Budapest is a thermal water epicentre, with gorgeous and historic baths dotting its landscape. One of them is Rác Baths, which have been lying vacant for over two decades due to a complicated legal dispute. Now, it seems like its fortune has turned, and the complex will reopen 2 years from now.
Rác Baths, the venerable spa complex in the Tabán, was shut down permanently in 2002, then got an award-winning renovation from 2007 onwards. But the historic building hasn't reopened ever since. It became entangled in legal red tape, letting us admire the magnificent interior only in photos.
Time hasn't been generous with the complex. The ground floor got flooded several times, and the whole building deteriorated without electricity and heating, not to mention recurring robberies. In 2022, Budapest Gyógyfürdő és Hévizei Zrt (BGYH), the body that oversees most spas in the capital, succeeded in its bid to gain ownership and jumped headfirst into planning a major rehabilitation once again.
The tender announced for the renovation was won by the same architecture and design firm as before Budapesti Műhely. They not only created the visual designs for the renovation but also organised a residents' meeting at the location. If all goes to plan, from 2025 onward, both locals and anyone visiting Budapest can finally enjoy the historic Rác Bath again. Fingers crossed.
