The Széchenyi Medicinal Bath in

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

(, pronounced as if the ''ch'' were spelled ''cs'') is the largest medicinal bath in Europe. Its water is supplied by two thermal springs, one at and the other at . Components of the thermal water include

sulfate The sulfate or sulphate ion is a polyatomic anion with the empirical formula . Salts, acid derivatives, and peroxides of sulfate are widely used in industry. Sulfates occur widely in everyday life. Sulfates are salts of sulfuric acid and many ...

calcium Calcium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to it ...

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 ...

bicarbonate In inorganic chemistry, bicarbonate (IUPAC-recommended nomenclature: hydrogencarbonate) is an intermediate form in the deprotonation of carbonic acid. It is a polyatomic anion with the chemical formula . Bicarbonate serves a crucial bioche ...

and a significant amount of

metaboric acid Metaboric acid is the name for a family of inorganic compounds with the same empirical formula HBO2 that differ in their molecular structure. They are colourless water-soluble solids formed by the dehydration or chemical decomposition, decompositi ...

and

fluoride Fluoride (). According to this source, is a possible pronunciation in British English. is an Inorganic chemistry, inorganic, Monatomic ion, monatomic Ion#Anions and cations, anion of fluorine, with the chemical formula (also written ), whose ...

History

From 1865 to 1875, Vilmos Zsigmondi drilled a hole beneath the park that was 975.36 meters deep (3,200 feet). This would later become the source of thermal water that would supply the spa. During the planning phase from the 1880s, the bath had originally been referred to as the Artesian spa (''Artézi fürdő''), but when it opened on June 16, 1913, it was officially named Széchenyi spa (''Széchenyi gyógyfürdő'') after

István Széchenyi Count István Széchenyi de Sárvár-Felsővidék (, ; archaically English: Stephen Széchenyi; 21 September 1791 – 8 April 1860) was a Hungarian politician, political theorist, and writer. Widely considered one of the greatest statesme ...

. The bath, located in the

City Park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a city park, municipal park (North America), public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park or botanical garden in cities, densely populated suburbia and other incorporate ...

, was built in

Neo-Baroque Neo-Baroque may refer to: * Neo-Baroque music * Neo-Baroque painting, a painting style used by Christo Coetzee and others *Baroque Revival architecture * Neo-Baroque film *the Organ reform movement The Organ Reform Movement or ''Orgelbewegung'' ...

style to the design of

Győző Czigler Győző Czigler (July 19, 1850 in Arad – March 28, 1905 in Budapest) was a Hungarian architect and academic.

. Construction began on May 7, 1909 with designs by architect Eugene Schmitterer. The pool construction cost approximately 3.9 million

Austro-Hungarian korona Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...

. The total area covered was . More than 200,000 bathers visited the spa in 1913. This number increased to 890,507 by 1919. At that time the Bath consisted of private baths, separate steam-bath sections for men and women, and male and female "public baths". The complex was expanded in 1927 to its current size, with 3 outdoor and 15 indoor pools. It is now possible for both sexes to visit the main swimming and thermal sections. After the expansion, the thermal artesian well could not supply the larger volume of water needed, so a new well was drilled. The second thermal spring was found in 1938 at a depth of , with a temperature of . It supplies of hot water daily. Between 1999 and 2009 the Széchenyi thermal bath was refurbished in a complete renovation.

Units

The baths have pools of varying temperature. The outdoor pools (swimming pool, adventure pool and thermal sitting pool) are . The swimming pool's depth is . The adventure pool's depth is . Guests can use the water streaming, whirlpool and massaging water beamand. The indoor pools are of varying temperatures, between . The complex also includes saunas and steam.

Gallery

File:Széchenyi Spa Budapest. Aussen2.jpg, Steam rising from the baths at night. File:Széchenyi Gyógyfürdő thermal spa in Budapest 005.JPG, Men playing chess in the baths. File:Szechenyifurdo.jpg, An aerial view of the bath complex. File:Szecskacivertanlegi3.JPG, An aerial view of the three large outdoor baths. File:Szecskacivertanlegi4.JPG, File:Szecskacivertanlegi5.JPG, File:Budapest-Bains Széchenyi fürdő-coupole.jpg, File:Budapest-Thermes Széchenyi fürdő.jpg, A view of the baths' Neo-Baroque architecture.

References

External links

Website
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Thermen in Budapest
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The experience of visiting Szechenyi and other baths in Budapest
{{DEFAULTSORT:Szechenyi Thermal Bath Buildings and structures completed in 1913 Baroque Revival architecture Thermal baths in Budapest Széchenyi family Landmarks in Hungary 1913 establishments in Austria-Hungary City Park (Budapest) Hot springs of Hungary