Szechenyi Thermal Baths

Budapest sits on hundreds of thermal springs, and the Szechenyi Baths are its grandest expression, a vast neo-baroque palace of yellow in the City Park holding a maze of indoor thermal pools and, outdoors, great steaming basins where locals soak, swim and famously play chess on floating boards, even as snow falls in winter.

What you actually see

• The grand outdoor pools - the steaming neo-baroque basins, magical in the cold.
• The chess players - the locals playing chess in the warm water.
• The indoor thermal pools - the maze of hot mineral pools inside.
• The saunas and spa - the wider spa facilities.

When to go

Year-round; winter, when steam rises from the warm outdoor pools into the cold air, is the most atmospheric. Weekday mornings are calmer than the busy weekends and party nights.

Honest expectations

It is a working public bath as well as a sight, so it is busy, especially at weekends and during the night bath parties. Bring or hire a towel and follow the ticket and locker system, which can be confusing. It is a genuine local ritual, not just a tourist spa.

Nearby

The City Park, Heroes' Square and the Vajdahunyad Castle are alongside.