The Rác Thermal Bath, located 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 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 a ...

, is an 8000-square metre bath and is renowned for its

Turkish bath 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 culture of the Muslim world and was inherited ...

dating back to the 16th century, and its imperial pools and shower corridor built in the age of the

Austro-Hungarian Monarchy Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1 ...

. The bath is listed as a

UNESCO World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

site and is now part of the newly built complex of the Rac Hotel & Thermal Spa.Rac Hotel Fact Sheet (PDF)
Fact sheet downloadable on www.raczhotel.com Its name derives from the ancient Hungarian name of

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

, one of the former cohabiting populations in

Tabán Tabán usually refers to an area within the List of districts in Budapest, 1st district of Budapest, the capital of Hungary. It lies on the Buda (i.e. Western) side of the Danube, to the south of György Dózsa Square, on the northern side of Erzs ...

History

Turkish bath

The oldest part of the Rác Bath is the Turkish cupola, built in 1572, which was called ''Kücsük Ilica'' ("Small Thermal") at the time. This cupola remained in a very good state through the centuries and therefore could be authentically restored. The windows, reveals, kurnas (marble basins on the walls), pool and floor are still the original ones perfectly renovated to their authentic state; thus it looks the same and can be used as it was in the 16th century. The side cupola adjacent to it was destroyed in 1905, and has also been restored according to its remains found by the archaeologists.Ráday Mihály'': Unokáink sem fogják látni - MTV1 TV Show aired in 2010, watchable online o
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Ybl baths and shower corridor

The most impressive part of the Rác Bath was constructed and built by

Miklós Ybl Miklós Ybl (6 April 1814 in Székesfehérvár – 22 January 1891 in Budapest) was one of Europe's leading architects in the mid to late nineteenth century as well as Hungary's most influential architect during his career. His most well-known wo ...

in two phases between 1865 and 1870. Approximately 30-40 percent of the romantic Ybl cupola and the famous shower corridor (1865) remained since it was subject to the Russian bomb attacks of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, renovation in the 1960s and also in 2002. The rest of this area was rebuilt and restored to its exact original state according to old copper engravings, drawings and documentations. The second, imperial cupola, built in 1870, shows changes in the architect's perspective. Marble is the main material used, and several symbolic elements of the age's modernity can be found on the walls. This part was completely destroyed during the construction of the Elizabeth Bridge; however, the pieces demolished were buried in the pool and later provided essential information for the current reconstruction.

Flora bath

This section of the Rác Spa, also built in 1865, was styled after the ancient Roman baths, and now serves as the dedicated VIP section of the complex.

Modern-day spa

The last part of the bath was built adjacent to the historical buildings in the 21st century and accommodates the latest treatments and services, with 21 treatment rooms, a business room and a special VIP area.

Water content

The many medical benefits of the Rác Bath's karst water are well known. The water contains calcium, magnesium, hydrogen-carbonate, sulphate-chloride, sodium and fluoride ions. The water, together with the services provided, offer recreation and are claimed to be beneficial for arthritis, spine illnesses, intervertebral disk pains, aortic stenosis, circulatory problems asthma and bronchitis. The complex has 11 pools. The water temperatures are 14 ˚C, 36 ˚C, 38 ˚C, and 42 ˚C.Rác Thermal Bath at www.vendegvaro.hu

References

Sources

* ''Buzás, Gergely'': Középkori fürdők (Műemlékvédelem, 2009 Vol. LIII. Issue 5. pp. 285–289

* ''G. Lászay, Judit & Papp, Adrienn'': A budai török fürdők kutatása az évezred elején (Műemlékvédelem, 2009 Vol. LIII. Issue 5. pp. 290–316

External links

Rác Hotel & Thermal Spa

Secrets Line Hotels

Kirker Holidays
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rac Bath Thermal baths in Budapest Infrastructure completed in 1870 Tabán