Cindy-Lou Dale

 

Standing proudly at the centre of Eastern Europe’s cultural rebirth is Budapest, who drew back the iron curtain from Hungary in 1989, exposing one of the continents hottest travel destinations and one which ranks as the best bargain.

 

Paris has its café-society, the Finns their saunas and the Hungarians have baths – the one attraction that will surely draw you to Budapest, which is the richest capital in hot water springs in the world. In fact, people have been visiting Budapest to take the waters since Roman times in the second and third centuries. However, the true bathing culture was initiated during the Turkish occupation in the 16^th and 17^th centuries when it became common treatment for rheumatic diseases.

 

The springs originate from within a geological fault that runs through the River Danube and daily produces tonnes of warm spring water. The temperatures range between 57.2°F to 219.2°F and contains calcium, magnesium, potassium, fluoride, sodium and numerous other minerals Hungarian doctors resolutely claim hold curative powers for all manner of muscular ailments.

 

The palatial Hotel Gellért, found on the banks of the River Danube and at the foot of Gellért Hill, houses the most pristine spa in the city. The Hotel, constructed at the turn of the century for the truly discerning traveler, resembles a classic renaissance building found in Vienna or Paris and doggedly clings to service and customs Emperor Franz Joseph would have expected. The 234 rooms are spacious and tastefully furnished. One almost expects to find Agatha Christie’s Inspector Hercule Poirot twirling his moustache at the writing desk, so within keeping is the décor; and their internationally recognized gourmet dining is a highlight to any food connoisseurs.

 

Step through a side-door into the flamboyant art-nouveau foyer of the Gellért Spa where stone swans gracefully spread their wings over a mosaic floor; fronds of exotic plants extravagantly tumble over the balustrade of the gallery and at the center atrium, healing waters gush from the mouths of sapphire dragons into a turquoise swimming pool, framed by amber porcelain figurines, above which looms a tall stained glass dome. The elegant medical baths are a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture and astound the senses.

 

For around $205 (per night, for a double recently refurbished room, including breakfast), you can enjoy the full Gellért Spa experience. There is a unisex indoor pool with a section reserved for men- and women-only. In these reserved sections, massage services are available, but bear in mind these are bracing Turkish-style massages. As opposed to dozing off to a gentle rub-down you will be getting smacked around a little.

 

At the entrance to the baths an attendant in hospital whites hands you a canvas towel (and a modesty cover for gentlemen) and points you in the direction of a dressing compartment where you disrobe and secure your valuables.

 

Inside the opulent spa complex the walls are covered with lustrous azure and emerald tiles, gilded with honeysuckle, and figurines of cherubs embracing above water sprouting dolphins.

 

Lower yourself into one of two semi-circular pools and sink up to your neck with a sigh in simmering 96.8°F water. Other patrons, of mixed age groups, huddle together in small groups of two or three and unwind in similar form. A contemplative hush is the favored way to bathe, although white noise generated by the perpetual stream of water affords discretion to any occasional comment.

 

Once pleasantly parboiled, progress to the massage mat where a same-sex masseuses (all of whom have that Sumo wrestler look about them) will give you a no frills, all business massage, like you’ve never had before, and where you will discover new muscle groups. For what seems like a small eternity, but in reality is only 15-minutes, your body will be vigorously pressed and kneaded with soap lather, by the end of which you may feel as if you could be rolled up like a ball of pastry and reshaped into a bagel.

 

Should you bruise easily you may prefer the gentler pulling and crunching dry Thai-massage available across the foyer from the spa. This hour-long massage is unique as the certified masseuses use not only their fingers in manipulating your muscles through a thin massage gown, but their hands, elbows, knees and feet as well.

 

Now well tenderized, head to the outdoor pool area which surpasses any Vegas hotel as this pool is cloaked in history; in fact, you’ll be forgiven for feeling as if you are bathing at the Vatican, including marble steps, ceramic tile mosaics and a luxurious landscape.

 

During off-peak hours in mid-morning and afternoons, the patrons are mostly pensioners desperately seeking relief from arthritis or rheumatism. However, the baths provide more than physical respite as the hushed atmosphere and exotic surroundings affords one’s psyche a welcome break from the 21st-century.

 

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If you go