On 30 April 2008, Brussels Mini-Europe park opened its brand new site, the famous Budapest Széchenyi Baths in Hungary

Budapest’s Medicinal Széchenyi Bath in Hungary are one of the biggest and most beautiful baths in Europe. In the realistic miniature we can admire the unique atmosphere of the site and the visitors playing chess in the medicinal water. To celebrate the event, the Hungarian Tourist Office, in collaboration with Mini-Europe, organised an event, the Hungarian Days, from 1-4 May, in order to offer the possibility to discover this famous part of Hungary. The goal was to present the folkloric, architectural and gastronomic highlights of the wonderful variety Hungary can offer to the visitor.

A Real Gem

The Széchenyi Baths are one of the largest bathing complexes in all Europe, and the only “old” medicinal baths to be found in the Pest side of the city. The indoor medicinal baths date from 1913 and the outdoor pools from 1927. There is an atmosphere of grandeur about the whole place with the bright, largest pools resembling aspects associated with Roman baths. The three outdoor pools (one of which is a fun pool) are open all year, including winter. Indoors there are over ten separate pools, and a whole host of medical treatments is also available.

The thermal water is drawn from both natural springs and a 3,000-foot deep artesian well drilled in the 1870’s (the temperature of the water coming from this well is 165°F (74°C)). If you have seen winter pictures of men playing chess in an outdoor pool while the steam rises around them, then this is where they were taken.

In the early 1930s, Budapest, as the capital possessing the most healing thermal water springs in the world, was awarded the title "SpaCity". At the behest of the Budapest Fürdőváros Egyesület (Budapest SpaCity Association), the first International Balneological Congress was organised in Budapest in 1937. The seat of the International Balneological Association was established at the Gellért Thermal Bathin Budapest. This was motivated by the Congress with the following:"...no city can put forward a stronger claim to this than Budapest. Endowed by nature with a wonderful generosity of excellent thermal waters and unrivalled natural beauty; additionally, its high medical professionalism, the excellent equipment of its healing institutions,the high level of scientific research, makes Budapest the optimum choice for international affairs of balneology to be handled from here..."

Water temperatures: 68-100°F (20-38°C). Pools: outdoor swimming pool, fun pool and thermal pool, twelve indoor thermal pools. Water mineral content: thermal water containing nitrates, calcium-magnesium-hydrogen-carbonates and sulphate-chlorides, as well as fluoride ions and metaboric acid in significant quantities. Opening times: Daily 6.0 a.m. – 10.0 p.m.

Click here to see the short video of Széchenyi Bath!

Mini Europe, Brussels, Metro Heysel

Mini-Europe is above all an “invitation to travel”. The chimes of Big Ben, the gondolas in front of the Doge’s Palace, the Grand-Place in Brussels, the Acropolis ... an animated tour with visual and sound effects of 350 miniatures and attractions that you won’t find anywhere else.

All the monuments have been recreated down to the smallest detail. Big Ben is 4 m high. With its height of 13 m, the Eiffel tower projects above a 3-storey building ! And yet all the buildings are on a scale 1 to 25.





Simon Parais
10 September 2008

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Relevant programs: •> [International Paralympic Sport Film Festival and C] Budapest Bridge Brussels •> [International Paralympic Sport Film Festival and C] Budapest Bridge Brussels •> [International Paralympic Sport Film Festival and C] Budapest Bridge Brussels •> [Film Club] Budapest Tales (Budapesti mesék)