what you have to pay extra separately

going to the baths, be prepared to pay extra for some services. These include:

• all types of massage;
• peeling;
• procedures with rubbing lavender oil into the body;
• visit the restaurant or bar of the complex.

Before buying a ticket, you must visit the doctor of the bath or show him the recommendations of your doctor.

Cost of visit

In the Rudas bath in Budapest, prices for visiting are different. It all depends on the time of stay and the number of pools visited. In the morning you will be charged 2600 forints (until 12:00), in the afternoon - 3300, at night on weekends - 4800, and a complex ticket will cost 4800 on weekdays and5900 - weekends.

If you only want to visit the large pool, the ticket will be much cheaper: from 1500 forints. The cost of massage - from 4400 to 4900.

In the reviews, tourists warn that you need to carefully look at the ticket where you can go, because there are turnstiles between all the halls and let only those with access pass. It is especially disappointing, according to travelers, not to get into the rooftop pool, which offers a magnificent view of the city.