The Széchenyi Medicinal 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 o ...
(, hu, Széchenyi gyógyfürdő) is the largest medicinal bath in Budapest. Its
water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...
is supplied by two thermal springs, their temperature is and .
Components of the thermal water include
sulfate
The sulfate or sulphate ion is a polyatomic anion with the empirical formula . Salts, acid derivatives, and peroxides of sulfate are widely used in industry. Sulfates occur widely in everyday life. Sulfates are salts of sulfuric acid and many ...
,
calcium
Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar ...
,
magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ...
,
bicarbonate
In inorganic chemistry, bicarbonate (IUPAC-recommended nomenclature: hydrogencarbonate) is an intermediate form in the deprotonation of carbonic acid. It is a polyatomic anion with the chemical formula .
Bicarbonate serves a crucial biochemi ...
and a significant amount of
metaboric acid and
fluoride
Fluoride (). According to this source, is a possible pronunciation in British English. is an inorganic, monatomic anion of fluorine, with the chemical formula (also written ), whose salts are typically white or colorless. Fluoride salts ty ...
.
History
From 1865 to 1875, Vilmos Zsigmondi drilled a hole beneath the park that was 975.36 meters deep(3,200 feet). This would later become the source of thermal water that would supply the spa.
During the planning phase from the 1880s, the bath had originally been referred to as the Artesian spa (''Artézi fürdő''), but when it opened on June 16, 1913, it was officially named Széchenyi spa (''Széchenyi gyógyfürdő'') after
István Széchenyi
Count István Széchenyi de Sárvár-Felsővidék ( hu, sárvár-felsővidéki gróf Széchenyi István, ; archaically English: Stephen Széchenyi; 21 September 1791 – 8 April 1860) was a Hungarian politician, political theorist, and wri ...
The bath, located in the
City Park
An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to resi ...
, was built in
Neo-Baroque style to the design of
Győző Czigler.
Construction began on May 7, 1909 with designs by architect Eugene Schmitterer. The pool construction cost approximately 3.9 million
Austro-Hungarian korona. The total area covered was . More than 200,000 bathers visited the spa in 1913. This number increased to 890,507 by 1919. At that time the Bath consisted of private baths, separate steam-bath sections for men and women, and male and female "public baths." The complex was expanded in 1927 to its current size, with 3 outdoor and 15 indoor pools. It is now possible for both sexes to visit the main swimming and thermal sections.
After the expansion, the thermal artesian well could not supply the larger volume of water needed, so a new well was drilled. The second thermal spring was found in 1938 at a depth of , with a temperature of . It supplies of hot water daily.
Between 1999 and 2009 the Széchenyi thermal bath was refurbished in a complete renovation.
Units
The baths have pools of varying temperature. The outdoor pools (swimming pool, adventure pool and thermal sitting pool) are . The swimming pool's depth is . The adventure pool's depth is . Guests can use the water streaming, whirlpool and massaging water beamand. The indoor pools are of varying temperatures, between .
The complex also includes saunas and steam.
Gallery
File:Széchenyi Spa Budapest. Aussen2.jpg, Steam rising from the baths at night.
File:Széchenyi Gyógyfürdő thermal spa in Budapest 005.JPG, Men playing chess in the baths.
File:Szechenyifurdo.jpg, An aerial view of the bath complex.
File:Szecskacivertanlegi3.JPG, An aerial view of the three large outdoor baths.
File:Szecskacivertanlegi4.JPG,
File:Szecskacivertanlegi5.JPG,
File:Budapest-Bains Széchenyi fürdő-coupole.jpg,
File:Budapest-Thermes Széchenyi fürdő.jpg, A view of the baths' Neo-Baroque architecture.
References
External links
Website*
*
The experience of visiting Szechenyi and other baths in Budapest
{{DEFAULTSORT:Szechenyi Thermal Bath
Buildings and structures completed in 1913
Baroque Revival architecture
Thermal baths in Budapest
Széchenyi family
Landmarks in Hungary
1913 establishments in Austria-Hungary