Summer in the City - Baths and Beyond in Budapest
As we are approaching the hottest time of year and everyone is seeking relief at beaches, pools and lakes, we are reminded once again, how very blessed we are to live in a city like Budapest, where 123 thermal springs are bubbling underneath the surface. While most tourists may focus on the Gellert Hotel & Spa with its magnificent Art Nouveau architecture or the large SZECHENY baths in the Varosliget City Park, the very venue where the famous picture was taken of 2 old men playing chess in the pool, few visitors venture further afield to discover the extensive thermal bathing options in and around the Hungarian capital. Yet savoring a visit to a nearby indoor or outdoor pool - particularly slightly further in the suburbs, may provide both relief from the hot summer weather as well as a worthwhile glimpse into local Hungarian culture, an integral part of which is the long tradition of thermal spas in the country. Assuming the weather is not cooperating and it happens to ...