Postcard from the country, the energy-hungry Hungarian thermal baths are fighting to stay in the landscape, between explosion of bills and economic gloom.
FERENC ISZA / AFP
The whole world is familiar with the pastel buildings with Belle Époque or Art Nouveau architecture surrounding pools where chess players compete with bathing caps on their heads in water vapor.
But running these mythical establishments “should cost 170% more in 2023 compared to last year”, warns Edit Reffy, the spokesperson for Budapest Spas, the company which manages the capital’s thermal baths.
“Managing the energy crisis is a major challenge,” she told AFP. Savings measures have been put in place (reduced service, covered outdoor swimming pools, etc.) and the prices of entrance tickets have been increased.
“Inevitably”, the historic baths, mostly frequented by foreign customers, increased their tickets by “more than 30%”.
1,300 medicinal and thermal springs
Developed in the plain of central Europe two thousand years ago by the Romans, the spa culture was then perpetuated by the Hungarians. In the 16th century, the Ottomans built baths that are still in use today.
With nearly 1,300 sources of medicinal and thermal water, Hungary remains a less expensive destination than the European average and often spectacular.
Relax
