Guests at Rudas’s historic Turkish baths are now required to wear two aprons – one front, one back

Try walking into these baths today wearing an apron, and the hawk-eyed staff will quickly jump from their perch by the main pool and gesture that you need to cover up. They’ll discreetly hand over another apron, to cover your rear. Apparently, apron skirts are now Rudas Baths’ fashion standard.

Since the start of 2025, actually, with occasional visitors still catching up, since it was never publicized on official spa channels, guests at Rudas’s historic Turkish baths have been formally required to wear two aprons – one front, one back.

The change may sound like a minor wardrobe update, but it has sparked surprisingly passionate debate among regular bathers, history enthusiasts, naturists, and curious tourists. Some welcome the additional privacy. Others say a centuries-old tradition just quietly died.

Why did one of Europe’s oldest Turkish baths decide to rewrite its own dress code? 

Rudas Aprons – What Actually Changed?

In December 2024, Rudas introduced a rule requiring guests on single-sex Turkish bath days to wear two aprons instead of one. Covering both sides of the body became mandatory rather than leaving it optional, as it had been for as long as anyone could remember.

Pipeaway reached out to the baths for an explanation. The response, signed by Sales and Marketing Director Szilvia Czinege, read:

“We previously received several guest complaints about the inappropriate behavior of some guests, and after a discussion with regular guests, we decided on this measure, which we believe is better suited to hygiene conditions as well.”

I followed up asking about the consultation process, the volume and nature of the complaints, statistics on guest suspensions, and the broader history of the bath’s dress code. Despite repeated emails, Rudas chose to leave the questions hanging.

We can only speculate about the reasoning behind the management’s silenzio stampa, but it does suggest they would prefer the topic not to be discussed at all.

Reading this newest statement against Rudas’s history of PR on sensitive decisions, “inappropriate behavior” looks like the polite institutional Hungarian for people were having sex in the baths again. Even if an open-air gay intercourse at Rudas, inflated to mythical proportions (with some interpreting this notion as a way to deter the public attention from true decision motifs), was a real occurrence, it is not clear how an additional piece of hanging fabric could prevent this behavior from happening. Does Rudas know how sex works?

On the other hand, noting “hygiene conditions” in the context of the discussed garment change sounds like bolting a fig leaf onto another fig leaf. Despite the effort to present the rule as partly clinical, the previous, equally controversial spa communication on public health concerns regarding full-coverage swimsuits reveals that the reasoning behind the inconsistent approach to dress codes might indeed be the hygiene – but a moral one.

Need to sweeten up this story a bit? Look for the best Hungarian desserts in Budapest!

A Tradition Older Than Modern Hungary

To understand why two scraps of fabric caused this much noise, we first need to rewind five centuries, to when Ottoman architects turned the hot springs under Buda into one of Europe’s most remarkable bathing complexes.

Modeled on the hammams of Constantinople, the occupiers harnessed the power of the city’s thermal water as – therapy.

With its octagonal pool beneath a domed ceiling pierced by colored glass, Rudas remains one of the finest surviving examples of Ottoman bathing architecture in Europe.

While the rest of the building has been renovated several times over the centuries, the historic Turkish bath has retained much of its original character – part spa, part living museum.

Unlike modern swimsuits, the traditional bathing apron, known in Hungarian as kötény, was never intended to provide full coverage. Fastened around the waist, it covered the front of the body while leaving the back bare. It represented a compromise between modesty and practicality – dignity preserved, thermal water fully enjoyed, exactly as bathers had done for centuries.  

The apron’s peculiar design, covering the private parts while standing and, with a simple twist around the waist, covering the sauna chair when seated, became one of Rudas Baths’ defining quirks.

While locals wore it without a second thought, tourists often spent awkward minutes figuring out how to tie the Rudas apron correctly, and then shared amused & confused stories online.

Some dreaded it enough to bathe in swimsuits instead, or asked staff for a second apron, to fashion their very own mini-skirt of privacy (sic!).

When, in my 2017 article, I wrote that doing so would make you “look like an idiot” (I guess, in the same way how we short-sightedly made fun of our clueless elders shooting vertical videos on their first phones, long before stories were imposed as THE format), I couldn’t have imagined that someone would look at the most ridiculously-looking attire in the room and eternalize a two-part skirt as an official outfit policy.

Rudas Apron is More than a Dress Code 

Unlike modern spas, where visitors compete in branded swimwear, Rudas offered an experience that felt rooted in another era. On men-only days, everyone from Budapest retirees to nervous backpackers, from businessmen and politicians to those receiving social help, wore the same simple garment. The Rudas apron became an unlikely social equalizer.

Even if newcomers felt an initial embarrassment, it evaporated within minutes. Inside the centuries-old bathing hall, surrounded by men of every age and build, most visitors quickly realized nobody seemed particularly interested in anyone else’s appearance.

This surprisingly unremarkable rectangle of fabric had become part of Rudas’s identity, contributing to its cultural heritage.

Clothing traditions often preserve history, as reliably as buildings and monuments do. The Scottish kilt, the Japanese yukata, the Finnish sauna towel, and the yangmeori hat from the Korean bathhouse culture, all tell stories about the societies that made them.

At Rudas Baths, the bathing apron performed a similar role. It served as a quiet reminder that you weren’t visiting just another spa, but stepping into a living tradition that predates the country’s modern borders.

The historic Turkish bath has outlasted wars, fires, occupations, and revolutions. Empires rose and fell behind its stone walls while bathers continued soaking in the same way as always, the apron surviving the changes as well.

Until December 2024. The world’s most famous bathing rag quietly became a pair of modesty panels.

This Isn’t Budapest Baths’ First “Sex Scandal”

Beyond the brief official statement provided to Pipeaway, addressing behavior and hygiene concerns as reasons for the double-apron measure at Rudas, the baths management hasn’t elaborated further, leaving room for everyone to draw their own conclusions. 

The measure, introduced so silently, does seem odd and controversial, especially as Budapest Gyógyfürdői és Hévizei Rt. (BGYH), municipal company running the city’s thermal baths, has a history of dealing with sex scandals.

In 2004, a Hungarian TV2 reporter walked into Király Bath’s men-only session with a hidden camera and came out with footage of men soliciting, embracing, and having sex. The investigative exposé landed like a grenade in the national Tourism Ministry, which was actively using the historic bathhouses in its promotional campaigns, engaging even Tony Curtis to say: “Some like it hot”. The scandal triggered moral patrols and an immediate temporary ban on men-only days. After a short restitution, apron bathing at Király was formally phased out in 2011. Despite lowered prices, the struggle to attract non-gay clientele was real: the bath, weighed down by debt, never fully recovered its old status after introducing mandatory coeducational days. Its eventual 2020 closure is officially attributed to a lapsed hygiene license and an unaffordable renovation bill.

Then there’s Gellért Thermal Bath. German media revealed that, in 2007, insurer Hamburg-Mannheimer (later ERGO) organized a corporate trip to Budapest for its best salesmen. They had rented out the historic bath for a night and turned it into a “Freiluftbordell” (open-air brothel). Dozens of prostitutes entertained the company’s 100 top-performing agents at this “team-building” event.

We needed no investigative reporting to learn about naughty encounters in Budapest baths; some were self-documented. Both Gellért and Széchenyi Thermal Baths served as film sets for the adult industry. From Layne Derrick’s “Pools of Desire”, a 1999 homoerotic feature with dozens of fully naked men at Gellért, splashing, wrestling, and stroking each other during massage and rather touchy shower sessions, to more recent and explicit pick-up sex videos starring the likes of Chris Kubrick and Antonio Mallorca with female bathers, some of these racked up millions of views on specialized porn sites. Tony Curtis’s tourism spot never got close to the view counts of “some like it hotter” videos.

From Sausage Parties to Fake Masseurs

Besides amateur and professional porn makers, Széchenyi’s everyday visitors also overflow the spa with eroticism. Index.hu, for instance, described catching “group petting of young couples in love”.

Tripadvisor reviews back that up: body care in Budapest baths goes beyond just enjoying minerals. Due to a high proportion of men attending Sparty, Széchenyi’s late-night music event, users often described it as a sausage party and not the safest place for women. The upset visitors repeatedly highlighted floating condoms, groping serious enough to require therapy, and a significant number of other sexual assaults.

Gellért received its portion of reports for sexual activities in the pool, but also a series of reviews titled “Worst massage I have ever had”. Among them, several were serious safety incidents, where customers felt inappropriately touched by masseurs (this, or this), and even reception staff impersonating masseurs (sic!).

Unlike the undisclosed, unquantified complaints Rudas cites as justification for a dress-code overhaul, these well-documented incidents at other baths haven’t triggered, for instance, a ban on private events, late-night parties, or cameras in the bathhouse.

Most of the serious accusations made against the spa and security staff for not acting against the offenders, or being offenders themselves, remain officially unanswered (familiar?). When they do get to respond to online reviews describing guests crossing the line, Sparty’s team refers to them as “idiots” or “morons” ruining their great programs. Real accountability for not making the premises safe enough is dismissed. Because they “run online campaigns against inappropriate behavior” and “print warning posters”.

Modesty Panic as a Smoke Screen?

Is it a coincidence that private hires, boozy night programs, and not really regulated cameras (indistinguishable whether used for social media or porn production), all happen to be reliable revenue streams, and somehow never trigger the kind of moral intervention Rudas just applied to a piece of cotton?

Could it be that the dress code change and gradual adding of more and more mixed hours at Rudas uses a moral excuse in order to hide economic interest in attracting tourists, especially while the golden goose of Gellért endures extensive renovation, affecting the overall baths’ revenue?

Budapest is already thoroughly gentrified and swimming in visitors. They are accompanied by lobbies whose interests don’t always align with the wishes of traditional bath enthusiasts. Easier bath access to persons of any gender on any day of the week enables a more lucrative bath commodification. And that’s an argument that consistently follows supposed “moral regulation” of Rudas Baths.

Back in 2019, the management drew a furious petition from regulars after quietly cutting the beloved Friday Rudas Baths men’s day down to a few morning hours (back then until 12:45 pm; cut further since – to 10:45 am), converting the rest of the day to co-ed. The management left no room for blushing: “Our decision was influenced by both the increased tourist traffic and the prevention of widespread open-air sex.”

Titles screaming “Public sex gone out of control” seemed like a red cloth waved before the bullish society in which Viktor Orbán’s right-wing government had banned same-sex marriages and families, abolished gender changes, criminalized Pride, and modeled a string of anti-LGBTQ laws on Russia’s, while Fidesz co-founder, MEP József Szájer, was simultaneously fleeing a lockdown-violating gay orgy in Brussels by sliding down a drainpipe.

Framing gay men as suddenly dangerous after lunchtime, as if flipping some kind of hormonal switch at noon, is Szájer-level hypocrisy: kicking gays out when the clock ticks, when they get physically assaulted, or even when they just hold hands, while still cheerfully extracting money from those filthy queer wallets every morning.

Regulars who signed the petition didn’t buy the official “widespread open-air sex” story. “I don’t know what they are talking about”, said one. “Referring to public sex is a sham, it is a non-existent problem”, commented another. A third called it fiction, invented as an excuse “to be mad at gays”. A fourth summed it up bluntly: “What has been publicly communicated about the reasons is only to make people feel angry with gay people, while this was presumably done under pressure from lobbying by some companies involved in tourism.”

The Hygiene Paradox

Besides just correcting the male visitors’ afternoon behavior, this time around, Rudas Bath claims its motivation for adding an extra apron is to improve hygiene conditions, too.

But here’s the problem: a second wet apron, tied on and reused across a two-hour soak, sauna session, and steam room visit, isn’t more sanitary than one. If anything, it’s twice the damp fabric against skin, twice the laundry load…

It gets better: to address the double-apron demand as contradictory in terms of hygiene, we could quote a real expert: Budapest Baths.

You see, despite the official website’s FAQ containing information that both burkinis and bodysuits are welcome, real life has exposed that ladies (most often Muslim visitors) in ¾ swimming leggings have repeatedly been asked to leave for violating the etiquette (see here, or here).

Both in response to Fodor’s media inquiry and a Tripadvisor review, management explained that their policy allows only shoulder- and knee-long swimsuits. The rationale behind it is that more fabric results in an increased safety and hygiene hazard.

“Large swimsuits have a much higher water carrying capacity, leaving much more water coming out of the pools that can cause accidents. In addition, it is also a matter of public health concern, as there are more bacteria on a larger surface, and its evaporation in saunas and steam chambers is unhealthy”, the officials explained.

By that exact logic, two soaked aprons also have a much higher water retention than one (more accidents), as well as more bacteria (increased public health risks). And yet, the introduction of another mandatory apron got sold as the hygienic choice.

Double apron exposes Budapest Baths’ double standards: this was never about bacteria. The rule is clearly not a hygiene fix. It’s a rear-view fix, dressed in hygiene language. It’s a part of a broader tendency to regulate which bodies get to be visible in public and their effect on the comfort of the majority.

Looking for a relaxed clothing-optional experience with no judgment? Try naked hiking in Australia, naked bike rides in the UK, FKK beach-hopping in Makarska, an overnight stay at a Seoul bathhouse, or a nudist resort in Greece.

Rudas’ Second Apron Controversy – Conclusion

Rudas isn’t just a Budapest bath with single-sex days anymore. It’s the only one. Every adjustment Rudas makes to its single-sex sessions, therefore, isn’t just a policy tweak but the last living version of an Ottoman-era tradition being reshaped in pursuit of the tourist revenue every mixed-gender bath in the city now depends on.

Is Rudas walking Király’s road? The shape of the story is uncomfortably familiar: a historic single-sex bathing tradition under commercial and reputational pressure gets incrementally modernized to keep the peace, until what’s left barely resembles what people originally came for.

Each adjustment, stacked over years, nudges Rudas toward a more sanitized version of something that was never really about modesty to begin with. The apron was always a practical compromise between nudity and swimwear – a garment built for function, not virtue signaling. It let you enjoy the baths without fuss, and go home without a wet swimming suit weighing down your bag.

Budapest Baths has tangled itself into a modesty theater, where it needs to simultaneously argue that there could be too much AND not enough of fabric

The original apron wasn’t famous because it covered so little. It was famous because it represented continuity. It connected modern bathers to generations who tied the same knot under the same Ottoman dome. Replacing one apron with two may seem like a tiny alteration, yet symbols often matter precisely because they are small.

Budapest Baths has tangled itself into a modesty theater, where it needs to simultaneously argue that there could be too much AND not enough of fabric. Equally uneasy about Muslim women and gay men, it struggles in providing coherent answers, often choosing not to respond at all. But not addressing challenges doesn’t make them disappear.

If the real goal on men-only days at Rudas is total modesty, why keep the apron at all? Why not, instead of slowly cooking the moral crab, have enough public courage to simply require ordinary swimwear? The compromise at an unusual middle ground preserves the appearance of a historic tradition, but in a form that no longer reflects the original custom.

And if the objective is to put an end to an “inappropriate behavior” (something that Budapest’s mixed baths clearly struggle with as well, without triggering equivalent policing), is the modesty crackdown with a piece of half-transparent apron truly efficient? Or should the new dress code mandate chastity belts for everyone?

Once you open the moral Pandora’s box, where exactly do you draw the line?

What do you think about the new Rudas Baths apron rules?
Leave your comment below and pin the article for later!

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It’s hard to say ‘no’ to the siren call of Hungarian cakes and pastry

Hungary would surely never leave you hungry. Best known for its goulash beef stew and chicken paprikash, Hungarian cuisine can also satisfy those with a sweet tooth. Even lángos, the emblematic street food snack made of deep-fried flatbread with sour cream, cheese, and garlic, can also be prepared in a sweet version, with toppings such as jam, cinnamon-sugar, or chocolate.

But the real fun begins at the dessert places of Budapest, where the sweet side of Hungary’s culinary tradition is both celebrated and challenged. The result of the numerous historic influences that clashed in the city are treats for both eyes and taste buds, desserts so good that they could make your grandma retire from baking.

From the classic Dobos torte and rich somlói galuska, to the crispy chimney cakes, strudels, and sweet cottage cheese noodles, the list of mouthwatering things to eat in Budapest requires dedicated explorers. It was hard to say ‘no’ to the siren call of Hungarian cakes and pastry!

Grab a fork, and join me as I dive into the best Hungarian desserts you must try in Budapest, and where to eat them!

If you want to discover Croatian cake traditions, head to the island of Rab. There, you'll find rapska torta, a cake created for the pope by 12th-century nuns! The cake had a secret recipe until recently, but now you can learn how to make Rab cake yourself!

Budapest dessert school: the anatomy of Hungarian desserts

A Hungarian dessert is mostly a rich-flavored sweet dish typically made with traditional Hungarian ingredients and techniques.

Hungarians love to use seasonal ingredients, for instance, fresh berries for summer desserts, or dried fruits in winter. Nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts) and jams (especially plum and apricot) are very popular in traditional Hungarian desserts, both for topping and filling.

Other traditional flavors include poppy seed, vanilla, and chocolate. For warmth and depth, Hungarian pastry shops often add spices such as cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. For the creamy texture and tangy flavor of Hungarian desserts, dairy products such as cream or yogurt are commonly used.

Typical Hungarian dessert techniques are similar to those used in other European countries, with some variations of their own. They love rolling their desserts (from chimney cake to strudel pastry), layering their cakes (from zserbó to Esterházy torte), as well as frying their dough (dumplings, for instance).

There are some very interactive ways to explore the Budapest gastro scene. Want to learn how to stretch the elastic dough for strudel yourself? Check out what Eatwith can teach you!

Budapest dessert places

Budapest has a wide variety of dessert places. From bakeries offering fresh pastries and street vendors selling traditional treats from their stalls or food trucks, all the way to high-end fine dining restaurants elevating the execution and presentation of Hungarian desserts, there are options to suit all tastes and budgets.

Some of the best dessert places in Budapest are however patisserie-cafes. They are not only providing high-quality desserts but also try their best to enrich your experience with a cozy atmosphere. Whether you prefer elegant interiors or the freshness of outdoor seating, you will find a great spot to enjoy your Budapest dessert, choosing from a wide selection of Hungarian cakes, tarts, and other sweet treats.

The quest for the best dessert in Budapest

According to various sources, some of the most popular Hungarian desserts are krémes, Dobos torte, somlói galuska, and chimney cake. While all of them deserved their spot on my list of the best desserts to try in Budapest, I tasted creations that I loved even more.

That’s only to say that you should always look further than what mainstream media is telling you about the world. By following the most popular lists, you might miss some of the greatest contenders for the best Hungarian desserts in the Budapest area!

For orientation, please note that 1.000 Hungarian forints equal about 2,6 euros or 2,8 US dollars. However, keep in mind that inflation or other market disturbances can significantly affect ever-changing prices, so always double-check the actual price of a product before ordering it!

Here are my top 12 of the most delicious Budapest desserts!

Hungarian desserts in Budapest – Top 12

1. Túrógombóc

Túrógombóc are Hungarian cheese dumplings. Their basic ingredients are túró cheese, semolina, and eggs. Balls made of this mixture are simmered in water and afterward coated in toasted breadcrumbs. Traditionally, Hungarians serve them with sugar and sour cream thinned with milk.

While túró is often described as cottage cheese, farmer cheese, or quark, it’s not as wet as those are. This fresh, soft curd cheese ends up in many traditional Hungarian meals, from palacsintas (crepes) and strudels, via noodles, porridges, and paprika spreads (Liptauer), all the way to Túró Rudi, a chocolate-covered snack you will find later on this list of the best desserts in Budapest.

Túró cheese has been omnipresent in Hungarian gastronomy since the first cookbook in the 1580s at least, and today supposedly half of all cheese eaten in Hungary is – túró.

I cannot blame them. At least with túrógombóc, I can understand the appeal of these tender dumplings dressed in a crunchy coat. They are simple yet decadent, rightfully deserving the top spot as the best dessert in Budapest!

Where to eat the best túrógombóc in Budapest?

For the delicious túrógombóc I fell in love with, head to Gettó Gulyás (Wesselényi utca 18), in Budapest’s historic Jewish Quarter (ghetto, thus the name).

The name of the restaurant also suggests that meat stews are the backbone of their menu. But definitely leave some room for this sweet “soup” with two cheese dumplings!

Soft inside, with a crispy outside texture, the champions of Hungarian desserts bathe in a pink cinnamon-flavored sour cream which goes nicely with the mildness of the cheese.

Maybe not as much as pörkölt, túrógombóc is still a dish that will fill you, proudly defending its place in the comfort food selection.

Gettó Gulyás gets crowded around 2 and 8 pm, but I had no problem arriving in a less busy time pocket and getting a table without a reservation. Ordering just a dessert (with my planned sugar rush expedition, there is a limit of calories I can take in a day), which might have sounded strange for the waiter of such a place, was not an issue.

I also enjoyed the homey interior speaking to the middle classes. The design combines wooden furniture with metal accents (from decorative buckets and wavy walls to functional ceiling fans and drink straws). Details such as old cookbooks or Rubik’s cubes add to the authenticity the restaurant wants to project.

For túrógombóc, the best Budapest dessert, I had to pay 1.590 Hungarian forints, plus a 12 % service charge.

2. Somlói galuska

Somlói galuska is a Hungarian trifle cake, which means its essential components are layers of sponge cake (plain, chocolate, and walnut), custard cream, and fruit (raisins), all topped with whipped cream.

Well, at least it starts as a trifle cake. While the English love to present their trifle dessert in glass cups, to reveal the layers, the Hungarian trifle gets intentionally destroyed, traditionally scooped out to resemble dumplings in a bowl (hence the name galuska, which means ‘dumplings’, even if they are not).

In a modern interpretation, pastry chefs are abandoning the dumpling format, cutting the cake into neat pieces, so the layering of this traditional Budapest dessert can be appreciated.

Following the basic principle of English “tipsy cakes”, the three layers of somlói galuska and raisins are soaked in rum, which can also be added to chocolate sauce. In some versions, raisins get macerated in Tokaji Aszú, the world’s oldest sweet wine.

Where to eat the best somlói galuska in Budapest?

The best place to eat somlói galuska is where the dessert was invented – at Gundel (Gundel Károly utca 14), the restaurant so famous that even the street got the name after the owner.

While there were restaurateurs operating in Budapest City Park throughout the 19^th century, the building as we know it today exists since 1894. The first neighbor of Budapest Zoo even has elephants in its logo!

It is here, in the 1950s, where the original somlói galuska came to be, first in the mind of the waiter Károly Gollerits, and then under the hands of the pastry chef József Béla Szőcs.

The creation was named after Somlyó, the small hill on the outskirts of Budapest, where the chef was from. In 1958, at Brussels World Fair, the cake got an award but was misspelled. So even today, some believe it’s named after the town of Somló near Lake Balaton, known for wine production.

Fast forward six decades later, and I was sitting in an elegant space beaming with history, in the same chairs where Sylvester Stallone, Madonna, and even Pope John Paul II enjoyed Hungarian desserts and other specialties. Well, technically, my table was named after Vaclav Havel, the first president of Czechoslovakia. But it could have easily been Queen Elizabeth who was supposedly delighted by somlói galuska.

I was impressed by the interior and the restaurant’s effort in having live music. That certainly silenced the slurping sounds while I tried to lick every last bit of a deliciously rich chocolate sauce. The cake flavors were balanced and walnuts made the texture dimension more interesting. Thank heavens for the pastry chef Mártonné Dudok who supposedly tried to dig out the original recipe!

Service issues at Gundel

The service was certainly not on par with the kitchen. It took ages to place an order, and in one long hour, for just one course, I was handled by five or six different people.

The chaos in which waiters interrupt each other, leave guests in the middle of a conversation without apology, or are just generally confused about their working areas and duties, couldn’t be hidden by the bar pianist or the entire string orchestra.

I know waiting tables is not an easy job, but it comes with responsibilities. There is no space for uninformed contradictions. For instance, the sommelier was convincing me that there was no alcohol in the dessert, while an experienced waiter claimed raisins were soaked in Tokai.

Even if I expressed my interest in knowing for the purpose of this text (for the purpose of my pleasure, I was already impressed that I could love any raisins), they never came back with the final answer. After a long wait, all I got was a check for 2.800 forints, plus 420 for the service charge.

3. Flódni

Flódni is a traditional Hungarian-Jewish cake made of four distinctive layers: apple, poppy seed, plum jam, and walnut. The indulgent Budapest dessert was first created by the Jewish communities of the Carpathian Basin.

Originally, instead of the last two fillings, there was cheese (well, Hungary!). But since the 19^th century, the flakey dough made of flour, butter (goose fat in the early days which were stricter on kosher rules), sugar, egg yolks, and dry white wine, has four-flavored interlayers.

The dense fillings are additionally enriched with spices such as cinnamon, clove, orange zest, honey, and white wine. Flódni pastry is a perfect dessert for grown-ups.

As a staple dish of Hungarian Jewish food, flódni is especially popular for Hanukkah or Purim, but there’s certainly no reason not to enjoy it year-round, regardless of religion.

In 2012, for instance, it was a star dish of the Sziget Festival, where the Hungarian pastry queen Ráchel Raj created the largest flódni in the world. Her team used 500 kilograms of ingredients to produce a 20-meter-long dessert! It took them eight hours to prepare it, but for a standard flódni recipe, no more than two hours of your time is required.

Where to eat the best flódni in Budapest?

The layers of flódni supposedly represent the multicultural background and harmony of different people living together. It made sense for me to look for the best flódni in Budapest among those who were further exposed to influences.

And I found it at Arán bakery (Wesselényi utca 23), in the eclectic 7^th district. As the name suggests (arán is the Irish word for ‘bread’), the place started by Kinga and Attila, the Hungarian returnees from Ireland, is best known for their artisanal sourdough bread. But it also has a solid selection of breakfasts and confections to indulge in.

Unlike Ráchel Raj’s flódni recipe that, from bottom to top, lays poppy seed, apple, walnut, and plum jam, or online recipes that insist the correct order is walnut, poppy seed, apple, and then plum jam, Arán has their own construction style: poppy seed, apple, plum jam, and walnut on top.

While there are obviously different ways of making one of the best Hungarian desserts, I certainly had no problems with the formalistic. Arán’s flódni satisfied me as a rich and decadent dessert, celebrating the best of every layer, from not-too-sweet walnut/raisin filling to Szatmár homemade jam made of 100% plums.

My flódni was priced at 950 forints. The service is as quick as it gets for a bakery, and no service charge is expected.

4. Mákos guba

Mákos guba is a Hungarian bread pudding where white bread is soaked in a creamy mixture of milk, poppy seeds, and sugar. When baked in the oven, the toothsome Budapest dessert is usually combined with vanilla custard.

The fame of this simple Hungarian recipe also started as part of the festivities, typically as a must-have dessert on Christmas Eve, believed to bring luck and fortune in the upcoming year. But today, mákos guba is consumed whenever one feels like it, available even in plenty of restaurants.

Hungarians love poppy seeds, as much as the rest of Central and Eastern Europe does, putting it in anything from pasta to strudels and pies. The ingredient is much more than just a random add-on to a dish, becoming its focal point.

These tiny black seeds that easily get stuck between teeth provide a proud display of their symbolic values: wealth, prosperity, and fertility. The Hungarian word mák doubles for ‘luck’, after all.

The classic Hungarian poppy seed bread pudding is a fluffy rhapsody in one’s mouth, with a generous amount of poppy seeds and warmth.

Where to eat the best mákos guba in Budapest?

While there is value in trying the traditional mákos guba served in old-school restaurants, I propose you visit Kiosk Budapest (Március 15. tér 4), in an 18^th-century Piarist building at the foot of Erzsébet Bridge.

Once used as a gym for local children, the venue that dominates the square now houses the Michelin-starred restaurant Babel, and in the greater hall – Kiosk, both projects of ambitious gastro entrepreneur Hubert Hlatky-Schlichter.

Named after a Turkish word for a booth where you can get a range of goods and services, the Kiosk that still stands above an out-of-use Turkish bath, would like to project an image of an iconic place that gives you everything you need, plus a smile. Waiters wear shirts that say “Happiness is not a destination, it’s a way of life”.

Their mákos guba is also called iconic in the menu, and besides vanilla custard, it comes accompanied with almond crumbs and poppy seed ice cream, as a modern twist.

Even if I was seated next to the kitchen entrance during a not-so-busy period, my dessert arrived with ice cream that already started melting. This of course affected the visual, temperature, and textural appeal of the dish, but I still appreciated pastry chef Dóri Varga’s idea of combining the warm bread pudding from a mold with refreshing ice cream on top.

Kiosk’s space is gigantic and airy, with an urban and dog-friendly vibe, promoted by the owner himself who comes to his corner with two four-legged friends.

With its metropolitan and charity-supporting image, Kiosk also insists on homemade products of premium quality and sustainable and organic background. I was therefore saddened to find a plastic straw in my lemonade, but I guess there is always room to grow.

Hungarian poppy seed dessert at Kiosk Budapest cost me 2.850 forints, plus 427,50 for the service charge. That officially makes this mákos guba the priciest on this list of the best Hungarian desserts in Budapest City.

5. Krémes

Cremeschnitte is a popular dessert in many countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In Hungary, it goes by the name of krémes (meaning ‘creamy’). This sizeable rectangular vanilla slice is basically a smooth and airy custard cream sandwiched between the two thin layers of puff pastry.

The origin of krémes dates back to the 16^th century, connecting it to France (millefeuille or ‘thousand leaves’, referring to the cake’s flakiness) or Italy (napoleon, referring to Naples).

But according to the Oxford Companion to Food (Alan Davidson’s bestseller), the invention of the krémes form can be traced to Szeged, a town in southeastern Hungary, and their caramel-coated Szegediner torte.

Whoever came up with the first combo of flaky pastry and creamy filling, certainly should be proud of the results. According to Taste Atlas, the online encyclopedia of traditional food, Hungarian krémes has several notable titles. It is the most popular type of cremeschnitte, the most popular among Hungarian desserts, and the 12^th most popular cake in the world!

Where to eat the best krémes in Budapest?

Krémes is a great reason to head over to the Buda Castle district. Climbing the stairs to the top of the hill will be rewarded at Ruszwurm Cukrászda (Szentháromság utca 7), just 100 meters from the famous Matthias Church. This is the home of the best krémes in Budapest.

Ferenc Schwabl opened the cozy and unpretentious confectionery back in 1827, which makes it the oldest cake shop in Budapest. Over two centuries, Ruszwurm Cukrászda attracted many VIP visitors, from Empress Sissi to Viktor Orbán.

The walls of the pastry shop document the rich history of this Budapest dessert legend with photographs. But the real witnesses of the past are pieces of furniture that survived all the wars and sieges: the cherrywood cabinet/counter in Biedermeier style, still-working clock with gilded sunrays under the figure of an eagle and above the wooden-column framed door to the pastry workshop, antique chandelier, and a large sofa.

You can actually vividly imagine the confectioners of yesteryears displaying their creations (for instance, this is where the famous Linzer cookies were invented) behind the glass, in front of the eyes of sweets-hungry Hungarians.

Ruszwurm Cukrászda is not just a museum exhibit. This protected cultural monument is one of the best dessert shops in Budapest, still producing its own cakes. Since the 1990s, the pastry shop is managed by the Szamos family.

I don’t know if it was due to the century-old Hungarian krémes recipe, but the slice I ate was probably the best cremeschnitte that ever crossed over these lips. Perfectly balanced sweetness, without that overgenerous sugar dust you typically get in other places, no chocolate, or any other overthought novelty. Just a classic Hungarian dessert at its best.

I especially enjoyed their puff pastry my fork had no trouble dissecting, a struggle I often experience with kremšnite in Croatian cake shops. Here, the cream was not only delicious (little black spots were revealing the use of real vanilla beans), but it also had a nice texture, not too firm, not too wobbly. Supposedly, the secret is in incorporating the whipped cream inside the custard instead of the egg whites.

Krémes at Ruszwurm confectionery was very fairly priced at 810 forints, plus 122 for the service charge. I think I will be returning to this place again for Hungarian cream pastry repeats.

6. Zserbó cake

Zserbó szelet or Gerbeaud cake is a Hungarian dessert with alternating four layers of crumbling yeast dough (traditionally made with lard instead of butter), and three filling layers made of apricot jam and ground walnuts, all topped with bittersweet chocolate glaze.

The father of the cake is Émile Gerbeaud, a Swiss-born confectioner/chocolatier who arrived in Budapest in 1883 to work with Henrik Kugler. A year later, he took over Kugler’s café/patisserie and created the iconic Budapest dessert that will stay remembered after his hungarianized surname.

By the end of the 19^th century, it was obvious that zserbó history won’t be shortlived; the business went so well that Gerbeaud had to employ 150 people.

As a new brand of traditional Hungarian foods, zserbó quickly became a beloved add-on on Christmas or Easter tables in generations of Hungarian homes.

But if you adore the combination of chocolate, walnuts, and apricot, every day can be Christmas with one of the most authentic Hungarian desserts in Budapest!

Where to eat the best zserbó in Budapest?

It would be a sin to come to Budapest and not try zserbó at the place where it was born – at Café Gerbeaud (Vörösmarty tér 7), in the 5^th district.

The grand four-story building impresses with an ornate interior that comes with rococo-style ceilings, crystal chandeliers, marble tables, and elegant wooden furniture.

Today, Gerbeaud is a much more grandiose project than in the times of its founder, serving everything from breakfasts and goulashes to salads and handmade bonbons.

The offer of Hungarian classics on one plate (featured image of this article) caught my eye. For 4150 forints (I see that the basic price was now lifted to 5350!), one gets three emblematic cakes of Hungary, zserbó, Esterházy, and Dobos cake, served with vanilla ice cream on the side.

Ambitiously, I thought I would propose this combo to all of you. But after I found a non-chewable piece of paper in Dobos slice (wrapping of chocolate or butter?), and received no real explanation or words of apology for the half-eaten paper-cake, I decided to recommend only Gerbaud’s namesake dessert.

Back in Kugler’s times, the store was progressive by allowing customers to wrap mignons in paper trays and bring them home. But I don’t think that it works the other way around; cakes should not be used as wrapping for paper.

While it might sound like hairsplitting, I believe that the casual attitude of the café towards non-edible ingredients of their desserts finely illustrates what industrial mass production can bring. That’s not the most likable part of otherwise obvious Gerbaud’s old-world charm.

For a slice of zserbó at Gerbeaud, you will have to pay 3.390 forints, plus a 15-percent service charge (which I was eventually forgiven).

7. Dobos torte

Dobos torte is another iconic layered cake from the end of the 19^th century, the golden age of Budapest confectionery. Made of six thin layers of soft sponge cake and five layers of fine chocolate buttercream, Dobos or dobosh has a hard caramel top. The pieces of caramel garnish can be either laid flat or arranged to stand at an angle, for an elevated presentation.

While some explain the name of Dobos (dob means ‘drum’ in Hungarian) with the shape of the cake (aren’t all round cakes dobos then?), the origin of Dobos is the one that secured its name. The zebra-like Budapest dessert was invented by József Carl Dobos, at the National General Exhibition of Budapest in 1885.

In the era before refrigerators, this Hungarian baker aimed at creating a cake with a longer shelf life. Besides the smooth chocolate buttercream novelty (with cocoa butter as a key ingredient), the idea was to create an additional protective wrap that would prevent the cake from drying – caramel on the top, and ground nuts on the sides.

The minimalistic-looking product (in those times) was so durable that it could have been easily shipped to other countries in special wooden boxes. Dobos torte became a star of Hungarian desserts at social events of the entire Austro-Hungarian Empire, and remained popular in this region and beyond.

Dobos torte went through a dynamic history of variations. For instance, in Mary Berry’s version of Dobos torte, there is no chocolate. She uses caramel buttercream instead.

Where to eat the best Dobos cake in Budapest?

József Dobos, who publically revealed his recipe only to stop the subpar copycats, must be turning in his grave with gazillions of non-standard variants of his cake around today. While there are many places to try a version of Dobos torte, I’d recommend you to go to Szamos Café (Kossuth Lajos tér 10).

They have many stores throughout Budapest, but you should go to the one next to the Parliament building, as there is a bonus waiting for you above the cake shop. On the upper floor, there’s a Chocolate Museum, where you can learn about the history of this beloved ingredient, the process from cocoa bean to the final product, and you can even make your very own chocolate bar!

As one of the oldest chocolate manufacturers in Hungary, Szamos was founded by Mátyás Szamos, formerly known as Mladen Savić. In the 1930s, this descendant of Serbian refugees worked as a confectionery apprentice at the famous Auguszt Cukrászda, where he fell in love with making roses out of marzipan, the craft even his master showed little interest in. But Szamos built an empire on these roses.

While you can definitely try Szamos’ signature marzipan cakes, tasting Dobos torte at this enterprise will be far from a mistake too. If you find the cake too sweet (I personally approached the caramel mostly as a decoration), their shop also sells products without added sugar. I’d mostly object to the crowding of the place, but I guess that comes hand-in-hand with fame and location.

I paid 1.000 forints for my Dobos (self-service, so no extra charge), and the Chocolate Museum entrance ticket costs 900.

For all chocolate lovers, an alternate universe where cocoa would be the main currency might sound like an ultimate escape. With the power of AI, we've created such a fantastical world of chocolate - check it out!

8. Esterházy torte

Esterházy torte is the third member of the holy trinity of Hungarian layered cakes. Its traditional version alternates up to five layers of almond meringue with layers of brandy-flavored vanilla buttercream. The topping of this Budapest dessert is fondant, decorated with chocolate in a characteristic marble or cobweb pattern.

Even the best dessert places in Budapest replaced almonds in the original Esterházy recipe with walnuts, keeping almond flakes mainly for decoration of the cake’s sides.

Esterházy torte is another innovation among Hungarian desserts in the 19^th century. An unnamed confectioner in Budapest dedicated his creation to Prince Paul III Anton Esterházy de Galántha, a noble diplomat who loved good food even when he went broke.

Habsburg Monarchy adored the cake, and it ended up as a popular dessert not only in Hungary, or just among the aristocrats. Esterházy torte became a central point of many birthdays, weddings, and other special occasions.

Where to eat the best Esterházy torte (or schnitten) in Budapest?

I’ve tried Esterházy torte at several places, and still cannot say I’ve found the one that impressed me completely.

But for the sake of the diversity of your Budapest dessert hunt, I thought you should visit Auguszt Cukrászda. There are several branches of the family running different locations, and even if the original confectionery started in 1870 on the Buda side, I visited the one in Belváros (Kossuth Lajos utca 14-16), on the Pest side, operated by Olga Auguszt since 1994.

It has an inviting, pleasant, and bright interior (floor-to-ceiling windows and a gigantic chandelier do help) to enjoy a cake of your choice. The good part is that, whenever I visited this elegant pastry shop, it was never too crowded, so it seemed like a perfect downtown place to sweeten up your day, minus the tourist hordes.

Even if the waiter told me that they are most proud of their krémes and Dobos, I chose Esterházy as my dessert. Now, I know there are no right or wrong recipes for this traditional Hungarian cake, as no one ever claimed authorship. But August’s version is made of walnut sponge cake with almond extract, and they sprinkle almond flakes only on the side. Also, the cover is not the usual fondant, but white chocolate (not that I have a preference towards any of those!).

I’m not entirely sure that these choices make for the best possible Esterházy torte, so I might need to plan a return visit to Budapest if I want to find the perfect one. If you have a suggestion on where to look, please let me know in the comments!

Esterházy torte, one of the most famous Budapest desserts, costs 1050 forints at Auguszt Cukrászda, plus 126 for the service charge.

9. Fánk

Especially in February, during the Carnival season, Budapest dessert scene cannot go without donuts. They are must-have pastries in many Central European households. In the Balkans, they are called krafne, Germans know it as krapfen, Slovaks as šišky, and Hungarian fried dough responds to the name of fánk.

This traditional dessert is made by deep-frying balls of dough made of flour, yeast, butter, egg yolks, milk, and some sugar and salt. Lemon zest and rum are optional add-ons to the dough.

The result is an extremely light, soft, and airy pastry. During the frying, typically a white stripe forms on the sides of the balls, so sometimes they are referred to as ribboned donuts.

Traditionally, Hungarian fánk is served with apricot jam and dusted with powdered sugar.

Where to eat the best fánk in Budapest?

Fánk might not sound like the most exciting dessert from Hungary. But since I fell in love with The Box Donut at one edition of the Sziget Festival, I haven’t returned to Budapest without stuffing myself with their delicious products.

There are five donut shops under this brand in the Hungarian capital, and this time I visited the one next to the Keleti train station (Thököly út 10).

Unlike traditional fánk, donuts here are square-shaped, still with the hole in the middle (but even the hole is rectangular). The shape allows for a higher filling-to-dough ratio (that’s certainly a major flavor win), but also it saves some precious space in the vitrine, or if you order your six-pack to go.

Square donuts can be packed in a box of your chosen design, for any special occasion, be it Halloween, New Year, Valentine’s Day, birthday, or just a regular gay day (yes, they have rainbow “Love is Love” boxes too).

I became addicted to these square donuts as every bite is packed with flavor, always natural, never with additives or colorants.

The toppings are the first part of the donut that will seduce you, be it flower petals, nuts, lyophilized fruits, or candied fruit peels.

But then you discover homemade creamy fillings and marmalades without preservatives, ingredients of premium quality, Callebaut chocolate with 100 % cocoa butter, frying in 100 % peanut oil…

If you are health-conscious and environment-aware like I try to be, but you still want to reward yourself with a donut now and then, The Box Donut does seem like an ideal address.

The creativity of combinations seems neverending, and incredibly inviting: maple-bacon, poppy-lemon curd, cranberry-chia, truffle-pomegranate, cardamom-fig, duck liver brulée…

They even paraphrase some of the greatest Hungarian desserts on this list, giving you donuts with curd cheese dumpling, their version of zserbó, or True Rudy (see dessert number 12).

Trust me, you’ll have trouble choosing in front of their display. Each donut costs between 790 and 1.190 forints.

10. Gelato

Okay, this might seem like an intruder on the list of the best Hungarian desserts you can eat in Budapest. But I believe a yummy gelato, the Italian-style ice cream, is always a good excuse to bend the rules.

By definition, gelato is a milk-based product with a lower percentage of fat and air (due to a slower mixing), which gives this frozen treat a denser structure, and much richer flavor than your typical ice cream has.

Tradition requires that gelato should be served with a flat spatula, not a scoop.

While gelato is not a Hungarian invention, Budapest has some really good artisan ice cream parlors that Italy would certainly not be ashamed of.

If you want to make your own street hunting for cold refreshments, look for places selling fagyi, which is the local word for ‘ice cream’.

Where to eat the best gelato in Budapest?

If you pass by St. Istvan Basilica at any time of day, you’ll notice many people walking around with roses (well, unless they are standing and taking selfies with them). But these are not ordinary roses.

They are edible, and they come from Gelarto Rosa (Szent István tér 3), a small ice cream store with disproportionally grander queues of customers in front, eager to get their piece of gelato art in a cone. Well, at least it’s really easy to spot the place.

Ice cream shaped like a rose was the business idea of Niki Szökrön, a fashion model who ended up in chef waters after training at Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna and learning the craft of ice cream roses during the internship at a small Italian family-run parlor.

In 2005, she opened her first gelato boutique in Budapest. The business got up pretty quickly, so there are actually two stores in close proximity to the basilica now.

Shaping a gelato into a rose is not only an aesthetical choice. The form supposedly preserves the creamy texture, giving premium organic ingredients a space to shine. You can expect vanilla from Réunion Island, 100% clean lavender oil from Papkert, Hungary, or pistachios grown on the volcanic soil of Bronte, Italy.

Besides regular chocolate and fruit flavors, seasonal flavors can take you all the way to Ireland (such as brown bread whiskey flavor) or Japan (salty wasabi hazelnut). You can also have your rose made of rose, coffee, nuts, and (we are in Hungary, after all) cottage cheese or poppy seed.

If you are vegan, lactose-intolerant, or diabetic, you don’t need to worry, as Gelarto Rosa has special sorbets just for you.

I had no objections to this lovely sweet ice flower that can brighten any walk through Budapest. Depending on the size you choose, the gelato will cost you 950 forints (two flavors), 1200 forints (three flavors), or 1500 forints (four flavors)

11. Kürtőskalács

Budapest dessert overview wouldn’t be complete without this sweet scroll. Kürtőskalács or the Hungarian chimney cake, however, may be another stumbling block in discussions about the dessert’s origins. And I respect the arguments.

Personally, I also tried my first chimney cone in Bran, Romania, when I was looking for vampires in Transylvania. And while there are indeed written records about the Romanian colac secuiesc from the 17^th century, we cannot deny that Székely Land was a part of the Kingdom of Hungary.

In any case, before Czechs and Slovaks start throwing stones, defending their trdelník, let’s define what the chimney cake or spit cake is.

A strip of sweet yeast dough (made of flour, sugar, yeast, butter, eggs, and milk) is wrapped around the cylindrical kürtőskalács wooden rolls, covered in granulated sugar, and brushed with melted butter.

After roasting over an open flame, the chimney cake can be coated in a variety of sweet toppings, such as ground nuts, cinnamon, chocolate, coconut, or poppy seed.

The resulting dessert is crispy on the outside, and soft on the inside, filling you with flavorful warmth as you unstrip it into your mouth.

In modern and sometimes almost blasphemous versions, kürtőskalács can be filled with anything from Nutella, ice cream, whipped cream, or even chocolate bars of famous brands.

Where to eat the best kürtőskalács in Budapest?

If you visit Budapest during some festivities (for instance, during Budapest Christmas Market), kürtőskalács will be everywhere, with street vendors fighting for a quick profit. The golden rule is that the further away you go from the crowds, the price will be getting cheaper.

I recommend you head to Fitzkey bakeries. You’ll find the kiosks of this chain at several locations (for instance, above the Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út metro station). Just like with gelato roses, you’ll easily spot them by lines of customers who nosed the newly baked batch. And as I experienced personally, the sugar rush makes some people aggressively cut the line, only to make sure they got the hot-out-of-oven chimney cake as quickly as possible.

Fitzkey chimney cake contains no egg or dairy products, which means it’s suitable for vegans. It comes only with simple, dry toppings, but that’s all you need for sweetening up your exploration of Budapest on foot.

Also, unlike other more branded Budapest places that function mostly as tourist traps, Fitzkey chimney cake is significantly cheaper. You can get one of the best Hungarian desserts with the topping of your choice for 600 forints!

12. Túró Rudi

Last but not the least, yet also technically the least product on this list of the best Hungarian desserts in Budapest is Túró Rudi.

You might’ve guessed from its name, as it has the same root as our dessert number one: Túró Rudi is a sweet marriage of cottage cheese and chocolate.

In literal translation ‘cottage cheese rod’ (this ‘rod’ was quite controversial when the snack first appeared, as people associated it with pornographic connotations), this is a chocolate bar filled with dairy cream and a myriad of flavors. Chestnut, strawberry, raspberry, apricot, caramel, vanilla… You name it, and probably there’s a curd snack with the filling of your liking.

Candy bar covered in brittle chocolate was invented in 1954, by dairy expert Rudolf Mandeville, the manager of the milk factory in Erzsébetváros. The idea was to create a Hungarian version of a Soviet product syrok, which is a rectangular bar of curd, butter, and fat, in dark chocolate coating.

As a less sweet variant of a cottage cheese bar and marketed as a healthy dessert, Túró Rudi entered mass production in 1968 in Budapest, then continued in Mátészalka.

Flavored versions of the sweet treat first appeared in the 1980s. In the beginning, the curd cheese bar was combined only with hazelnut and peanut, but later creativity prospered.

Today, every Hungarian eats 33 Túró Rudi bars per year. Together, they spend 22 billion forints on these popular Hungarian sweets.

Where to buy Túró Rudi?

You can buy Túró Rudi in most grocery stores in Hungary. Just head to the refrigerated dairy section, and you will recognize the favorite Hungarian nibbles by the iconic packaging with red polka dots.

The original manufacturer’s name is Pöttyös, but surely you’ll enjoy others as well. As a matter of fact, some of those others promise real chocolate coating, while Pöttyös uses a mixture of cocoa powder, hydrogenated vegetable fat, butter, and sugar.

You’ll be spoiled with choices, as you can get a piece for 200 forints. Buy packages with multiple bars for a discount.

If you’re looking for a late-night dessert in Budapest, it’s good to know that you can often find Túró Rudi at gas stations too.

I made a similar sugar rush report from South Korea too. If you're heading there, make sure to indulge in these Seoul desserts!

Best Hungarian desserts in Budapest – conclusion

Our whirlwind tour of the 12 best Hungarian desserts in Budapest has come to a bittersweet end. We’ve indulged in everything from classic Dobos torte to modernized mákos guba, from creamy krémes to the crunchy kürtőskalács. And it still feels as if we barely peeked under the surface!

Budapest confectioners provide an insight into the sweet side of the Hungarian culinary tradition that was boiling for centuries just like the country’s goulashes

Hungarian cuisine has always been known for its delicious and hearty dishes, but the country’s desserts deserve equal attention. Budapest offers loads of options for anyone looking to satisfy their sweet tooth.

Some of these desserts are made for eating on the go, others are part of a wider experience concept in thoughtfully arranged ambiances of patisserie-cafes or fine-dining outlets.

But the best dessert places in Budapest are influential advocates for tourism that goes beyond just admiring the architecture, be it preserved, turned into a ruin bar, or decorated by some impressive street art.

Budapest confectioners provide an insight into the sweet side of the Hungarian culinary tradition that was boiling for centuries just like the country’s goulashes. But the sweet chefs went further, managing to upgrade the experiences even when innovating the forms, answering to the needs of modern urban travelers and locals.

Hopefully, this guide through the best Hungarian desserts in Budapest has given you plenty of reasons to book your next flight to this amazing town. As for me, I think I need to hit the gym.

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So who were the luckiest contenders? Szechenyi Baths open the article, quickly followed by Rudas Baths. The overview then transfers the readers from Budapest to Miskolc for unique Cave Baths.

Truth be told, Germany also has three respectful candidates on this list. But with the inclusion of thermal centers of Berehove (Ukraine) just at the border with Hungary, it seems that the Hungarian thermal basin has valid arguments for proclaiming victory.

The best Hungarian baths

So what makes Hungarian baths so special? “With more than 1,300 hot springs, this landlocked country is a thermal spa paradise”, writes the author Vanda Mendonça. Her pick was Szechenyi Baths, the largest European thermal bath with 15 indoor and three outdoor pools, many saunas, steam rooms, and massage cabinets.

With more than 1,300 hot springs, Hungary is a thermal spa paradiseVanda Mendonça, The Yogi Wanderer

Rudas Baths are the only Budapest bath that has separate women’s and men’s days. “(…) On single-sex days, visitors do not typically use traditional swimwear. Instead, they get apron-like loincloths at the entrance, which barely cover the most critical body parts from exposure. This might not be suitable for the shyest visitors, but the idea of visiting the baths is to relax, and not stress oneself, right?”, writes Pipeaway’s Ivan Kralj. If you are intrigued, read more about Rudas Baths here!

The Cave Baths in Miskolc are the third Hungarian bath on this comprehensive list. “With cave passages created over thousands of years filled with medicinal thermal water, you are going to have a wonderful experience at this lesser-known European thermal bath”, promises Linn Haglund from the Brainy Backpackers.

European baths are a cultural experience

Thermal water brings numerous health benefits to our bodies and souls. The Yogi Wanderer, specialized for bringing inner peace to world travelers, notices another important value: “(…) Bathing in hot spring water is also an important and centuries-old tradition across Europe. Visiting a European thermal bath is not just a wellness experience, but also a cultural experience you can’t miss.”

If you want to check which thermal baths and hot springs from other countries made it to The Yogi Wanderer’s list, read the original article. I will only mention that visitors of Hungary, Switzerland, Georgia, Iceland, Poland, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Slovenia, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine will find that Europe has many thermal wonders to discover.

The Yogi Wanderer is Vanda Mendonça, a Portuguese journalist who felt trapped in her media job and found comfort in practicing yoga. She became a yoga teacher, but then also discovered that she can provide advice to mindful travelers through blogging.

What are your favorite thermal baths? Share your best spa experiences in the comments section below!

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When I looked into the data of the last year, suddenly the title “Bestselling Bookings of 2020” sounded like a joke. The decline of Pipeaway readers who continued towards the platforms such as Booking.com or Airbnb in order to plan their accommodation was staggering. For instance, only 14.937 Pipeaway visitors continued surfing at Booking.com in 2020, in comparison to 39.546 of them in 2019.

The number of international arrivals worldwide fell by 74 percent last year and brought the loss of 1,1 trillion Euros. Can the industry recover in 2021?

This drop of 62 % is probably something that many hospitality providers would even see as their success in the utterly depressing 2020. World Tourism Organization reported that the number of international arrivals worldwide fell by 74 percent and brought a loss of 1,1 trillion Euros.

The pandemic has changed, and in some places completely stopped the world from traveling. Nationwide lockdowns made it impossible to even see our closest family members. They did not leave much room for dreaming about faraway destinations and the idea of holidays. Many people lost jobs and sources of income, and travel was indeed reaffirmed as a luxury we can all refrain from.

However, vaccination against COVID-19 could restart the world economies, and eventually enable tourism as we remember.

That is why I combined the data of Pipeaway readers’ bestselling bookings in 2020 and the data of our most popular articles and search terms on Google with the research of online booking platforms! And the result is here, my very own international travel predictions for 2021!

Should I stay or should I go?

Before we dive into the recommendations of 10 countries to discover in 2021, let’s address the burning question: will we even want to travel this year?

According to the research made by Booking.com, the pandemic only fed our desire for traveling. During the lockdown, 38 % of travelers looked for potential travel destinations as often as once a week. 53 % of travelers claim to have a greater desire to see even more of the world now.

As expected, the rise of the concept of staycation will dominate. Many will not want to travel too far away from their homes so that potential new waves of the pandemic do not leave them stranded. Because of that, domestic travel and destinations reachable by personal vehicles will have an advantage in comparison to those relying on flight connections.

The research showed that 46 % of the respondents plan to take the time to appreciate the natural beauty of their home country. But that doesn’t mean that long-haul getaways are written off. Surprisingly, 21 % of people intend to travel to the other side of the world by the end of 2021. Lesser-known places and hidden gems will have an advantage, especially if visiting them means avoiding crowds.

We have all learned that staying at home is a nice privilege of the pandemic. But our restless human psychology has problems with concentrating all life activities in one place. Those of us who had to combine working from home with raising a family know how complicated things can get. Therefore, the trend of workcation is not a surprise either. Now that many learned they can do their job duties from any location, travelers will be extending their vacation time in order to work remotely in the new surroundings.

10 countries to discover in 2021

1. Greece

The overall winner of my personal 2020 year in review, my favorite new country, is also on the top of your future travel dreams, it seems. Greece has implemented a responsible approach to dealing with the pandemic, and it might just pay off.

According to 2020 bookings, you have been particularly focused on the Greek islands of Naxos and Paros. One of my own dearest discoveries was Donousa (the featured image of this article).

But judging by your conducted Google searches, in 2021 you might also be drawn by historical places such as Delphi, the center of the world, or Mount Athos monasteries, the synonym for isolation from the world.

In the field of private apartments, you have been especially looking for Airbnb stays in Santorini. The volcanic island, home of the legendary Oia sunset, could benefit again from tourism, this time on a more human scale, with hopefully fewer crowds than it is used to.

For more beachfront properties in the fantastic Greek archipelago, check out these Cyclades islands hotels.

2. Malaysia

I’ve been to Malaysia many times in recent years, but haven’t written even close enough to what this fantastic country deserves. Always immersed in visiting my friends there, my posts on Pipeaway mainly covered some of the amazing festivals the country’s diverse minorities have to offer.

While the well-attended Thaipusam piercing extravaganza, an extraordinary religious ritual, is canceled this year due to the lockdown, smaller events, such as Chap Goh Mei 2021, the very special Chinese version of Valentine’s Day, could still get under your travel radar if you happen to be around.

Last year, Pipeaway readers’ bookings focused mainly on the capital of Kuala Lumpur and Batu Caves, but for the throwing of the mandarin oranges in the sea, you will need to travel to George Town on Penang Island.

3. South Korea

With its efficient fight against the pandemic, South Korea became a role model for many countries. But there is certainly plenty of other reasons that made it one of Airbnb’s top trending destinations by the search for trips in 2021.

K-pop and Korean spa are rising in popularity everywhere, and the Oscar-winning movie “Parasite” was the most Google-searched movie title on a global level in 2020!

The modern metropolis of Seoul, the home of the Gangnam style, is definitely drawing loads of attention. When you pick your accommodation, make sure to stay somewhere close to these mouthwatering Korean desserts.

Then again, if you already fly to this exotic country, it would be a shame not to discover Jeju, South Korea’s version of Hawaii. This guide through Jeju Island attractions, including the raunchy Jeju Loveland, will help you make the most out of your stay there.

4. Philippines

Having the island sharing the name with the most talked-about virus of our times, it is not unusual that the Philippines ended up being the result of many Google searches by Pipeaway visitors.

Coron Island, in northern Palawan, is definitely a place of exquisite beauty and will be finding its spot on the bucket lists of travelers even after the memories of coronavirus fade away.

For ideas on where to stay in this tropical paradise, do your accommodation planning for Palawan here!

If you are visiting this archipelago country during Easter, experience the Holy Week crucifixion in Pampanga with your own eyes! Maleldo Festival is one of those extraordinary events that are not for the faint-hearted. Approach the bloody religious celebration with caution!

5. Norway

About 56 % of travelers questioned by Booking.com claim that they will seek out more rural and off-the-beaten-track experiences in future travels.

Norway, with its amazing nature and the old law of allemannsretten (that gives freedom of wild camping anywhere for free), is a perfect destination for everyone who wants to immerse in the great outdoors.

Fjords, such as Aurlandsfjord or Lysefjord, are exciting places to start your hiking adventures in Norway that could eventually bring you to the famous natural rocks of Kjeragbolten and Preikestolen, or even the longest staircase in the world!

If you prefer civilization, you may follow the hint of those Pipeaway readers who searched for Bergen, the rainiest European city.

6. Japan

One of my all-time favorites, Japan is definitely a potential winner of international travel predictions 2021. The country had to postpone the Olympics due to the COVID-19 world pandemic. But as a nation that showed more than once that it can rise from the ashes, the Japanese could be back on track in no time!

If you head to the capital, consider staying at these artsy Tokyo hostels that will save some of your accommodation money, but also offer a unique experience.

Japan’s historical capital of Nara is not a huge metropolis but is definitely worth a trip. The former home of Nara Dreamland amusement park, the city is a strong outpost of the Shinto belief system, and Nara Deer Park is full of these sacred animals.

If you think this was an unusual religious take, what would you say about the penis celebration in Japan? Kanamara Matsuri is an annual festival in Kawasaki, and you haven’t seen anything like it!

As tourism predictions for 2021 do include trips in nature, our suggestion is – Kegon Falls!

7. Indonesia

According to Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, the most popular world destination in 2021 will be Bali, Indonesia.

There is plenty of top resorts and luxury escapes in Bali, but if we trust the interest of Google searchers for Pipeaway hotel reviews, the winner of the year could be Munduk Moding Plantation, the isolated resort on a private coffee plantation and with swimming pools that repay in Instagram likes.

You could also consider The Menjangan, my favorite hotel of the past year, in an equally isolated area of West Bali National Park. You would be surrounded by amazing wildlife in the jungle and the ocean. It’s the closest you can get to owning a slice of paradise.

In urban areas of Bali, you should pay attention to Aria Villas in Ubud, The Santai in Canggu, and The Bale resort in Nusa Dua.

8. Cambodia

The research suggests that an eco-conscious mindset will prevail in the years ahead of us. 69 % of Booking.com respondents expressed their expectations that the travel industry should offer more sustainable travel options.

The movement of travelers against plastic is very strong in Cambodia, with Jaya House River Park in Siem Reap leading the race, and not only in the hospitality business.

Long gone are the days when tourists would arrive only to experience Angkor Wat sunrise or similar stunning attraction.

Hotels after COVID-19 will need to offer more, and implementing environment-friendly methods in their business seems to be in line with the expectations of future travelers.

9. Hungary

It seems that the crisis in the job market synchronized with the crisis in the travel market will inevitably make us price-savvy. 62 % of travelers in Booking.com research said they will be price-conscious when it comes to searching and planning a trip.

Hungary has been known as one of the most affordable world countries for years and could reap fruits from that status in 2021, in case the pandemic gets under control.

Budapest as the capital will be on the top of the list of places travelers wish to return to as soon as possible. After its cancellation in 2020, people are eager to get back to the Sziget music festival, one of the biggest live events in Europe. Budapest is also the city of spas, and places such as Rudas Baths will help us get back to our “old normal” selves.

10. Croatia

Predictions on international travel in 2021 also speak of prioritizing increased cleanliness, health and safety standards. 70 % of travelers will only book a particular accommodation if it’s clear what health and hygiene policies it has in place.

Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, has been declared the European capital with the cleanest tourist accommodation on both Booking.com and Airbnb! That’s quite some success!

Another country’s jewel worth discovering is definitely Dubrovnik, the home of the “Game of Thrones”, where the abandoned Hotel Belvedere Dubrovnik still speaks of the King’s Landing’s heydays.

With 2020 having a worldwide negative impact on cruise ship tourism, always great results of Dubrovnik decreased. But as probably the largest attraction of the Adriatic Sea, it will rebuild its tourism as an engine of recovery for the entire region.

2021 travel predictions – Conclusion

Nobody could have predicted what would happen in the tourism business in 2020. With an experience of a pandemic that stopped the world economy, giving international travel industry predictions for 2021 seems like an ungrateful task.

With no crystal ball in possession and no prophet colleague to ask, fortunetelling is still possible through analyzing the trends in the travelers’ market.

Using private cars could resurrect the idea of a road trip as the favorite way to spend holidays

In short, we cannot stand staying at home anymore. But we are also not brave enough to leave far away from it. If we do make a long-distance trip, we will make sure we are bringing work with us. We have learned that surprises can happen when we least expect them. The paramount quality of traveling is the feeling of freedom. Being stranded in a foreign place certainly opposes this basic idea.

With the experience of canceled flights and waiting for refunds for months, travelers will prefer being in charge of their travel arrangements. Using private cars could resurrect the idea of a road trip as the favorite way to spend holidays.

We will also be careful about what we pay and what we get for it. This means we will expect flexible cancellation policies, as well as high standards of cleanliness.

When we combined the data of Pipeaway’s readers and booking platforms’ users, Eurasia turned out to have the most tourism winners.

In Europe, we are talking about Greece, Norway, Hungary, and Croatia.

Asia heads its travel race with Malaysia, South Korea, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, and Cambodia.

I hope you have found travel inspiration in some of these destinations.

For the best overview of hotels, always check the offer on Booking.com.

Safe travels!

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The post International Travel Predictions 2021: Top 10 Countries to Discover appeared first on Pipeaway.

Like most other travelers, I manage to stay on the road for the major part of the year by paying for my accommodation. That means – by finding great hotel and hostel deals! While I’m checking many resources, the service I use the most is Booking.com, which is why I also personally recommend it.

While the bookings in 2017 were suggesting the popularity of Southeastern Asia, the data of 2018 puts a spotlight on Southeastern Europe!

The good news is – you are using it too! In 2018, there have been 81.838 of you who have visited Booking.com through Pipeaway’s affiliate links. And while the volume is confirming the trust you have in our recommendations, the concrete bookings you make can tell us more about the traveling trends of our users. While the bestselling bookings of 2017 have been putting the spotlight on Asia, the hit destinations, according to the data of 2018, are centered in Southeastern Europe!

Wherever you choose to travel in 2019, you can find some fantastic deals on Booking.com. But if you are a first time user, you might want to scroll down to the end of this article! I will be giving you an additional 10 percent discount on any booking deal you can find on that website!

But first, let’s see Pipeaway readers’ top accommodation choices in 2018!

1. Best Rest Guest House, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

In 2019, Plovdiv in Bulgaria is a European Capital of Culture. This will certainly make it one of the most attractive European destinations! If you didn’t know it already, this is the oldest continually inhabited city in the whole of Europe! Plovdiv is packed with historical heritage behind every corner. On the other side, it is urban, creative and artsy at the same time, making it a perfect destination for the younger travelers too! It is therefore not such a surprise that the Best Rest Guest House recommended in our article is your no. 1 choice. If you are heading to Plovdiv, book in advance, as good beds in 2019 will be selling fast! To find other propositions on what to do in the town, follow Pipeaway’s 24-hour itinerary through Plovdiv.
Booking.com guests review – 9,6/10

2. Hotels in Greece

Greece will definitely be a great summer destination in 2019! I was traveling through this beautiful country in May and June last year, and while I focused my writing mainly on Cyclades Islands, Delphi, and Mount Athos, there is so much more to explore in Greece! I will be probably heading back very soon! Here are some places whose popularity from 2018 will only grow:

Syros

Emily Hotel – Settled right on the Achladi Beach on the island of Syros, this small family-run hotel is just the right size! I wrote about it in the selection of the best beachfront hotels in the Cyclades.
Booking.com guests review – 9,8/10

Syra Suites – Not far from the previous hotel, Syra Suites offers luxurious, fully-equipped apartments. If you want to be self-sustainable during your Syros holidays, this should be your choice!
Booking.com guests review – 9,5/10

Serifos

Coco-Mat Eco Residences – Just above the Vagia Beach, one of the prettiest ones on Serifos, this hotel with exceptional breakfast places its rooms into the renovated miners’ houses. It was my top choice in the best Cycladic beachfront hotels!
Booking.com guests review – 9,1/10

Paros

Paros Bay Hotel – Another eco-friendly hotel on the island of Paros is showing great respect towards the traditional Greek island architecture, but also incorporates a nice pool to refresh yourself, in case that waves on the beach are too rough.
Booking.com guests review – 9,0/10

Zefi Hotel – Naoussa is a traditional fishermen village on the northern coast of Paros. Zefi Hotel centers around the lovely swimming pool, a great option when you are too lazy to even walk to the special beaches the area is famous for. Here is a selection of things to do in Naoussa.
Booking.com guests review – 8,0/10

Athos

Gkeea Boutique Hotel – This stylish property with a wonderful breakfast is located in Ierissos, one of the lazy towns at the entrance to the mystical Holly Mountain (Agion Oros). The peninsula is reserved only for men, so Gkeea is a perfect oasis for the female part of the family, as well as for men returning from visiting the ascetic Mount Athos monasteries.
Booking.com guests review – 9,5/10

Delphi

Kastalia Boutique Hotel – If you are visiting Delphi, the center of the ancient world, Kastalia Boutique Hotel, run by a former plane crew couple, is a great choice! The portions in their restaurant are very generous, beware!
Booking.com guests review – 8,8/10

3. Hostels in Budapest, Hungary

Hungary is another country in Southeastern Europe that comes with a lot to offer, for extremely affordable prices. My favorite thing to do in Budapest is visiting its amazing spas such as Rudas Baths, or just enjoying some extraordinary cultural events in the city such as the annual Sziget Festival.

Here are the hostels Pipeaway’s readers were booking in 2018:

Flow Hostel – Booking.com guests review – 8,8/10

Essential Hostel – Booking.com guests review – 8,0/10

Marco Polo Top Hostel – Booking.com guests review – 8,0/10

10 % DISCOUNT FOR YOUR BOOKING

Now that you got some ideas on where Pipeaway’s followers enjoyed staying in 2018, why don’t you look for your own getaway on Booking.com?

If you want to use a 10 % discount on your first booking, register through my referral link: https://www.booking.com/s/97_6/centar95. You will get a 10 percent refund reward after you make your first booking!

After registering, get back to this list of bestselling properties in 2018. If our readers AND other guests loved these, Pipeaway-approved listings might be your new compass for picking a place to stay! Start your best travels ever!

I’D LOVE TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU IF YOU STAYED IN ANY OF THE PROPERTIES MENTIONED ABOVE! HOW DID YOU LIKE THEM? PLEASE COMMENT BELOW!

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Set on the bank of the Danube, Buda side, at the foot of the Gellert Hill, just next to the Erzsebet Bridge, Rudas Baths were built in the 16^th century, during Ottoman rule.

The healing center with the baths was actually there from the 13^th century when the Knights of St John built the hospital.

The renovation project was monitored by Pasha Mehmed Sokolovic, who had ordered the use of the best materials and tiles imported from Turkey!

The relaxing and healing qualities of 21 underground springs laid the foundation for the long history of Terme Rudas Budapest.

Rudas Baths are among the 18 best thermal baths in Europe, according to travel experts. Three Hungarian baths made it to The Yogi Wanderer's list!

Rudas Baths Men’s Day

Unlike the other Budapest bathhouses that are open to both men and women on all days, Rudas Bath during the week caters to one gender only, like in the old days! Tuesdays are reserved for the ladies and other workdays for gentlemen.

Bathing suits are required only during the weekends. On a same-sex day, you literally don’t have to bring anything!

Daily thermal ticket costs 6.700 forints (17 euros/18 dollars). If you want to reduce your Rudas Baths price, Budapest Card will provide a 50 % discount, but also free public transport, free museum tickets, and many more benefits!

At the reception of Rudas Baths, you will receive a plastic bracelet with a magnetic chip. Use it to pass through the turnstile gate!

The staff inside does not speak much English, so just take the white piece of cloth they are offering to you, and approach the wall-mounted machine which will scan your bracelet and inform you about the number of your cabin. Find the booth and undress! Use the wristlet to lock the cabin again.

There are Asian baths where visitors are separated by gender and enjoy their experience bare naked. Check out the Korean spa!

The revealing apron

It might seem awkward at first because the apron you got is covering only the front part of your crotch. But that is the traditional way!

Sure, you might jump into your swimming trunks, and I have seen exceptionally shy visitors doing just that (or taking two aprons to form the full circle skirt!), but honestly, you would only look like an idiot.

Ignoring the local customs draws attention and raises the level of embarrassment and awkwardness, not the other way around.

So just go with the flow, feel free, and relax! If Arnold Schwarzenegger managed to survive it when they were filming “Red Heat” here, so can you!

Well, things do change: the new dress code policy at Rudas is two aprons indeed! Real all you need to know about the modesty apron controversy. 

You can watch the entire “Red Heat” movie here! Here’s a preview of the scene filmed in the baths!

Swimming under the Rudas Baths’ rainbow

First, you will arrive at the shower area. Make sure to shower before entering the baths! That is the fundamental rule of hygiene.

The soap provided might not be of the best quality, so if you prefer something else, bring with you whatever suits you better!

The main thermal area room is dominated by the magnificent octagonal pool.

Covered by a hemispheric 10-meter diameter dome supported by eight pillars, the pool is a place of the play of light. The tiny windows in the cupola filter the light beams and wash the pool in different colors of the rainbow!

With the echo of the space, the voices of visitors produce a reverberating sound that inspires one’s meditation.

The temperature of the water in the main pool is 36 degrees Celsius. It is surrounded by four smaller pools, where the temperature ranges from 28 to 42 degrees.

Some of them are perfect for plunging in after the visit to the sauna. There are three consecutive Finnish saunas connected to each other with gradient temperature, and one steam room.

The idea of the loincloth is that you turn it around in the sauna, so you don’t sit on the chair with your bare bottom. The consequence of this idea is that your front is now exposed

Nudity and gay cruising

When you exit the pool, your loincloth will, naturally, get wet, and this means your anatomy will be more visible than you have possibly planned.

But if you want to enter the saunas, you should really leave your inhibitions in the pool! The idea of the loincloth is that you turn it around in the sauna, so you don’t sit on the chairs with your bare bottom. The consequence of this idea is that your front is now exposed to the views of the other visitors. So is theirs. Get over it!

Even if some visitors might be interested in something more than bathing, this is not a gay establishment! Everyone is welcome and friendly, so follow the usual respectful manners, and you will enjoy the atmosphere of this special place!

One of the Korean spas in our selection of the best jjimjilbangs in Seoul also turned out to be an informal gay cruising spot. Would that deter you from visiting?

The healing touch of masseurs at Rudas Baths

The next area is dedicated to various types of massage.

I have tried Rudas Baths’ signature water massage with soap foam, which is rather affordable (5.200 forints or 13 euros/14 dollars for 20 minutes, at the time of writing; nowadays, only available as 40-minute treatment for 12.000 forints which equals 29 euros or 32 dollars), but also quite enjoyable.

Even if the establishment has younger masseurs, I was treated by the expert hands of Mr. Laci, who has decades of experience which indeed transfers.

Before exiting the thermal baths area, there is another plunge pool, for the bravest ones. With a temperature of 16 degrees Celsius, this was the only one I didn’t dare to try.

Towels are available at the exit, and you can stay in the resting zone until you gather back your strength. Taking a nap is welcome!

For proper sleep, book yourself one of the affordable accommodation options. Check the latest prices of the most recommended places to stay in Budapest!

Spa labyrinth

If you have bought the combined ticket that includes the swimming pool and wellness area, for 3.100 forints extra (8 euros/dollars more), your exploration of Rudas Baths has just begun.

The Ottoman-era wing was enlarged in the 19^th century and, in this classicist wing, one can enjoy swimming in the 20-meter-long pool.

This is a shared space between men and women every day, so you will need a bathing suit for this part of the building!

There are five more pools here, including the panorama pool on the rooftop, which provides excellent views of the Danube.

The wellness area is another labyrinth consisting of a Finnish sauna, aroma sauna, steam cabin, hot-air cabin, salt cabin…

When I say labyrinth, I really mean it. Even if, in my first passing through, I easily found the restaurant sandwiched between the wellness facilities, I had a hard time finding it later, when I actually got hungry.

If you fancy a full-day spa experience in Rudas Baths that accompanies thermal water pleasures with a three-course meal and a glass of wine or champagne, reserve your spot now!

Eat well

Rudas spa could benefit from some better sign navigation, but if you manage to reach the restaurant which serves Turkish-Hungarian fusion cuisine, you will not be sorry!

I have tried the local specialty – goulash soup with freshly baked bread! With the price of 950 forints (2 euros/dollars), and a free beer included (!), this was such a steal!

So I just had to try the cheesecake as well, which was delicious and refreshing for 1.150 Forints (3 euros/dollars more or less)!

After a good meal, you have to treat yourself to some delicacy! These are the best Hungarian desserts you can eat in Budapest!

Drink even better

Hungarians believe that Hungaria, Attila and Juventus springs provide health, so visitors are welcome to drink the water at the designated areas.

After bathing, your skin will be scented with a rotten egg smell, but that’s a small sacrifice for health benefits!

Interested in the water content? The spa website says that this is a “radio-active hot spring water with calcium-magnesium-hydrogen-carbonate also containing sodium and sulfate and with a significant content of fluoride ions”. It might not tell you a lot, but supposedly it has a therapeutic effect on degenerative joint diseases, chronic and sub-acute arthritis, discus hernia, and neuralgia!

If you fancy naked relaxation, consider traveling to Greece! Discover their clothing-optional resorts and most fantastic nude beaches! 

From radio-active water to psychedelic music

Thermal baths are an unskippable part of any Budapest itinerary. Rudas Baths is a small window into the city’s past. The history of bathing as a socializing ritual that also brings health benefits to its practitioners reaches back to Roman times in this area.

Turks certainly brought additional value to the culture of soaking in thermal water, and while it was exclusively reserved for men for centuries, since 2006, women can use the baths on set days.

Weekends are shared, and at some places include even night bath experiences, which at Szechenyi Baths grow into sparty. The combination of spa and party comes with psychedelic music and laser shows!

The hippos in the neighboring Budapest Zoo are also enjoying the geothermal waters from the Szechenyi spring. Some experts interpret that the thermal waters are the reason why the hippo couple got a baby, which generally doesn’t happen in captivity.

Day by day, Budapest’s bath story is continuously evolving. We always knew that water means life. But here, where miraculous streams flow under our feet, we become aware that water does not mean just any life. It is an essential element of – the good life. The secret is to embrace it and use all its benefits!

But wait, that’s not all…

Gellert Baths – another spa labyrinth to get lost in

Sourcing its water from Gellert Hill, the same as Rudas Baths, Gellert Baths (Gellert Furdo in Hungarian) is another Budapest spa you can check.

Gellert baths complex opened in 1918, with the Art Nouveau building housing both the thermal baths and the hotel. The outdoor pools (including the wave pool and the Finnish sauna) were added later.

Until 2013, Gellert Baths were separated by gender, but today their clients can mix, which makes it more practical for the visit of couples and families. However, this adds up to the atmosphere of the space feeling more touristy, and personally, I prefer Rudas’ more relaxed local feel.

Famous for its Secession architecture and beautiful mosaic tiles decoration, Gellert Baths are still intriguing to explore.

However, you will need to put more effort into doing it! If you think the wellness area of Rudas Baths is a maze, wait to get lost in Gellert Baths! I literally had to ask several times to find the sauna area in this labyrinth, with two of the employees not even knowing the answer! Signage boards in the place could definitely get improved!

Another thing I need to object to concerns the metal parts of the door handles in the saunas. Heated up to such temperature, they become dangerously hot, so take care!

Gellert Baths admission costs 11.000 forints (27 euros/30 dollars), with locker included. The ticket price with the cabin usage is 1.000 forints extra (2 euros/3 dollars). At weekends, the price is 1.500 Forints more. If you stay at Danubius Hotel Gellért in the same building, you can use the baths for half of the price!

This article was originally published on the Pipeaway blog on December 16th, 2017, but was updated on April 8th, 2025. 

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Every year, this Budapest institution attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world, interested in attending concerts, parties, performances, movies, lectures, workshops, games, food and drinks, in its artsy and relaxed environment.

The audience covers the vast spectrum from young to old, from straight to gay, from Pink to punk fans, from Sado Opera to real opera lovers.

Being on the Island of Freedom doesn’t mean you are free to do ANYTHING you want

The place of the event is promoted as the Island of Freedom, and many szitizens come to express their identity, or just joke with it.

But don’t be literal! Being on the island of freedom doesn’t mean you are free to do ANYTHING you want or what your little mind comes up with.

After a week of Sziget Festival hands-on experience, this is my list of things you should never do at this, or any other similar, festival. Follow this Sziget Festival guide if you don’t want to be considered a jerk!

Sziget Festival ultimate tips

1. Don’t experience Sziget Festival through the big screens!

At one point in their concert, Bosnian Dubioza Kolektiv needed to wave to the Sziget audience and shout: “Hellooo! We are here, you know?!”

Technologically advanced, Sziget Festival provides live footage of the concerts at its main stages via three huge screens.

But if you have already made an effort to get into the first rows, or even better, if you have already made an effort to travel for your favorite bands from Australia, Hong Kong, or any other of 100 countries from which visitors traveled to Hungary, why spend the evening with your eyes glued to the video wall?

The event is live, you are alive, jerk, so don’t let the artists see you preferring their 2D version on the sides of the stage where they stand.

If Dubioza Kolektiv can see you not looking at them, there is a big chance you can actually see them directly, with no help of the screens that are installed there mainly for the audience that wasn’t as lucky as you were, so they couldn’t even approach the stage!

2. Don’t spend the entire concert with a mobile phone in your hand!

Sure, it’s understandable you want to prove to your social media followers and fans that you were there at Sziget Festival, just meters away from, let’s say, The Naked and Famous. You might even tag the band into your footage, hoping that this is the way to get noticed by your favorite stars and even get “liked”.

However, your video will probably be crappy, shaky, and overexposed, and your mobile phone will not even record the loud sound properly. So just don’t!

Did you know that professional photographers are usually not allowed to take pictures of the concert after the first three songs? So if the professionals cannot make them, why do you think that your amateur footage will be of any worth?

If the festival is protecting you from having your view blocked by the potentially annoying pro photographers, why do you think that your amateur filming of the concert is not as annoying to the people behind you?

During the same TNAF concert, I saw the visitors tagging their friends on social networks in real time or even checking the sports news, just 10 meters from the stage.

I’ve seen the worst example of a dehumanized Sziget jerk during the Pink concert. This girl spent the entire concert on the shoulders of her bearer, with a selfie stick in her hands. I haven’t witnessed ONE single moment when she would film the singer or the band. Her camera lens was always turned towards herself while she was singing Pink songs high above the audience. Even when Pink, in the concert finale, started to fly over the crowd, just meters away, for the selfie stick girl, this was not nearly as spectacular as filming herself while lip-synching the live song.

Free your hands and enjoy the music!

For more content on selfie idiotism, read this article on selfies in galleries!

3. Don’t continue dancing if you just threw up on the dance floor!

With Sziget Festival growing older, it seems its crowd is getting younger and younger. It may be happening with all the popular festivals out there.

Younger partygoers generally have a harder time estimating their limits when drinking, and this could be the reason why constant ambulance sirens during Sziget Festival are a regular atmospheric background for Budapest citizens.

If one of the friends in your group throws up on a dance floor during a concert (I witnessed this the very first day of the festival), don’t just hug her, hoping that now she might get better. Hugs don’t heal overdosing on alcohol! More beer to fill up just emptied stomach won’t help either!

This girl was throwing up during the concert at least twice, with the constant gag reflex play of her throat. It did provide more dancing room for her friends. Only jerks can stay around the throwing-up ‘dancer’, comforting her with hugs.

4. Don’t throw your cups or cans in the air!

Temperatures at Sziget Festival can get quite high (up to 37 degrees Celsius this year!), and you might conclude that everyone would appreciate sprinkling them with some beer or cocktail leftover. Well, they don’t, jerk!

If you are lazy enough to throw your trash in the garbage bin (which, true, might be impractical during the concert), dispose of it under your own feet.

Nobody else should care about your plastic cups, your cocktail bucket, or your flying ice. You are dangerous and stupid!

5. Don’t get so high that you will appropriate other people’s tents!

Anouk from the Netherlands came back to her tent and found an unknown male sleeping.

“I pulled him out by his legs, but he still didn’t want to wake up. He grabbed my tent, so I kicked him in his stomach”, she says.

Luckily, this happened during the daytime, so Anouk was not alone. Her tent neighbors took things into their own hands. The testosterone quickly rose to the level of physical conflict.

The problem is that if you get wasted (which, on Sziget, as at most other music festivals, is not that hard), crossing the line may cost you more than you could imagine.

This guy was continuously returning to the conflict zone, which made the tension even greater, and finally, only the fear of real injuries saved him. Don’t be a jerk – take drugs only until you still remember where YOUR tent is!

Look at the video of this breaking and entering on Pipeaway’s YouTube channel:

6. Don’t intervene in Sziget Festival’s art installations!

Just because you have a color spray, that doesn’t entitle you to write over the artwork. If your creativity was any worth, Sziget Festival would probably have paid you to come.

Nobody cares about your colorful interventions, climbing the installation or getting stuck in it, or even dismantling it into pieces.

If you are destroying the artwork, you are just ignorant and should go to the local junkyard next time, and not to an international arts festival.

7. Don’t jump on Sziget Festival performers!

One could assume that the majority of the Sziget Festival audience is there to party with their favorite bands, DJs, and drinks.

It is great that the festival still offers to its audience less commercial content too, such as opera, theatre, dance, or street performances. That doesn’t mean that a typical visitor will always know how to behave in an unknown environment.

They might confuse the indoor performance space with a bar where they can just chat with their friends as loudly as they want.

When on the street, these jerks’ stupidity can even take on a physical form. After the Big Bugs from the Dutch Mr. Image Theatre appeared on Sziget Island streets, I felt truly sad for the artists’ hardship.

No, jerks, you cannot sit on performers or bend their costumes! You cannot hump them just because they are selflessly trying to entertain you, you ungrateful idiots! And no, just because they play bugs for you, it doesn’t mean you can step on them and try to crush them! You shouldn’t do that with regular bugs either, so why are you training your jerkism on people?

See humans attacking bugs on Pipeaway’s YouTube channel:

8. Don’t stand if everyone behind you is sitting!

While waiting for the Australian Limbo performance in the Magic Mirror tent, everyone found a place to sit on the floor.

But a certain group of people found the good spot from where to see the performance, yet refused to sit down. Quickly, the situation escalated to the rest of the audience shouting unanimously: “Sit down! Sit down!”

Even public shaming did not make them all comply. So, if you don’t want to be considered a jerk, sit closer to Sziget stages or stand further away. But don’t block the view of the majority for your own commotion!

9. Don’t save seats for “friends who will come”!

As the whole Sziget Festival audience gets the right to see all content under the price of their festival ticket, it is important to arrive early if you want good seats in, for instance, the Cirque du Sziget tent.

At one of the circus performances, a girl reserved three empty seats in the first row. While all other audience was sent into the back of the tent, these seats have been there free and empty.

Nobody is VIP who can just show up at the performance start time and get the best seats in the house. And no, girl, your jerk friends did not show up!

10. Don’t lie on three bean bags if other Szitizens are lying on the bare floor!

You might think that Sziget Festival has provided you with bean bags as modular Lego elements that enable you to assemble your private armchair or even sofa.

But, sorry, jerk! Just because you have arrived earlier than others at the movie projection, it doesn’t mean that everything you find is yours. Other people should not lie on the floor just because you wish to rest your legs in the air!

Sziget is about sharing, so make new friends, not enemies! Also, no, you cannot bring the bean bag to your tent just because you thought it would make an excellent pillow!

11. Don’t take 12 flags and 7 balls at Sziget Festival’s Special parties!

Every evening, Sziget Festival organizes the so-called Special parties, where the spirit of the community under the Sziget flag should be celebrated.

On this occasion, the festival gives away thousands of flags, beach balls, pom-poms, clapping sticks, or any other similar accessory that can make Szitizens cheer together.

However, it is so sad seeing many just coming over to “steal” the free props with no intention of even participating in the party.

So, yes, you jerk, if you plan to get some free balls for your whole family, don’t just empty them of air and walk away in an unknown direction! Stay around and participate in the special party if you want the free prop for later fun!

12. Don’t pee next to someone’s tent!

Sziget Festival provides just enough urinals and toilets for visitors to use for free. Therefore, there is no reason for you to get your thing out and pee just next to someone’s tent! That equals peeing in your own pants. So if you think other Szitizens will enjoy your smelly pee running down their tent, just pee in your pants next time. Jerk.

13. Don’t jump the queue for the taxi! (or security line)

Sziget Festival has secured very efficient systems of control at the entrance, as well as providing an organized taxi stop to go back to the Budapest center.

Even if the line of the waiting Szitizens looks long, the wait is really not. So don’t pretend you are deaf, or that you are limping, or that you are working for the festival, or that your friends are at the front, or give whatever lame excuse you can think of to try to jump the queue. You are just being a pathetic jerk!

14. Don’t be asked to wash your feet!

Luminarium is a standard Sziget Festival attraction. Designed by British Architects of Air, it is an inflatable sculpture of some 800 square meters of tunnels and domes, that serves as a colorful labyrinth, where Szitizens can explore or just chill in.

From this year, Luminarium creators have installed a washbowl at the entrance, intended for people with smelly feet.

Well, I don’t know who initiated the new measures of protecting the freshness of Luminarium air, but if you go to places where you need to take your shoes off, wash your feet beforehand, jerk! You should wash them even if you don’t go to such places, you know.

15. Don’t enter a Turkish bath in your filthy Sziget trunks!

Some combo tickets for Sziget Festival allow you to visit the famous Budapest baths in your free time.

Some, such as the Rudas Baths, are traditional ones, so you will find most of the visitors in loincloths, covering only their private front. Sure, bathing trunks are also acceptable for easily intimidated tourists. But clean ones. Locals complain that Szitizens are bringing Sziget dust into the environment, where the primary intention is purity.

Then again, why would you even come to a place where everyone is practically naked, and you are the only one in pants? Really? Does that not make you feel even more exposed? As in… Everyone is looking at you?

You, jerk, didn’t even shower before entering the baths! And one of you, jerks, even bathed in trunks where your undies were protruding out, in gangsta style. Really? Bathing in trunks and underwear underneath? You are the king of jerks, congratulations!

If you are looking for a place to stay during your Sziget Festival adventure, find the best-priced accommodation in Budapest here!

Sziget Festival Tips – Conclusion

The 25th edition of the Sziget Festival was attended by 452.000 visitors. It is statistically normal that some of them would be jerks indeed. But your intention should be not to be one of them!

There are plenty of ways to have fun and be one on Sziget and similar festivals – you really don’t need to shine up as the biggest festival jerk. Let Szitizens remember how they were laughing with you, and not at you!

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