Take an outdoor bath in the middle of winter? Are you crazy? Only in Budapest. This home-grown exotic type of party is unique to our fair city as locals, expats and tourists travel from far and wide to enjoy this seasonal entertainment at Budapest’s best spas.
Running from November to March, these “sparties” (i.e., ‘spa parties’) have become as integral a part of the Christmas season as fish soup and Santa Claus. Two of the city’s best spas offer these nighttime events during the winter season, complete with music, drinks (lots of alcohol available), snacks and extras for the hard-core partiers (such as towels, changing cabins, footwear, floating pool chairs, souvenir cups, etc.). Get ready to dive in as we take you on a brief tour of Budapest’s Sparties.
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The two primary sparty venues in Budapest are the Széchenyi Baths and the Lukács Baths.
Each of these favorite Budapest venues offers special winter sparties during the cold season. The hours are usually from 10:30 PM to 3 AM the following morning. Széchenyi Baths steam-clouded hot spring pools are the special place to be on Dec 30 in 2016; the date is not yet official and tickets are not available for purchase yet, but we are quite confident that the end of 2016 will find us in the pools!
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Lukács Baths showcases its Magic Bath sparties. Tickets to these events gets you entry to the sparty and a storage locker (as long as they last); additional special tickets can be purchased for fast track entry.
All you have to bring along is some nice swim wear: a bikini is just as appropriate as a one-piece, speedos, long trunks, surf style swim shorts – it really doesn’t matter. A towel is also useful too and maybe a robe, if you tend to be on the cold side. If you forget yours, towels and robes are also on sale at the entrance. It is recommended that guests bring their own flip flops (or buy a pair on the spot) or some waterproof slippers, as all of the baths are covered in stone. In addition, you may also bring some inflatable toys or balls to make the night even more fun!
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Since it’s a Budapest sparty, beer, wine, cocktails, juices and more can be bought on location with your special waterproof party card. There is no cash payment, but you can buy party money with your cash or card for the Party Card. The Party Card has a string attached, so you can keep it safe with you in the water (around the neck or arm). Only alcohol purchased at the sparty can be consumed on the bath party premises. Also, bottles in general are not allowed, as the bath is logically a splinter-free zone, so the cocktails, beers and other drinks are served in plastic cups, to keep you and your feet safe.
Tickets are available online or at the venues themselves and photos can also be taken at the sparties. The evening’s entertainments also include psychedelic music, laser visual effects, triphop, hiphop and funk music and many more exciting diversions.