Soaking up the feel-good properties of
thermal waters may be a national pastime in Hungary, but  Budapest’s historic bathhouses are also making
a splash as crazy clubbing locales

by Anna J. Kutor

On a crisp autumn afternoon in Budapest,
throwing on a bathing suit to take the plunge in an open-air pool may sound
more like a cruel practical joke than a blissful wellness centre activity. But
as you take to the mineral-rich thermal waters, surrounded clusters of
gossiping ladies and well-groomed gents standing in a steamy mist around
plastic chessboards pondering their next Big Move, the tension-relieving appeal
of this aquatic landmark becomes abundantly clear.

This
is the Széchenyi Bath, one of the most emblematic and extravagant hot water
havens in Budapest, which sits atop a metro station in the middle of City Park.
A sprawling egg-yolk yellow complex built in a palatial neo-Baroque style in
1913, Széchenyi houses a variety of saunas, and steam baths and over a dozen
pools ranging from glacially cold to blazing hot, including the iconic
mist-covered oval outdoor ones.

Cashing
in on the mineral springs percolating deep within the Earth’s core, Hungary’s
liquid resources were first put on the map by ancient Romans, followed by the
Turks around the 16th century, who bestowed an aquatic obsession on the
nations’ psyche by building several bathing temples - a few of which are still
operating today. One place continuing to ooze Ottoman-period charm is the
Király Bath, situated just a few steps from Batthyány Square. The octagonal
thermal pool and surrounding corner baths - boasting temperatures between 26
and 40 ºC -, are atmospherically lit by tiny skylights in the ‘moon crescent’
dome. Age-old traditions are also adhered to in the dressing department, with
single-sex bathing days being bare-all affairs with only the more recent co-ed
opportunities requiring proper cover-ups.

Far from being just rejuvenating relics of the
past, bathhouses across the city are rolling with the tide of the times by
hosting hedonistic aqua parties. This winter, the Turkish-style sanctum of the
renovated Rudas Baths, for example, gets an electrifying overnight makeover
during the Magic Baths sparty series. Organized by the riotous Cinetrip crew
every Saturday evening from November throughout March, these steamy raves are
some of the wettest and wildest events in town. In the larger pool area glowing
lasers and cinematic projections stream across domed and colonnaded interiors
as hundreds of bikini-clad revelers wriggle like mermaids to electro music spun
by the country’s hottest DJs. Meanwhile, in the chill-out zone, oriental beats
and sultry belly-dancers and acrobats entertain more laid-back crowds. Now
that’s taking liquid therapy to a whole new level.