Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, and Munich
Notes from the Road
Banya Tour 2.0
Join our road trip and follow us on our exciting adventure. We'll provide you with blog posts that take you through the journey, along with stunning pictures that capture the essence of each destination. Get ready for an extraordinary experience as we share our travel stories, local discoveries, and unforgettable moments.
In May 22 of our community members immerse themselves in local culture, experienced rejuvenating Banyas, there called Thermal Baths or Thermes, explored historical sites, and savored delicious food in in Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, concluding in Munich. Below are some highlights shared by two of our members, Chris Crescibene and Justin Reyes
Embark on the trip with us through their thoughts and highlights here and on our social media. Stay tuned for more trips both domestic and international coming soon. As well as the weekly and monthly event held at Archimedes Banya. Building community through traditional and non-traditional bath rituals.

Day 1: Budapest

The Hungarian capital is sometimes called the Paris of the East, and now I know why. Upon entering the city, the architecture and design totally reminded me of the great French capital. But the one thing Budapest has that Paris doesn’t is bathhouses powered by natural springs. That’s why I’m here, along with 21 other Archimedes Banya fans, for Banya Tour 2.0.


But first, a two-hour walking tour of the city. Our guide, Esther, proved highly informative and entertaining. She mentioned all the high points, including construction of the famous Buda Castle (still going on after 100 years!), the Nazi occupation during World War II and the communist regime that ruled for 40 years until 1989.


What touched me the most, though, was the Shoes on the Danube Bank holocaust memorial. This was created in 2005 on the east bank of the Danube River to honor Jews massacred by fascist Hungarian militia during World War II. As described in Wikipedia: “They were ordered to take off their shoes (shoes were valuable and could be stolen and resold by the militia after the massacre), and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away. The memorial represents their shoes left behind on the bank.” Seeing this was a sobering moment in an otherwise happy and fun day.


After a fine Hungarian dinner at Millennium Restaurant & Cafe in beautiful City Park, it was on to the day’s main event: the Sparty Bath Party at historic Széchenyi Bath. The gigantic spa was built in 1913 in a neo-baroque style. But the party was pure 21st century with a laser light show, light projections and cool electronic music in warm thermal water.


There were acrobats, costumed dancers and a pole dancer who performed amazing athletic feats. One sign of the pervasiveness of American culture is that all the music was in English. It was, however, more akin to a Las Vegas pool party and not a real Banya experience. For this, I had to wait until the next day for an unscheduled visit to the Rudas Thermal Bath just across the river in the Buda part of Budapest.

Day 2: Budapest

This was a “free day” to explore the city however we wanted with no planned activities. I and a couple other tour members visited the historic Buda Castle, which is on a hill just across the river on the Buda side. There were amazing views of the Danube. But the highlight came later when a group of us arranged a quick visit to the Rudas Thermal Bath.


The centerpiece of the spa, the Turkish bath, was built in the 16th century during Turkish occupation. Below the 10-meter-diameter dome, suspended by eight pillars, is an octagonal pool filled with warm water. Around the large pool, there are smaller pools with water of varying temperatures. There were also the first open saunas that we encountered during the trip, ranging from a mild aroma sauna to a very hot (though not as hot as Archimedes’) Finnish sauna, plus a salt room, cold plunge, relaxation room and more.


But the highlight of the day, and the trip so far, was a warm pool on the roof that offered stunning views of the Danube. It was amazing to watch the passing scene on the river and view a stunning panorama of Budapest. The only downside was that we were forced to leave after only 10 or 15 minutes because the facility was closing.

– Chris Crescibene

Day 3: Budapest

Started the day with a run through downtown Budapest towards the river, across the Liberty Bridge and up the staircase I had spotted the day before. Up Gellert Hill towards a statue of St. Gerard Sagredo before continuing upwards to the Citadella & Freedom Statue and amazing views of the Danube and Pest. At a point during my run I paused briefly to reflect on the many thousands that had traversed the same trails over history's millennia.


I got back to the hotel in time for breakfast and to pick up Sarah-Maye for a walk back to the Central Market, a warehouse-sized space full of food and souvenir shops. We walked across the river to meet the rest of the group as they walked from the hotel to the day's therme, the Gellert Thermal Bath.


The Gellert hot springs are considered the site of the original settlement of the Budapest area and predates the Roman Empire. The bath complex was huge and labyrinthine, all of us were lost at one point as we sought out the 6 saunas, 2 steam rooms, 2 cold plunges, 4 thermal baths, indoor pool, and 3 outdoor pools/baths. Leaving the Gellert therme, we split off from the group to explore the Buda side of the river, the Buda Castle and the Fisherman's Bastion.


After another crossing of the Chain Bridge, we made our way back to the hotel with just enough time for the night's event, a dinner boat cruise up the Danube! Our group had two long tables right at the front of the boat and front row seats for the evening’s performances, Hungarian string music including a harpsichord, dance, and song, a few of our group (including yours truly) even had a chance to participate in the performance. The views from the rover were incredible, especially the view of the Hungarian Parliament, which was lit up in golden light. It was impressive when viewed when we had walked to it but it was something else entirely viewed in its full splendor from the river!


We docked and disembarked under the Liberty Bridge before a short walk to a rooftop bar on the river for a celebration of our final night in Budapest. Next stop, Bratislava, Slovakia .

– Justin Reyes

Made on
Tilda