Gellért Baths, housed in a breathtaking Art Nouveau building between Gellért Hill and Liberty Bridge, is probably already on your Budapest bucket list. After all, following in Ryan Gosling's footsteps is pretty cool. But if you're planning a visit, don't wait too long – the historic spa is set to close for renovations this autumn.
According to Termál Online, urgent structural issues mean the baths will shut their doors in October. The portal gathered this from a business plan submitted by Budapest Spas, a municipally owned company, to the City Assembly’s upcoming session on 26 March 2025. The report shows that Gellért welcomed 420,000 guests last year, bringing in 4.2 billion HUF in revenue. For 2025, however, projections drop to 316,000 visitors and 3.15 billion HUF in revenue.
Why is it closing?
The projected decline, as outlined in the document available on the City Assembly's website, is largely due to the spa's planned closure in the fourth quarter of 2025. This is likely tied to the renovations that started at the neighbouring Gellért Hotel in autumn 2024. Some reconstruction work can only happen if the thermal bath's pump house is shut down – meaning no water, no spa.
A two-phase renovation
Another historic bath, Széchenyi Baths, is also set for a makeover this year, with a seven-phase renovation. Meanwhile, Gellért’s reconstruction will happen in two stages. After the indoor pools are refreshed, a partial reopening is on the cards, with the outdoor pools and Privat Spa set to follow 6–8 months later.
– according to the proposal.
(Cover photo: Márton Koncz - We Love Budapest)
