Boiling Bones

Rudas Bath House          Hours: 6am-10pm Cost: 15,000 Forints (about $47) (as of 1/2026) This bath house is a fantastic combination of modern and ancient, and has one of the best features I experienced at any of the bath houses we went to in Budapest: a round rooftop hot pool overlooking the Danube - what a view!! One side of the building has the rooftop pool as well as a set of modern pools ranging from almost too hot to almost too cold. On the way to the old side, you walk through the room pictured above, which is just for lap swimming (most of the locations we went to had a designated lap swimming pool or two).   On the other side of the building, you encounter the domed room, which feels like it is down in a steamy primordial pit! In actuality, it has colored skylights in the central dome, so it's not too far down. Around the central domed pool, there are four corner pools of varying temperatures. On one side, there is a fount where you can get the hot...

Lukacs Bath House, Budapest Hungary          Hours: 7am-7pm daily Cost: 7,000 Forints (about $22/person)   The Lukacs bath house complex is large and multi-layered, with multiple large outdoor pools and many indoor areas to explore. The only non-lap swimming outdoor pool is warm enough to enjoy on a cold winter day, and has a lazy river, seats and lounge spots, and multiple jet and spout features. There are 2 walk-through doors that connect this pool to inside the building. Just off of the main outdoor pool is a large lounge area with a sauna, ice dispenser, and spiral cold plunge that is brisk but not jarringly cold. Above this area there are therapeutic pools that are not for day use (they seem to be for classes or maybe individual physical therapy). There is also a very cold Kneipp walk that I didn't enjoy because it was too cold (it had no alternating hot side) and the loose pebbles were too painful to walk on. A snack bar is on the lower...

 Royal Spa, Budapest Hungary             Hours: 7am-9pm daily Cost: around $45/person (as of 1/2026) The Royal Spa is located inside the Corinthia Hotel, and you can buy a day pass without staying at the hotel. This facility has more of a spa/hotel vibe than a bath house vibe, and it was by far the most expensive of the pools we visited in Budapest (at around $45/person). For that price, you get a robe and locker in a very nice locker/shower room, and can use all of the spa facilities for a 5-hour block of time. This is not a thermal bath house! The water is chlorinated, and there are only 3 pools, the large cool pool and two jacuzzi tubs with optional bubbles. Around the edges of the large pool there are other amenities as well, including a nordic sauna, a salt sauna, padded lounge chairs, and an "experience" shower, which is a walk-through multi-head shower and mister. It also has a fantastic steam room with ambient lights and sou...

 Palatinus Strand, Budapest Hungary                    Hours: 9am-4pm (winter season) Cost: 3600 Forints (about $11/person) (as of 1/2026) Located on Margaret Island, this bathing facility felt newer and more modern than some of the others we visited while in Budapest. In winter, there is only one outdoor pool open, which is maybe 3 feet deep and quite large. The hours are shorter in the winter, closing at 4pm. In the summer months, the pools are open until 8pm, and there are many more outdoor pools open, which include waterslides and other waterpark fixtures for families. The pools are located inside of a very large park that takes up most of Margaret island, and there is a bus stop right in front of the building, so getting there and back is straightforward :) Inside, the bottom floor of the building contains all of the bathing facilities, and the 2nd floor is mostly open balconies overlooking the pool are...

  Watershed Spa, Minneapolis, MN         Hours: 9:00am-11:00pm daily Cost: $63/person for a 2.5 hour session (as of 12/2025) Watershed Spa is located in NE Minneapolis, and the "bath house experience" includes an amazing steam room, large cedar sauna, and hot pool combination. It also has a cold plunge and showers, really nice bathrooms, and a large back room with quiet space, loungers, and hot tea. Though you will share the space with other people, they maintain a meditative space, with panoramic projections, soft music, and a no-talking/no-touching rule. The entry area features items for sale and a quiet, reflective environment.  I have been to Watershed multiple times, but still haven't tried any of their add-on spa options like massage, salt scrub, acupuncture, cupping, or energy work. You can spend as much money here as you like! But the bath house stands alone as a wonderfully restorative experience, and 2.5 hours is the perfect amount of ti...

 Drip Nordic Sauna, Asheville, NC           Hours: 9am-7pm  Cost: $30/person for community sessions (as of 12/25) Drip Nordic Sauna is a large circle of barrel saunas, cold plunges, and other structures set on a hillside overlooking the French Broad River on the outskirts of Asheville, NC. We had a lovely evening session there, with multiple wood-burning saunas and cold showers/baths to choose from. This place has a super friendly, hippie vibe, with music playing, a central fire burning, and lots of places to gather and rest.  You can rent out a private sauna for your group, or rent the entire complex for a large group, but we just did the community session, so we were hanging out with a handful of strangers. I enjoyed the large tent lounge area, as well as sitting and looking at the stars while I cooled down between sauna sessions. There is also a changing area and portable toilets behind the hippie bus. Very beautiful surroundings...