Király fürdõ is one of the smaller Budapest baths.

The bath is so small that it is hardly noticeable when you walk by it along Fõ utca. Start from the 4/6 tram stop at the foot of Margit Bridge on the Buda side, then walk south along Frankel Leó utca and then continue on Fõ utca. After passing by the beautifully renovated building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, look to the right side of the street and you will spot the copper Turkish dome.

Attached to the dome is an old two-story house painted a very bright shade of green. It is as if the steam coming from the bath has nourished not only the vegetation around the buildings but the house itself.

The changing rooms are on the second floor. You have to summon the attendant to get a locker opened, just as in the city`s other attendant locks the door to your space, but only after you have secured it with your own key.

The lockers have a peculiar window too small for those outside to see into, unless they stop and make a concerted effort. Still, I felt uneasy leaving my belongings in there, though there was a good measure of security in the complicated double-closing procedure, the variations of which are a trade mark of Budapest baths: the attendant locks the door to your space, but only after
you have secured it with your own key.

The showers are on the first floor and don` t forget to take soap and shampoo with you. Despite what was promised at the entrance, I was not given a sheet to cover myself up, so take your own towel too as a precaution.

The baths are on the first floor, where you enter the Turkish part of the bath. The first thing you notice is the sauna, here called a Hõlégkamra (hot air chamber). The air is not so hot, however, as the heat is produced by four metal radiators rather than the usual electric fireplace.The real baths are accessed through a narrow entrance to the dome. The building is octagonal, with the pool following the shape of the dome. On every side there are deep niches under the vaults which support the cupola; on four of these sides sit benches which will prove very useful after a hot bath.

Under the other arches, there are separate small pools, each large enough for three or four people. One of these side pools is extremely hot, while the other one , is filled with frigid water for the after-sauna dip.

The inside of the building, looking like a giant mushroom, is fascinating. The thick steam really minimizes visibility - this is a true steam bath and the light comes in through little holes in the cupola, same as at the Rudas fürdõ, another Turkish bath.

Sit on the side of the large pool, close your eyes and listen to the murmuring echo of the discussions around you: a soothing way to relax. There is nothing else to do except talk and relax: the bath is too steamy and dark to read or play chess.

The Király is one of the few Budapest baths that does not have its own source of water. In 1565 the Turks built it here because they wanted a bath house inside the city walls in case of a siege. They got the water from the area around the Lukács baths via a pine pipeline.

The last thing to check out in Király fürdõ is the hammam (steamy sauna). The hammam sits under one of the side domes, accessed through a niche in the main dome; it hardly seems possible, but it is darker and steamier than the main pool.

Light comes from above and from several completely unstylish but very useful lamps.

Two hours on the weekend and an hour and a half on weekdays is the maximum time allowed in the bath. The attendant notes the time of your arrival and asks for extra if you have overstayed.

Király Baths
II. Fõ utca 82-84
Take Tram 4/6 to Budai hídfõ.
The entrance opens onto Fõ utca.

The cashier closes an hour before the baths.