Budapest is THE CITY OF BATHS. Really, it earned the title in 1937.

There are many baths to choose from, each with multiple baths! I spent a full afternoon at the Széchenyi fürdő, which is the largest medicinal bath in Europe. They have a variety of indoor and outdoor pools, all of different temperatures. I went in every. single. one. Oh, and saunas. I had never been in a sauna before! 18 pools total, and 10 saunas.

The hottest sauna I went in was 80°C, but apparently there was one at 100°C! I noticed my skin (or dirt on my skin? or dead cells?) was peeling off immediately in the 80°C, and I went to the showers right outside to wash it off. I’m not sure what the process is supposed to be between the saunas and plunge pools, but mine was this:

1) Find a new sauna. Sit and take it in until it’s too much!

2) Plunge into the tiny cold pools right outside it!

3) Heat up in the hotter pools.

4) Chill out in the regular 27°C pools.

5) Repeat.

Luxurious.

Lobby of Széchenyi fürdő

Entrance to Széchenyi fürdő