Budapest isn’t called the ‘City of Baths’ for nothing.

Hungary is a land of thermal springs, and Budapest remains the only capital city in the world that is rich in thermal waters with healing qualities. I’d heard so much about these baths that I couldn’t wait to try one out on my recent visit.

I’d never been to a thermal bath before and really had no idea what to expect, I did know, however, that I didn’t want to be surrounded by a lot of people. I was looking for peace on what I anticipated to be a peaceful experience.

I found it at the Rudas Baths which sprang to life in the 16th century. (!) The location just happened to be perfect. To get there, I just walked from my hotel situated on the Pest side of Budapest, a block or so until I got to the Elizabeth bridge (one of several bridges that join this city), to the Buda side. The imposing bath house is located just at the foot of a small hill beneath the bridge.

The day I went was men’s day which meant that I wasn’t allowed into the thermal bath area, so I went instead to the wellness area. In this area there are four pools: 16 C. (60.8 F), 32 C. (89.6 F), 36 C (96.8 F) and 42 C. (107.6 F).

The hot spring feeding the Rudas Baths is rich in calcium, fluoride ions, magnesium, hydrogen-carbonate, sulphate and sodium. The water is used for therapeutic purposes for illnesses like joint degeneration, chronic arthritis and calcium deficiency to name a few.

I walked past the pool that only allowed for breast stroke swimming and stepped carefully inside the hottest pool first. I eventually tested all of them, except for the cold plunge pool where crushed ice occasionally toppled inside from a shaft in a wall. The best I could do here was to dip my hands inside and rub my arms. The two pools with the moderate temperatures were the most relaxing. I stayed for a couple hours, slowly meandering from one pool to the next. I was so relaxed that my arms just floated in the water and it took effort to keep my mouth closed and not just buoy about slack jawed in the water.

Oh, it was wonderful just to take the time for myself and not think about the myriad of things in my head and heart and not feel guilty about it–because after all–other people were relaxing and buoying too. In this case, follow the leader was a good thing.

And then, with my spa day at an end, I leisurely headed back across the bridge to my hotel marvelling at the cityscape and breathing in the smells of that great watercourse the Danube river. And then I saw it. And because it was there, I just had to try it: a fish pedicure. Truly the most bizarre thing I’ve ever done.

Sitting there watching fish nibbling away at my feet, well, let’s just say the experience brought me fully, but fully back to my senses.

And that’s a good thing.

Ahh. . .

Peaceful weekend everybody!