A Peek Inside Gellert Hotel

Sarah and I did indeed make a visit to the Gellert Baths. Since it was not appropriate to bring a camera into the bathing areas, I captured some images of the hotel's lovely interior.

In one photo below, you can see a tiny peek into the swimming pool area, which is elegant and timeless--stained glass ceilings, marble columns, and old world decor. Sarah and I didn't go into the pool because you must wear a swim cap, and anyway, we were really there for the thermal baths.

We thoroughly enjoyed relaxing while we soaked in the warm thermal waters. The temperature was perfect--not to hot, but just right. The room itself was lovely with high cathedral ceilings and beautiful mosiacs.

There is a women's section and a men's section of the thermal baths, which is quite nice. There were many old women who decided to take advantage of the privacy and forgo wearing anything at all, despite the signs reading that swimwear must be worn at all times.

I didn't feel like the baths were very tourist-friendly, however. It was never clear where to go, where changing rooms were, where towels were, etc., despite me being able to read the signs in Hungarian. Maybe it would have seemed clearer if there would have been a lot of other tourists coming and going, but Sarah and I seemed to be some of the only foreigners there. In a way that was nice--we felt we had more of an authentic Hungarian bathing experience.

It was expensive ($24 for entry to the thermal baths), but overall worth the price. It's one of those things that must be done in Budapest, if only for the enjoyment of the beauty and ambiance of the baths. I believe that at times, paying for the experience itself is worth the expensive price tag.