What are the Széchenyi Baths?
Named after Hungary’s revered statesman of the mid-1800s, the Széchenyi echoes the Golden Age of Budapest with its grandiose façades and classical columns. Here you can bathe and swim in three large outdoor pools before ducking inside to sweat and soak in the sauna complex.
Are they worth visiting?
This is the classic Budapest experience, although it’s one you’ll mainly be sharing with fellow foreigners. If you’re only visiting the city once, set aside half a day to wallow in grandeur.
Tickets, accessibility and booking
Admission is pricey, £25 at weekends and over the Christmas holidays, £21 the rest of the week, with no discounts for children. So-called fast track online tickets, if 15 percent pricier, allow you to beat the long queues at the ticket office. The spa is not wheelchair-friendly.
Where’s good to eat near the Széchenyi?
While there’s a terrace eatery (card payment only) overlooking the lane pool, if you’re after something more than standard fried meat with fat chips, the superior Robinson is lapped by the lake you’ll have to walk round to access the restaurant from the spa.
Check out more things to do in Budapest.
