In the middle of an idyllic downtown setting lies a thermal bath with Zsolnay porcelain and Turkish influences, aiming to be Budapest’s premier wellness center. With its newest wing renovated and extended last year, along with the addition of a wide range of modern services, this historic spa has everything for everyone seeking rejuvenation after a hard day, who just want to relax, have fun, or maintain a healthier life. The hot pools here provide a tempting alternative to a night spent with pub-crawling and alcohol consumption.
If you take bus line 7 from Pest to Buda, you’ll surely catch a glimpse of the many visitors enjoying the wellness services of Rudas Bath. Through the huge windows, you can peek at what goes on in the new wing, which was opened in September of 2014; what used to be a bottling plant now contains four adventure pools and a restaurant – and let’s not forget the panorama, which is hard to forget once you see it. There are no less than 21 medicinal springs near Rudas, and the view from the Danube bank and the newly added extra services make this experience a must-do that should be enjoyed at least once in a lifetime. The Rudas management aims to make locals and city visitors consider going to a bath as a great way to chill out and enjoy themselves every day of the year, both on weekdays and weekends.
Rudas already made a name for itself as one of the best spas of Budapest with its centuries-old Turkish bath, but the wellness section offers a new kind of relaxation. For example, the new wing is full of colors and modern elements from the dressing rooms to the sunbathing terraces, and the drinking fountains are decorated with Zsolnay porcelain. The temperature of the pools are maintained at 12, 32, 36, and 42 degrees Celsius – and all of them have different massage functions.However, it’s the new rooftop panorama pool that is the star attraction at Rudas Bath, which is open every day of the year, providing an alfresco vantage point where soakers can easily recognize how beautiful Budapest is while admiring a great view over Gellért Hill and the Liberty Bridge, not to mention the entire Pest skyline. A ticket to the wellness section costs 2,900 forints on weekdays and 3,900 forints on weekends, which grants access to the swimming pools, thermal baths, and many different kinds of saunas.The bathing section is open from 8am to 10pm on weekdays and Sundays, and on Fridays and Saturdays guests can stay into the night, as well: on these days, you can enjoy the hot and steaming pleasure from 10pm to 4am.
Rudas also features a restaurant, and on weekdays, you can buy a ticket that includes lunch or dinner along with access to the wellness area and baths.
Rudas
Bath is proud that it is becoming a meeting point for more and more youngsters, and is developing affordable programs for every generation. Apart from being open at night and offering reasonable prices, they’ve also started a fresh campaign: setting up a thermal bath in Gozsdu Udvar, accommodating up to four soakers before a picture of the panorama from Rudas behind them, letting everybody know that one of the most beautiful baths of the country awaits just on the Buda side of Elizabeth Bridge.
