A short review and history:

Budapest is one of the great spa cities of Europe. Numerous natural hot springs pour out over 80 million litres (18 million gal) of richly mineralized water every day. The greatest concentrations of natural springs are situated in Óbuda, near Gellért Hill, on the Buda embankment near Margaret Bridge and on Margaret Island itself. Baths have existed here since Roman times, but it was the Turks who best exploited Budapest's natural resources. Today there is a wide choice of therapeutic and recreational baths and pools.

Six famous bathes not to miss:

Széchenyi Thermal Bath The water supply for the bath is provided by the Saint Stephen Well Nr.II commissioned in 1938. It is a hot-spring water with calcium, magnesium, hydro-carbonate, also containing sodium and sulphate, with a significant content in fluoride and metaboric acid. Therapeutic proposals:  - degenerative illnesses of joints  - chronic and semi-acute arthritis  - orthopaedic and post-injury alterior treatments

Gellért Thermal Bath Water supply to the Bath is ensured by the spring accesses established inside the Gellért hill. The water is a hot spring water with calcium, magnesium and hydrogen-carbonate as well as sulphate-chloride, also containing sodium and with a significant content of fluoride ions Therapeutic proposals: - degenerative illnesses of joints - illnesses of the vertebral spine - chronic and semi-acute arthritis - pains of the intervertebral disc - neuralgia - aortic stenosis - blood circulation problems - in the Inhalatorium: treatment of asthmatic, chronic bronchitic complaints

Rudas Thermal Bath Radio-active hot spring water with calcium-magnesium-hydrogen-carbonate also containing sodium and sulphate and with a significant content of fluoride ions. Therapeutic proposals: - degenerative illnesses of joints - chronical and semi-acute arthritis cases - protruded intervertebral disc - neuralgia - states of calcium deficiency of the bone system

Lukács Thermal Bath Hot spring water with calcium, magnesium, hydrogen-carbonate and sulphate, chloride, also containing sodium and with a substantial content of fluoride ions. Therapeutic proposals: - degenerative illnesses of joints - chronic and semi-acute arthritis - deformations of the vertebral spine - dislocation of inter-vertebral discs - neuralgia - calcium-deficiency of the bone system - cases of states following injuries

Király Thermal Bath Hot spring water with calcium, magnesium, hydrogen-carbonate and sulphate, also containing sodium and with a substantial content of fluoride ions. Therapeutic proposals: - degenerative illnesses of joints - chronic and semi-acute arthritis - deformations of the vertebral spine - dislocation of inter-vertebral discs - healing of neuralgia - calcium-deficiency of the bone system - cases of states following injuries