Széchenyi Baths aka: Széchenyi Gyógyfürdő és Uszoda

This is apparently the largest thermal bath complex in Europe. The hot outdoor pools are amazing. They’re like a huge social area – in one area, there were some blokes playing chess! It gave me the same thrill as going open air ice-skating at Somerset House – you look up and see a huge courtyard around you! It’s surreal :)

We did lots of walking while in Budapest so a relaxing soak in the hot baths was the perfect end to a busy day.

I really liked the outdoor pool.

There was also a lovely indoor pool in a room with sunny yellow tiles. The natural sunlight in this room was enhanced by the decor and it was a delightful place to “chill” in.

I really had a great time at the Szecheny Baths – it really made my Hungarian vacation feel more “authentic”. The only trouble I had was that there were very few English-speakers around and very few signs in English, so it made communicating with the staff difficult. Other than that, it was a great time… I hung out in the baths and relaxed for about half a day… It was worth it, considering all the tromping around we’d done on our European back-packing trip.