Gellért Bath is one of the best examples of Budapest’s lively 19th century bathing culture. The Art Nouveau building and hotel at the Buda end of Liberty Bridge were built in 1911, providing an insight into bath life and early 20th century architecture.
One of the outstanding points of Budapest's vibrant spa life is the Art Nouveau-style Gellért Bath and Swimming Pool and the adjacent Hotel Gellért. The complex at the Buda end of Liberty Bridge was opened to the general public after World War I, but a bath has stood here as far back as the Middle Ages. At the site of the former community bath, which changed hands several times after the 150 years of Turkish rule, construction finally began in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
The completed hotel was the most modern luxury building in Budapest at the time, and the bath became the most state-of-the-art facility of its kind in Europe. It was extremely important for the management of the hotel and bath that the complex’s standard should be at the forefront of Europe, so, for example, the kitchen was managed by the Gundel family, one of the most influential restaurateur dynasties of the age. The wave pool – then unique in Europe and functioning to this day from May to September – was completed in the bath’s park in the years between the two wars. The building, heavily damaged in World War II, slowly regained its former glow and thus welcomed guests such as Andrew Lloyd Webber, Dmitry Shostakovich, Richard Nixon, Anthony Quinn, Jane Fonda or most recently Ryan Gosling.
Gellért is worth visiting not only because it is one of the most beautiful baths in Budapest, but also because some outstanding elements of the architecture of turn-of-the-century Budapest in the building and its decoration are on display here. The sculptures and glass windows of the building were all made by famous artists of the time. Admire the walls covered with the wonderful ceramics of the Zsolnay factory in Pécs in the former women's and men's bathing rooms. In addition to the pools, a sauna and a steam bath also await guests, and in summer you can sunbathe in the shelter of the park on Gellért Hill. From a health point of view, the composition of the water is particularly suitable for the treatment of joint problems, spinal conditions and circulatory complaints. The Gellért Bath is also a popular filming location, with scenes of several Hungarian and international productions shot both indoors and outdoors.