City Break to Budapest
Anyone who has been to Budapest will know exactly what makes it
one of Europe’s best-loved city break
destinations; you are really getting two cities for the price of
one. Bisected by the mighty Danube the city has something of a
split personality. On the west side of the river is historic
Buda; the ancient heart of the capital. On the east side is
industrious Pest; defined by handsome boulevards and the
familiar sights and sounds of European commerce.
Each side of the Danube has its own temptations: To the west
hilly Buda corrals together some of the city’s finest monuments
with the Roman ruins at buda providing the obvious historical
starting point. For a lesson in medieval architecture wander the
cat’s cradle of narrow streets that surround the picturesque
castle district. Keep an eye open for the Fisherman’s Bastion; a
group of seven towers that symbolise each of the seven Magyar
tribes that founded the nation.
On the east bank of the Danube is low-lying Pest; the capital’s
business and administrative centre and the country’s economic
powerhouse. Besides the impressive neo-Gothic Parliament
building you will find an impressive collection of department
stores, boutiques and markets selling everything from
antiquarian books to lace tablecloths. However, it is after dark
that Pest really comes into its own; when the myriad of bars and
all-night clubs begin to wake up.
Budapest is a
pedestrian-friendly city and most of the sights can be easily
reached on foot. However, if you fancy something different then
head for Margaret Island and hire a bringo; the Hungarian
interpretation of a tandem bicycle.
After an afternoon in the saddle there is no better way to
unwind than in one of the city’s fabled public baths. There are
more than thirty thermal springs scattered throughout the city,
but they don’t come any grander than the stunning art nouveau
spa in the Gellért Hotel. Admittedly admission is pricey, but
the experience is unforgettable. Anyone traveling on a tight
budget should head to the Széchenyi Thermal Baths on the Pest
side of the river.
Budapest is the richest capital in hot water springs
in the world. That is why it is often described as a city
of baths. The underground waters and springs of Budapest have
very important role in the life of the city. The mineral and
medicinal waters contain various minerals. The water temperature
varies between 14 C and 96 C. These springs are used both to
replenish the waters of medicinal baths and open air pools and
also for drinking therapies. These springs come from 600-1000m
deep along an 80km long geological break line.
These hot waters have been known since the Romans era (2nd – 3rd
century), and were often used for threat for rheumatic disease
from the 13th century. Under the Turkish occupation (16th – 17th
centuries) a lot of baths were built and were used for essential
washing. Evilia Chelebi, a Turkish traveler, mentioned these
baths among others. The next growth in Budapest’s bath culture
is connected to the Hungarian Millennium at the end of 19th
century
The Kiraly (King) Bath is one of the most important Turkish
buildings of the town. Arslan Pasha began to build it in 1566
and Pasha Mustapha of Sokol finished it in 1570. The original
Turkish baths were covered with one larger and three smaller
cupolas. The Fo street wing of the baths was built in classicist
style in 1826. The Kiraly Bath has been operating continuously
for more than 400 years.
The Rudas Bath. The Turkish repaired the first medieval building
in 1566 by Mustapha of Sokol, Pasha of Buda. The octagonal basin
of the bath is surrounded by octagonal arcades and topped by
hemispherical cupola. In the 19th century a steam bath and a new
building was added. This was the first covered swimming pool in
Budapest. The oldest Turkish part of the bath is unique in this
part of Europe.
The Grand Hotel Gellert and the Gellert Bath, a natural mud pit,
once occupied the site of the present bath and was well known
for its healing properties even in the Middle Ages. Buildings of
the hotel and baths date back to the 1910s but have been
modernised several times. The medicinal baths, where a
hydro-therapeutical institute operates under medical
supervision, adjoins the hotel building. The covered swimming
pool and the open-air swimming pool with artificial waves are
also popular features of the Gellert.
Nowadays the hot waters play an important role in health and
tourism as well.
For more information please visit: http://www.mybudapest.co.uk/
