WHERE TO
UNWIND
Historically speaking, Budapest has mastered
the art of relaxation through its hallmark
bathing culture, a pillar of Hungarian life since
Roman times. With over 100 natural thermal
pools in and around the city, there are myriad
ways to experience the therapeutic effects of
soaking in heated mineral springs, from lavish
indoor spas surrounded in majestic pillars and
intricate tilework like those at Gellért Baths to
large outdoor complexes such as the famous
Széchenyi Baths.
But this isn’t the only way Hungarians hang
out. After the sun sets, crowds of bathers
dwindle in favor of a very different scene. After
WWII, many buildings in the old Jewish quarter
of District VII were damaged, abandoned and
forgotten. Over time, these ruined remnants
were occupied by squatters, artists and now
the young hipster crowd that has reclaimed an
otherwise dreary historical reminder into one
of the most colorful scenes in the city.
Ruin bars — or romkocsma, as they ’re
called locally — come in no standard format.
Some are accessible through unmarked alleys
opening up to courtyards bathed in colorful
string lights or behind crumbling brick walls
reclaimed by tangled vines. Others are
giant warehouses filled with avant-garde art
installations and willfully mismatched furniture.
Not sure where to start? Try Szimpla Kert,
the original pub that ignited the modern ruin
bar trend and experience a movement that’s
chaotically artistic, historically empowering
and oh-so-Budapest.
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Natural hot spring spa pool at Széchenyi Baths