Fraternity-Testvériség, 2009 (87. évfolyam, 1-3. szám)
2009-01-01 / 1. szám
TAKING THE WATERS" IN HUNGARY in thermal waters became popular. However, 20th century history both helped and hindered use of the thermal waters in the Carpathian Basin. After World War I, Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory and most of the energy resources were then located outside its borders, so in the 1920’s and ‘30’s, a geologist, Ferenc Pávai Vajna explored for oil and natural gas. Surprisingly, thermal water broke through to the surface and resulted in many prominent bath sites. At the end of the 20th century, Hungarians realized that medical needs and tourism fostered a culture of bathing. Everywhere, swimming pools, wellness centers, and thermal baths “sprang up,” literally. Thus, they offered bathing cures, mudpacks, effervescent baths, drinking cures, and inhalation remedies for those who wished to relax or be healed. Bathing etiquette still varies from bath to bath. One progresses through labyrinths of showers, pools, saunas, and steam rooms; co-ed facilities require bathing suits, but singlesex use permits nudity or use of an apron-like garment called a “kötény.” Whether in Budapest which alone boasts 123 hot springs or in the middle of the Hungarian Plain or at the foot of the Alps, modern bathing and medical complexes are housed in buildings often over 100 years old that reflect portions of Hungary’s past history. These are just a few of the baths our HRFA members list as their favorites in Budapest, whether for hygienic, social, or health reasons: A. The Gellert Hotel. Built in 1918 on the Buda side of the Danube, it is probably best known to tourists for its glamorous Art Nouveau baths and is remarkable because the water comes from springs inside the hill itself. The hot water contains calcium, magnesium, hydro-carbonate, and sulphate chloride as well as a considerable amount of fluoride ions and some sodium. The thermal water, which ranges in temperature between 26 and 38 degrees Celsius, helps with healing arthritis, spinal discomfort, circulatory problems and pain in the vertebra disks as well as aortic stenosis. In its inhalatorium, asthma and bronchitis are treated. The bath was named after the first Hungarian bishop, Gellért (Gerald) who died as a martyr in 1046, but its spring is first mentioned in documents dating to 1433. Legend even has it that the hermit of Saint Ivan used this place to heal the sick. In those days, those who hoped to enjoy the healing water’s effects could dip into the natural caves in the hill. After the Turks captured the city in 1541, they built a bath here called the Bath of the Agha. Later, the settling fine mud gave rise to the locals calling the place “Sárosfürdő” or “Muddy Bath.” After the Turks, the doctors of the Habsburgs used the waters, but in 1901, when Gellért Square grew, the city leaders decided that the first therapeutic hotel in the world would be established here, so Gellért Spa and Hotel opened its doors in 1918. Nine years later, a wave bath pool was added to the Art Nouveau collection of buildings, and in 1934, guests could also enjoy the effervescent bath. Although World War II destroyed much of the hotel, it reopened in 1946 and fortunately, most of its glorious bathing features remained intact. A member of the Canadian Fraternal Insurance Company AFBS, Jane Nelson recalls her yearly visits to the Gellért in the ‘60’s followed by shopping on Váci Utca and eating pastries at the Ruszwurm coffeehouse. She recalls Hungarian residents who took their mineral springs regimen seriously and was surprised to learn that Hungary’s national health plan pays for regular visits. Within the Gellért’s warren of hot, warm, tepid and freezing pools, she grew particularly fond of the brilliant blue mosaics, the tile floors with giant sea creatures, and statues of kissing cherubs. The first sauna is 45-50 degrees Celsius (113-122 F), FRATERNITY - TESTVÉRISÉG 15
