Ninety seconds on Széchenyi Thermal Bath
Best before nine on a winter morning, when a handful of locals have the hot outdoor pool to themselves and the steam rises off it into the cold air. Weekends bring the queues.
Start in the hottest of the outdoor pools, because the dash from the changing rooms is cold in winter. Keep a towel or robe beside the water for the walk between pools. The leisure pool runs a few degrees cooler and feels chilly on a frosty day.
Flip-flops are compulsory, and nothing can be hired: bring a towel, flip-flops and, for the lap pool, a swimming cap, or buy them at the shop. Indoors, the medical pools run from a cold plunge to the hottest water in the building; soak for no more than about 20 minutes. In the saunas you must sit on a towel.
You can eat food from home on the terrace, but alcohol you bring is not allowed. Last entry is an hour before closing, and the pools clear shortly before the doors shut.
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