Fraternity-Testvériség, 2009 (87. évfolyam, 1-3. szám)
2009-01-01 / 1. szám
TAKING THE WATERS" IN HUNGARY water. The water contains calcium, magnesium, hydrocarbonate and sulphate but a little sodium and a large amount of floride and metaboric acid. A drinking cure is available which supposedly heals certain diseases of the stomach, the kidney, the gall bladder and the respiratory tract. People claim that the Széchenyi Bath is more like a museum than a simple bath because artists played a vital part in shaping its spaces. Miksa Róth created the mosaics in the dome of the thermal bath, József Róna decorated the well, Géza Maróti designed the cherubim, and the Zsolnay porcelain factory created the vases and tiles. D. Lukács Baths, located north of the Margit Bridge, date to the days of the Crusades’ Knights of St. John’s order because the spring there had been known since Roman times. Later, the Knights of Rhodes and Malta built a monastery, a church, a hospital and bath here. In the 16th century during the Turkish occupation, the waters were not used to heal the sick but to power the wheel of the mill that ground grain, wheat, and gunpowder. In 1868, when Buda was recaptured, the bath was in possession of the Treasury until Fülöp Palotay purchased it in 1884. Then, in 1894, it became part of a hospital that featured mud- baths, a therapeutic hotel, and a people’s steam bath. After World War II, it was a favorite meeting place for Budapest’s artists. The Lukács baths are approached through a courtyard lined with ochre-colored classical revival buildings. Its two large outdoor pools are still open in November, and of its eight pools, the coldest is 22 degree Celsius and the hottest is 40 degrees Celsius. Its spring also provides the water supply for the nearby Király Bath, and its healing drinking cure is available for those with intestinal and gastric problems, kidney and gall stones. E. The Király (or King) Baths, near the Buda end of the Margit Bridge, receives its water from the nearby Lukács Baths because it does not have its own spring. It is located in a building topped with a large copper dome and three small ones, which were built for the Buda garrison in 1565 as Pasha Arslan needed a place where he could soak during the days of the Turkish siege and the capture of Buda. To grant his wish, a 664 meter-long pipe had to be built from the springs of the Lukács Bath. However, in 1769, the König family (after whom it is named today) took control of the bath and attached a classical style wing to it which preserved the original style of the building. In 1950, the bath was rebuilt after it had been damaged during the second World War. The main thermal pool, under a sky-lit dome is dim, but off to the side is a hot (104 degrees) pool and under the smaller domes, there’s a steam room, a cold pool and more showers. It treats those suffering from arthritis, spinal compression, diseases of the vertebral disks, neuralgia, aortic stenosis, and circulatory problems because its water temperature is between 26 and 40 degree Celsius. The manager boasts that the Király baths have survived the Turks, the Hapsburgs, the Nazis, the Communists, and modern Capitalists, so they’ll continue long into the future. It is visited by men only and women only on alternate days. F. Aquincum is truly a historical site because the Romans bathed there from the first decades AD until the 4th century when its citizens left the area. Records maintain that 14 baths were first built of wood and later bricks were used by the legionnaires. Interestingly, the baths covered 17,000 square meters. The Romans made good use of the hot water springs of the area and the cold water of the Danube which was carried to the garrison and the dwellings on several long aqueducts that stood on pillars. The Roman tradition was to offer pools with cold, lukewarm, and hot water, a steam-bath and a sweat chamber. Heating was provided by hot air circulating among the vaulted brick pillars, parts of which can be still seen on the premises of the Aquincum Museum. Outside the city, there are other baths that draw tourists, whether for health reasons or for leisure. Baths like Békéscsaba, Gyula, Harkány, Hévíz, Kehidakustány, Szeged, Zalakaros, Balf, Bükfürdő, Eger, Debrecen, Miskolc-Tapolca and Hajdúszoboszló draw tourists and local residents alike. Some of these will be featured in an upcoming issue of the Fraternity, but if readers have a favorite they wish to recommend, please contact the editor. After all, what is a trip to Hungary without a visit to one its noted baths? References: Ashenburg, Katherine. “Bath, Bath and Beyond in Budapest,” New York Times, Oct. 10, 2004, pp. 8-9. Szelesi, Sándor and Varga, Zsolt. Hungary Spa 360. Thermal Baths in Hungary, 2006, Hurton Tamas. Cicero Studio. FRATERNITY - TESTVÉRISÉG 17
