Budapest Guide
The Városliget and the stadium district
The Széchenyi Baths
Address: Kós Károly sétány
The Széchenyi Baths (Széchenyi Gyögyfürdő) could be mistaken for a palace, so grand is its facade. Outside is a statue of the geologist Zsigmondy Vilmos, who discovered the thermal spring that feeds its outdoor pool and Turkish baths. This is perhaps the best venue for mixed-sex bathing, and in one of the large outdoor pools you can enjoy the surreal spectacle of people playing chess while immersed up to their chests in steaming water – so hot that you shouldn't stay in for more than twenty minutes. The best players sit at tables around the pool's edge (the late former world champion Bobby Fischer among them in the 1980s); bring your own set if you wish to participate. Come evening, the pool is a popular spot for parties.