The spas of Budapest have been famous since the times of Hadrian, the great Roman emperor. However, the Celts were the first to name the vast network of thermal waters in this major Hungarian city, calling them “Ak-ink” which means water.

The Roman settlement of the province of Pannonia was well known in ancient times. Many centuries later, the advent of the Ottoman Empire (1541-1686) produced the infrastructure that caused Budapest to earn the title “Spa Capital of the World” in 1934, or in Hungarian “Budapest fürdőváros.”

The city has an incredible network of 118 streams of water that flow with temperatures that range from 21 to 78 degrees Celsius. If you are looking for apartments in Budapest, you must treat yourself to a tour of these historical spas.

The thermal springs are famous for their medicinal properties, so for many Hungarians it is common to view the medical spas as something for senior citizens. Don’t let this attitude discourage you, between the history and the architectural beauty of these baths, they really should figure in the itinerary of any visitor to Budapest.

Among the most famous spas, we’d like to mention a few of our favourites: Gellért (Gellért Furdo), Széchenyi (Széchenyi Furdo), Lukacs (Lukács Furdo), Rudas (Rudas Furdo), Király (Király Furdo) and RAC (Rác Furdo.) These waters are not only used for therapeutic bathing and recreation; some recommend their ingestion for medicinal purposes.

There are bars where people go to drink water from these springs. I would suggest that you dear readers to venture into this business with the proverbial grain of salt, honestly I think natural thermal baths are beneficial for the body; any other use of their waters is at the discretion of visitors.

The spa “Rác Furdo” is one of the oldest Turkish baths, famous for its octagonal room and its respective dome. In Budapest’s tourist office you can find complete information about the schedules and prices of these spas. Make sure you visit and enjoy these wonderful jewels of this Eastern Europe city.