Budapest, Hungary

thermal baths and princess cakes

In the doldrums of January, we escaped Napoli for a weekend to freezing Budapest, Hungary. Some call it the “Paris of the East” - the Jewish quarters, the river that crosses the city in two, and the Gothic architecture makes Budapest a lovely city to visit, even in the dead of winter. 

Coffee and a Pastry

Throughout Budapest there are many stately coffee shops. We went to Cafe Gerbeaud, one of the many historic coffee houses in Budapest established in 1858. I felt like I was in a scene of The Empress when I walked inside, the beautiful gleaming wood countertops, crystal chandeliers, and floral carpeting. The TV series highlights the life of Empress Elizabeth of Austria during Hapsburg's rule. She married Emperor Franz Joseph I and was unaccustomed to court life in Austria, so she often escaped to the countryside of Hungary. She was loved by Hungarians because she spent so much time in Hungary and learned to speak Hungarian. I got this darling little cake called the “Sisi” named after Empress Elizabeth. It was a lemon meringue tart with berry custard on top. Apparently, she did frequent this coffee shop! 

Culture

The Hungarian National Gallery was a treasure to me. I learned about so many Hungarian artists I had never heard of before. My favorite was Károly Ferenczy, who was one of the founders of the Nagybánya artists' colony. I had never heard of this colony, but immediately, I was wishing I was a part of it! Never mind the fact that women were not allowed in 1896. Every painting of his was so dreamy and reminded me a little bit of an impressionist Andrew Wyeth, one of my favorite American painters.  

A runner-up: our visit to the Hungarian National Parliament building was very impressive. The beautiful building was created entirely by Hungarian artists and architects.

Adventure

Budapest is famous for its bathing culture. Around 1860, a hot spring was found beneath the city. The thermal water was found to have medicinal benefits, and beautiful private and public baths were constructed to treat the citizens. 

We were warned that the baths can become a “people soup” due to tourists and crowds on the weekends, and that was definitely true on our Saturday trip to Gellert baths. The underground maze of locker rooms eventually led us to stately indoor baths. The bright tile and the curved pools created an auditory chamber of chatter. The cold pools were marble and as I plunged inside I definitely felt like a character in “Grand Budapest Hotel”. 

Gellert baths by Daniel Olah on Unsplash

We ran out on our tiptoes to experience the heated outdoor pool during sunset. Despite how crowded it was, we were cozy and huddled together as the steam rose off the pool and the light turned to dark. 

We went to Rudas, another thermal bath, on a Monday morning before our flight home. It was great to escape the crowds. We took the bus there with many other locals and loved feeling like we were joining them in their daily routine.

Mr. Brenna took a dip in the men’s only bath, where bathing suits were optional (although little paper aprons were offered for modesty!) All of the other pools were co-ed and bathing suits were required. I switched between the cold and hot pool, getting in my required cold dip, until we ultimately met at the crown jewel: the rooftop pool. We had the city to ourselves on a sunny January morning, the steam pouring off the pool as we took in the view of the entire city skyline. What a way to end an amazing trip.

Here are some more practical tips for visiting the baths. What about you? Have you ever visited Budapest or Hungary? I’d love to know in the comments below!

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