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By Barbara Penny Angelakis
TRIO OF BUDAPEST SPAS
Surely this was not the place. All I could see was a huge plastic covered something with men dangling from scaffolding at all angles, and all I could hear was a loud din from drilling and banging. Here I was, on the Buda side of Budapest, with the blue Danube behind me and this thing in front of me… not exactly the image I had envisioned when I went in search of the famed Gellért Hotel & Spa, one of the most beautiful thermal bath complexes in a country renowned for its public bath buildings. Tentatively I maneuvered my way through the hanging plastic sheets and voilà there it was; the recently renovated central hall in all its glory. This accounts for the scene that greeted me just moments before. The restoration I had heard about had been completed only on the interior of the building and now the reconstruction was being attended to with all speed on the exterior of the building and should be completed in a few months time. One can hardly imagine how glorious the completed hotel and spa complex will be, having been given just a glimpse of the restorative work in progress.
The mineral hot spring that feeds the Gellért Spa is part of a system of caves from which 80 thermal springs supply 70 million liters of water daily to a series of spas lining both sides of the Danube, earning Budapest its ancient title “the city of baths”. The Gellért Hill thermal springs were known for their healing properties as early as the 13th century but it was the Turkish invaders of the 16th century that created the concept of the bath as a social institution and opened the way for the spectacular building complexes found in and around Budapest. The Gellért Hotel and Bath complex was built in the early 20th century in the uniquely Budapest architectural style referred to as Hungarian Art Nouveau or Hungarian Secessionist. This eclectic blending of Neo-Baroque, Neo-Gothic, Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Romanesque along with, amazingly Art Nouveau - the amazing part is that it all works – was in vogue during the building boom of 1870-1920 and is reflected in the many outstanding manor houses and façades still well maintained throughout the city.
 Once you pass the turnstile entry point of the Gellért Spa you cannot be anything but awed by the magnitude of the interior hall that leads into a domed circular room decorated with marble columns, stained glass windows, full figure sculptures, and original Art Nouveau ornamental items. The hall is lined with alcoves leading to treatment rooms offering beauty and professional services like mud bath, medicinal massage, Jacuzzi, sauna, beauty parlor, surgery, dentistry, and other medical procedures. During summer months, the spa’s outdoor pools are open and include a wave machine that was originally constructed in 1927. But the raison d’être for the great majority of visitors to the baths is the “waters” - the warm, healing, heavy mineral waters. There is a two-tired colonnade coed pool - bathing attire required - and separate pools for each sex in the event you prefer to soak in the  waters sans suit. Massage facilities and dressing rooms are connected to the separated pool areas. I took a too-short soak in the thick waters made heavy by the mineral content due to my scheduled massage appointment and had a basic body massage with a masseuse that looked like she had been born to pound muscles into submission. The treatment ended with her loudly clapping her hands together, grinning broadly, and announcing, “done”. For those familiar with the disorientating effects of having your body kneaded and rearranged for a period of time and the release of tension engendered, being summarily dismissed as soon as this medically effective procedure was concluded seems counterproductive, if not downright bizarre, but when in Rome or in this case Budapest… At any rate it was great fun, made more so by the fact that Hungarian is the only language spoken at the spa and there was no visual signage to indicate what to do to get the most out of the experience. Pointing and gesturing was an adventure but no substitute for clear communication. But $35 gets you entrance to the pools for as long as you wish to stay, a 30 minute massage including tip, and the opportunity to take part in a cultural observance central to the daily lives of the average Hungarian. Plus, you visit a museum quality building restored to its original glory; this is a definite must-do when visiting Budapest. www.danubiushotels.com
 My next spa appointment, and one that I was more comfortable with, was at a holistic day spa called Levendula that is located in the center of the city, a block from the Parliament Building on the Pest side of the Danube. Levendula is a cozy but minimalist facility with soft lights, gentle music and decorated with Buddha art and imagery. Here a complete record of your physical and mental state of being is taken by a multi-lingual staff member before treatment begins. Again, I had a massage, which was a totally different experience then at the Gellért. First you enter face-down into a warm, soft cocoon of patterned fabrics invitingly waiting to welcome you on the comfortable table, and the masseuse - in this case Adel - stood at my head and placed her hands on my shoulder blades, took a deep breath and gently pressed. She was making contact with my body’s chi or energy flow to gage what was needed during the session. Adel then began the long graceful strokes, first to the extremities and then to the back, that rebalances the body and restores the spirit to harmony. It was a totally relaxing treatment that left me stress free and a bit light headed. The Levendula does not have water therapy or soaking pools, but there is a nice rest area. Levendula offers to tourist and local business person alike, therapy services that rejuvenate body, mind and spirit, and because of its location, can extend a welcome break in the day’s stressful exertions. For a complete list of available services, visit their web site. www.lspa.hu
My third and final spa experience was at a state-of-the-art modern pleasure  palace for adults only, located on Erzsébet Boulevard - also known as the Grand Boulevard - one of the main thoroughfares of the city. The Royal Spa at the Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal was originally inaugurated in 1886 along with the celebrated Hotel Royal, one of the premier hotels in Europe and a host to royalty and dignitaries as well as a local meeting place for intellectuals and high society. This magnificent French Renaissance building has been restored and upgraded by  the Malta-based Corinthia Group of fine hotels, and the expanded spa was reopened in July 2006 as The Royal Spa. At the heart of this elegant spa is a 15-meter pool with Jacuzzis and adjacent rest areas in attractively tiled alcoves. The water is not thermal but supports total relaxation in an exotic fantasy-filled environment with tropical rain showers, Niagara bathtubs, mud baths, seaweed baths, and all manner of therapeutic treatments. The upper balcony overlooking the pool exits into treatment rooms where I enjoyed a full body massage with Erika. Erika concentrated on restorative feel-good pressures and her efforts put me into a deep sleep-state that was wonderful since I had been unable to shake the jet lag I had suffered since arriving in Budapest almost a week earlier. The Royal Spa caters to travelers for business as well as pleasure, which accounts for their high ratio of male patrons and couples. www.corinthiahotels.com or www.corinthia.hu
So here, in the “city of baths” with its underlying natural thermal springs that made this country in the heart of Europe a destination to be desired hundreds of years ago, and even more so today, I have had three spa experiences… all good… all different… all beneficial. Regardless of your spa preference, when in Budapest do not miss the opportunity of visiting one of the beautiful Turkish style baths such as the Gellért and take advantage of the spa services offered in resort hotels or day spas. Hungarian talented body workers have learned their magical powers of relaxation and rejuvenation from techniques passed down for hundreds of years. For a complete listing of baths as well as day, hotel, resort, city or countryside spas, visit the Hungarian National Tourist Office site www.gotohungary.com
© January 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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