Baths of Hungary

Now all but one, the oldest dating in the caldarium or hot bath to the 16th century Ottoman Empire and spectacular even though it is least spectacular of the major public baths of Budapest (the 18th to 19th century Szechenyi Baths are unbelievably ornate and luxurious) are mixed use at all times so clothed only. Hungarians are by and large not avid naturists and prior to the 1950s most baths were male only except for one day or not at all with a small bath for women. This tradition is Ottoman. A woman's Hammam was in a palace or very much more private space. However the tradition is nude to bathe from Greek times onward and Rudas still divides in days 4 for men and 3 for women... and you have the option of the world's most diaphanous and tiny modesty square on a string or nothing. All of this to say that this is a remnant of bathing tradition that was until the 1960's still common all over Europe and NA. It is how I was raised in part... no one wore stuff in a male only locker sauna hottub or shower or very few did. I gather that the women were not different. I live nude so wearing clothing into the bathroom is doubly weird but it is not anything culturally normal for me. It is very much a social health care and relaxation tonic to be nude in the traditional baths... and it's not anything more than that but having a good 20 year chunk of time between habitual public bathing nude and Rudas I noticed how much I missed the healing aspect of it. It is a pity that it's gone almost entirely from NA.

• Flag
• Edit
• Delete
• Quote
• Reply