It’s 10 a.m. on a cold Friday morning in Budapest, and instead of a winter coat and scarf, I’m wandering under a pristine blue sky wearing nothing but a bathing suit and a terry cloth robe.
The air is cool and misty, made up of steam, rather than dew, rising from the two glistening pools of the Szechenyi thermal baths, arguably the most famous of the nine that dot the city. Entering the warm waters in front of a magnificent neo-Gothic palace feels decadent, glamorous and slightly surreal all at the same time.
As the days get shorter, Budapest becomes more attractive. The outdoor ice rinks are packed with locals and visitors, some shuffling, others gliding like figure skaters. Pop-up bars selling forralt bor (Hungarian mulled wine) are there to tempt you.
And the city’s Christmas market, considered one of the best in Europe, begins in Vorosmarty Square, with pretty nativity scenes and dozens of stalls and food stalls dominated by a giant fir tree adorned with ornaments, with Buda Castle looming from above. . Starting in mid-November, the entire city is filled with a party atmosphere, with live performances and concerts.
In Szechenyi, however, everything remains calm. Along with its café culture, Budapest is most famous for its thermal baths, filled with mineral-rich waters that surge from the fault line beneath the city; Good for everything from stomach and circulatory problems to mobility problems like arthritis.
“As the days get shorter, Budapest becomes more attractive,” writes Annabelle Thorpe. Above, the city’s famous Christmas market.
There is a lovely sociability in the pools. In a corner, a couple of old men play chess; a game that I suspect has been running for many years.
My base for the weekend is the Anantara New York Palace, a glorious belle époque confection that is also home to the New York Café, one of the city’s most famous cafes for over a century.
The lines snake around the block when I return from my bathroom, but there’s no time to join them; Instead, I hop into a Samba (a classic motorhome) that’s waiting for me for a tour of the city.
The welcome is warm: the famous Szechenyi thermal baths, “possibly the most famous of the nine that dot the city”
“Entering the warm waters in front of a beautiful neo-Gothic palace feels decadent, glamorous and slightly surreal all at the same time,” writes Annabelle.
As we walk through the streets, we take in the gigantic elegance of the Parliament building, with its Gothic spiers and flame-coloured domes, and cross the bridge to Buda Castle, the former palace of the Hungarian kings.
My favorite stop is St. Stephen’s Basilica, where we climb to the observation deck and emerge on the terrace just as dusk falls. Just below, the Christmas market sparkles with colorful lights. We retrace our steps and immerse ourselves in the crowd, the air thick with the smell of fried sausages and the feeling that the party is just beginning.
But of course, Budapest is a party city. The next night, I went out to discover some of the city’s “ruin bars,” abandoned buildings that have been reinvented as trendy restaurants and cocktail spots, decked out in fairy lights, glow balls, and graffiti.
New York Cafe (seen here) is one of the city’s most famous cafes, Annabelle reveals
Above, the view of the city from the top of Stephen’s Basilica.
My favorites are Mazel Tov, a fairy-lit urban garden serving meze-style dishes, and Hotsy Totsy.
Around the corner, the city’s bar street, Gozsdu Yard, is packed with hundreds of partygoers: all drinking beers with such enthusiasm that the popularity of the baths makes a new kind of sense.
Good for the aches and pains, perhaps, but I also suspect that a dip in the Szechenyi is the city’s best hangover cure.