Palatinus Strand, Budapest Hungary


 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 areas, with a small concessions area with tables. The 3rd floor contains all of the changing areas, showers, bathrooms, and lockers.



There is one large warm indoor pool, as well as a kids splash pad play area, one very hot smaller pool, and a cold plunge and ice machine. There is also a nordic sauna, a steam room, and I think there may have also been a cool temperature aromatic sauna. Lots of Hungarian saunas contain herbs (mostly chamomile in our limited experience), which were much too overpowering for me to even step foot into, but I am sensitive to smells. There were also lounge chairs around the main pool, which was a lovely place to take a little rest between pools.



Palatinus Strand first opened in 1919, and was the first outdoor bath house in Budapest. The main building was built in 1937 in the modern Bauhaus style. The design is quite straightforward, bright, clean, and easy to navigate. We were a little rushed at the end, as they started shooing people out of the pools around 3:30, so this would be a great place to get to earlier in the morning (we got there around noon). I personally prefer some of the more ancient feeling bath houses and more variation of pool temperatures to choose from, but this building and its pools are gorgeous - it was so wonderful to get to experience all the different styles that Budapest has to offer!   Palatinus Strand


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