Rudas Bath or Rudas fürdő () is a thermal 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 ...

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much 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 south, Croatia and ...

which is claimed to have medicinal properties. It was founded in 1571/1572 during the time of Ottoman rule. To date, it retains many of the key elements of a

Hammam A hammam (), also often called a Turkish bath by Westerners, is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the culture of the Muslim world and was inherited from the model ...

, exemplified by its Ottoman dome and octagonal pool. It is located at Döbrentei tér 9 on the

Buda Buda (, ) is the part of Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, that lies on the western bank of the Danube. Historically, “Buda” referred only to the royal walled city on Castle Hill (), which was constructed by Béla IV between 1247 and ...

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 commissioned by Sokollu Mustafa Pasha who was the governor (''beylerbey'') of

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. As Sokollu Mustafa Pasha was the nephew of Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, Rudas baths echoes the design and dimensions of similar monumental Ottoman constructions in Istanbul. The baths were used as a location for the opening scene of the 1988 action movie

Red Heat '' Red heat'' is a practice of using colours to determine the temperature of metal Red Heat may also refer to: * ''Red Heat'' (1985 film), a 1985 film starring Linda Blair * ''Red Heat'' (1988 film), a 1988 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger a ...

, starring

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...

and James Belushi. An orgy scene was filmed in 1997 in the octagonal pool for the adult movie ''Concupiscence''. 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
*
Thermen in Budapest
Buildings and structures completed in 1572 Ottoman baths Ottoman architecture in Hungary Thermal baths in Budapest Swimming venues in Hungary Hot springs of Hungary {{Hungary-struct-stub