Gellért Baths & Hotel

Why is it significant?

The bath entrance on Kelenhegyi út opens into the side of a vast cream-coloured building with towers, domes and rows of balconies, stretching down to the square by the river.

Key Facts

Open the walk

The bath entrance on Kelenhegyi út opens into the side of a vast cream-coloured building with towers, domes and rows of balconies, stretching down to the square by the river. Walk round to the front and you see the full facade of the Gellért, a palace of water built when Budapest dreamed of becoming the spa capital of Europe.

Springs have been used on this spot since the Middle Ages, when a bath here was nicknamed the Muddy Bath because of the sediment in the water. The Ottomans built a bath too. The present building was designed by Ármin Hegedűs, Artúr Sebestyén and Izidor Sterk, and it was begun in 1912. War slowed everything, and it finally opened in 1918, as the empire around it was falling apart.

Inside, it is pure Hungarian Art Nouveau: mosaics, stained glass, Zsolnay ceramic tiles glowing in turquoise and gold, and a main swimming hall with a glass roof and columns like a temple. In 1927 an outdoor wave pool was added, one of the first in Europe, and crowds came just to watch the artificial waves roll in.

The building did not escape the twentieth century. It was badly damaged during the siege of 1944 and 1945 and restored afterwards, piece by piece. The hotel side has stood closed for several years now, and a full renovation of the whole complex has been announced, so parts of it may be shut when you visit. Even from the outside, though, it is worth the walk.

What makes the Gellért unique is how close it stays to its source. The thermal water rises from springs inside Gellért Hill itself, the same hill you have just climbed, and it is piped straight into the pools. Bathers have been sitting in the warm heart of the hill for centuries. Now walk along the foot of the cliff towards the river, and look for a doorway cut directly into the rock.