Lukacs Bath House, Budapest Hungary


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 level, and the lockers/changing areas are on the 2nd and 3rd floors.



It's a bit of a walk down long hallways to get to the "medical pools," which are a wide range of shapes, sizes, and temperatures. This area has beautiful tiled, domed ceilings, another cold plunge, another sauna, and a fount in the round hot pool where you can drink the hot mineral water. These pools were full of people, but because there are multiple ways in and around the pool areas, it didn't feel stressful. Signs posted on the walls said, "Silence Heals," though different people adhered to this gentle advice to varying degrees. The medical pools area was my favorite area of Lukacs, because it felt ancient and was very beautiful, with some very old, historical stonework visible.



This was the first bath house that we visited on our weeklong soak trip, and if it had been the only one I'd gotten to experience in Budapest, I would have been content. It has so many different areas, so many pools, saunas, and other facilities that I didn't even get to do them all, and had an old-world style that was a little shabby but very charming! This bath house also has something called "sauna world" which we didn't pay to do, but apparently it is a clothing-optional assortment of even more saunas.

Lukacs website




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Coamo Hot Springs, Puerto Rico

Image
Coamo Hot Springs       Hours: 6am-9pm (7 days a week) Cost: $5/person (as of 7/25) As far as I know, Coamo Hot Springs, located on the southern side of the island, is the only public hot springs in Puerto Rico. We went there in January 2020, just before the Covid pandemic hit. It is a dreamy, low-key spot in the mountains, with paths through lush greenery, patio seating areas, and multiple pools at different elevations. I appreciated that this facility was very wheelchair accessible, including ramps leading down into the pools themselves and lots of handrails. There were nice bathrooms, outside cool showers, and a relaxed atmosphere. Cold drinks and other supplies were available in a little shop. There seemed to be a lot of older people who looked to be regulars, chatting away in the pools - a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. I would love to go back for another soak at Coamo!  
Read more

Bozeman Hot Springs, Montana

Image
  Bozeman Hot Springs     Hours: 5:30am-11pm (most days, weekends are different) Cost: $21/person (as of 7/25) Bozeman Hot Springs is located a bit south of the popular and fast-growing town of Bozeman, MT. Much like the town, the hot springs has undergone a lot of change in the last decade or two, and each time we go there (which is every 2-3 years), we are surprised by the new amenities. The original indoor pools are largely unchanged, with many different plunges ranging from ice cold to ungodly hot (I can't even put my hand in the hottest pool!). There is a large dry sauna, and an incredible huge steam room with a large window to the outside and a cold shower tricking inside the room - it is one of my favorite places on this earth! Outside, there are multiple large pools ranging in depth and temperature, all surrounded by natural stone hardscaping and lots of seating areas, tables and chairs, loungers, and a stage that faces the pools for live music to play. ...
Read more

Thermopolis Hot Springs, Wyoming

Image
  Hellie's Tepee Pools    Hours: 9am-9pm (365 days a year) $15/person (as of 7/25) The town of Thermopolis, Wyoming is definitely not a place you'd stumble upon - you have to make a point to get there. It's a small and remote but very charming little Wyoming town of about 2,700 people. The hot springs are extremely sulfurous and are contained inside of a state park. Access to the waters is controlled by an 1896 treaty with the Shoshone and Arapaho tribes, offering free access to the park pools for 20 minute sessions. In addition, Hellie's waterpark offers all-day swimming for a fee. The facilities are shabby, but I loved the dome, which covers multiple pools in complete shade but is breezy and well-ventilated. They also have multiple outdoor pools, a dry sauna, a cold plunge and showers, and an incredibly unique and pungent steam room (no photos of the steam room, it was too steamy!). Hellie's has one waterslide under the dome, and another outdoor one that was not r...
Read more