Rudas Bath or Rudas fürdő is a thermal bath in
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
which is claimed to have medicinal properties. It was first built in 1550, during the time of
Ottoman rule
Ottoman is the Turkish spelling of the Arabic masculine given name Uthman ( ar, عُثْمان, ‘uthmān). It may refer to:
Governments and dynasties
* Ottoman Caliphate, an Islamic caliphate from 1517 to 1924
* Ottoman Empire, in existence fro ...
. To date, it retains many of the key elements of a
Hammam
A hammam ( ar, حمّام, translit=ḥammām, tr, hamam) or Turkish bath is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the Islamic culture, culture of the Muslim world and ...
, exemplified by its Ottoman dome and octagonal pool. It is located at Döbrentei tér 9 on the
Buda side of
Erzsébet Bridge. The bath has six therapy pools and one swimming pool where the temperature is in between . The components of slightly radioactive thermal water includes sulfate, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate and a significant amount of fluoride ion. A sight-seeing brochure claims the water can help to treat degenerative joint illnesses, chronic and sub-acute joint inflammations, vertebral disk problems, neuralgia and lack of calcium in the bone system.
The baths were used by
Sokollu Mehmed Pasha
Sokollu Mehmed Pasha ( ota, صوقوللى محمد پاشا, Ṣoḳollu Meḥmed Pașa, tr, Sokollu Mehmet Paşa; ; ; 1506 – 11 October 1579) was an Ottoman statesman most notable for being the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire. Born in ...
, governor of Buda Vilayet of the
Ottomans between 1566 and 1578. This is inscribed in Hungarian in the baths, on a stone standing atop the Juve spring, which is believed by locals to have a rejuvenating effect on people.
The baths were used as a location for the opening scene of the 1988 action movie
Red Heat
The practice of using colours to determine the temperature of a piece of (usually) ferrous metal comes from blacksmithing. Long before thermometers were widely available it was necessary to know what state the metal was in for heat treating it an ...
, starring
Arnold Schwarzenegger and
James Belushi
James Adam Belushi (; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor. He is best known for the role of Jim on the sitcom ''According to Jim'' (2001–2009). His other television roles include ''Saturday Night Live'' (1983–1985), '' Total Security'' ...
.
It re-opened at the beginning of 2006, after a comprehensive renovation of its interior.
The baths are open to women only on Tuesdays, to men the rest of the week, and both men and women on the weekend. The attached swimming pool is always open to both men and women.
Opening Times
Rudas Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool
Gallery
File:RudasFotoThalerTamas.JPG, Turkish times
File:Erzsébet híd budai hídfő, Hungária ivóforrás. Fortepan 12086.jpg, Hungária drinking fountain
File:Döbrentei tér, a lerombolt Erzsébet híd és a Rudas fürdő romjai a Gellérthegyről nézve. Fortepan 52128.jpg, After world war 2
File:Szent Gellért rakpart, Rudas fürdő, Budapest. - Fortepan 103704.jpg, 1960's
File:Rudascivertanlegi2.jpg,
File:Rudas fürdő.jpg,
File:Rudas fürdő, úszómedence, 4.jpg, Swimming pool
File:Rudas fürdő, úszómedence, 3.jpg, Swimming pool (29 °C)
File:Rudas fürdő, wellness részleg, 32 °C-os medence, 6.jpg, 32 °C
File:Rudas fürdő, wellness részleg, 36 °C-os medence, 6.jpg, 36 °C
File:Rudas fürdő, wellness részleg, 42 °C-os medence, 3.jpg, 42 °C
File:Rudas fürdő, szaunavilág, sókamra.jpg, Sauna world
File:Rudas fürdő, szaunavilág, sókamra, 2.jpg, Salt room
File:Rudas fürdő, szaunavilág, aroma szauna, 3.jpg, Aroma sauna
File:Rudas fürdő, szaunavilág, hőlégkamra, 2.jpg, Dry sauna
File:Rudas fürdő, szaunavilág, finn szauna, 2.jpg, Finnish sauna
File:Rudas fürdő, ivóvíz, 6.jpg, Drinking well
Notes
External links
Budapest Spas and Hot Springs entry on Rudas BathsAerial photographs
Ottoman architecture in Hungary
Thermal baths in Budapest
Swimming venues in Hungary
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