Budapest – a holiday in the spa capital
Hungary
Created by Mondo for Finnair
A holiday in Budapest is a treat for the body and the mind. One of the best ways to spend your city break is to relax at the Széchenyi spa in Budapest, where old men play chess on floating boards in its outdoor pools heated by thermal springs.
The spa, with its palatial, yellow Neo-Baroque building opened in 1913. The chess players are a permanent sight at the spa all year round, winter or summer, and have been for generations.
Széchenyi is the largest and most famous among Budapest’s spas, but there are, in fact, dozens of beautiful thermal baths in Budapest. One of the most stunning examples is the Art Nouveau gem Gellért Spa, while one of the oldest, Rudas, first opened during the Ottoman rule in the 16th century.
There is no other capital city in the world where life would be so much centred around spas. The spas are also popular among visitors and are Budapest’s best-known sights and cultural experiences. Budapest is famed for being one of the most relaxing cities in Europe, with easy and frequent connections all year round.
