"Budapest...my second home" a Budapest Travel Page by frankyboy5

Budapest , city (1990 pop. 2,016,100), capital of Hungary, N central Hungary, on both banks of the Danube. The largest city of Hungary and its industrial, cultural, and transportation center, Budapest has varied manufactures, notably textiles, instruments, and electronics. Budapest has well-developed commercial, transport, and communication services as well. Educational and cultural institutions in the city include Lorand Eotvos Univ. (1635), Central European Univ., the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, the National Szechenyi Library, the National Museum, the National Theater, and the State Opera House.

Budapest was formed in 1873 by the union of Buda (Ger. Ofen) and Buda (Ger. Alt-Ofen) on the right bank of the Danube River with Pest on the left bank. Buda, situated among a series of hills, was traditionally the center of government buildings, palaces, and villas belonging to the landed gentry. Pest, a flat area, has long been a commercial and industrial center.

Budapest received official recognition for its thermal and medicinal waters as early as 1934, so its hardly a surprise that health tourism plays an important rule today.

2nd December sees the reopening of the Rudas Medicinal Baths and Swimming Pool. The original Turkish baths have been faithfully restored to provide a fantastic setting for clients to unwind and relax in.
On Fridays and Saturdays bathing times will be extended all night to four o clock in the morning and Sundays will be family days.

Nowadays virtually every four-star hotel or higher comes complete with its own array of health and fitness services, and many of these are genuinely spas in their own right, that is to say the internationally-known services they provide are based first and foremost on the proven medicinal properties of the mineral water to be found there. The atmosphere is conducive to effective treatment, and qualified medical assistance is always at hand.

One of the very special things about Budapest is the prevalence of thermal springs right in the centre of the city. There are 118 springs and boreholes altogether, supplying the citys spas and baths with 15.4 million gallons of water daily ranging in temperature from 70 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit (21-78C).
One of the reasons the Romans first colonized the area immediately to the west of the River Danube and established their regional capital at Aquincum (now part of Buda, in northern Budapest) is so that they could utilize and enjoy the thermal springs. There are still ruins visible today of the enormous baths that were built during that period. The new baths that were constructed during the Turkish period (1541-1686) served both bathing and medicinal purposes, and some of these are happily still in use to this day. Budapest really gained its reputation as a city of spas in the 1920s, following the first realization of the economic potential of the thermal waters in drawing in visitors. Indeed in 1934 Budapest was officially ranked as a City of Spas.Today, the baths are mostly frequented by the older generation, as, with the exception of the Magic Bath water discos, young people tend to prefer the lidos which are open in the summer.