Major Budapest spas to be free soon!

Spas and thermal baths are some of the gems of the Hungarian capital that everyone who visits has on their bucket list. From Pest through Buda to Óbuda, Budapest boasts a great number of amazing spas. Unfortunately, admission is usually not cheap. However, with the 150th birthday of the capital, this changes, even if just for one day.

It was not only the pandemic but also the increase in energy prices that hit domestic spas, forcing them to suffer huge losses, Pénzcentrum writes. In 2020 and 2021, they were closed for 8 months. These long months meant a total loss of more than HUF 22 billion (EUR 58 million) in revenue.

However, it seems that the lean years are over: the heatwave that started in mid-July and lasted until the end of August brought a positive turnaround.

“In total, the number of visitors to our company’s spas and beaches for the three months of the summer was more than 1.2 million, which is about the same as in 2022. The revenue for the months of June-August this year exceeded HUF 6.6 billion (EUR 17.4 million), an increase of 125% compared to the same period in 2022 and 116% compared to the plan,” Edit Bálintné Réffy, senior communications expert at Budapest Spas cPlc., told Pénzcentrum.

(Almost) Free admission!

The Budapest Spas cPlc. welcomes Budapesters with a birthday present on the city’s anniversary:

on 17 November, its 150th birthday, you can bathe for just HUF 150!

The opportunity to celebrate the anniversary is open to all the company’s spas. This means nine locations:

• Csillaghegy,
• Dandár,
• Gellért,
• Lukács,
• Palatinus,
• Paskál,
• Pesterzsébet,
• Rudas, and
• Széchenyi spas.

Tickets can only be purchased ONLINE from 4 November 2023.

Tickets for the baths on 17 November are valid only on the day of the event, Budapest’s birthday. The baths are open uniformly from 7.00 to 12.00 in the morning and from 14.00 to 19.00 in the afternoon (Palatinus only in the morning). On the birthday, season tickets and the Zsigmondy Club Card cannot be used.

Based on interest so far, it is expected to be a full house everywhere. More than 10,000 guests will then be able to celebrate Budapest’s 150th birthday in the baths!

Read about saline thermal water in Hungary HERE.