Gellért Hotel and Thermal Baths. The oldest spa hotel in Hungary, the Gellé has featured hot spring curative baths for nearly 2,000 years. Many of the treatments are medicinal, and require a doctor's prescription. XI, Gellért tér 1, tel. 1/185-2200 (hotel), 1/185-3555 (baths). Indoor baths and steam rooms 300 Ft. per 1 1/2 hrs; indoor baths and pool 800 Ft. per day. Baths open weekdays 6 AM-6 PM, weekends 6:30 AM-noon (summer until 4 PM ). Sat. massage only until 2 PM , no massage on Sun. Wave pool May-early Sept., daily 6 AM-6 PM.
Királyi Palota (Royal Palace). By the end of 1944, the entire district of Castle Hill (including palaces, mansions, and churches) was in ruin. The medieval buildings underneath were eventually revealed, allowing archaeologists to rebuild the entire district as close as possible to their original state. Out of this massive excavation came the Royal Palace of today.
Korzó. The riverside Korzó is a pedestrian promenade lined with park benches and appealing outdoor cafés from which you can enjoy postcard-perfect views of Gellért Hill and Castle Hill directly across the Danube. Evening strolls are highly recommended, when the views are lit up in shimmering gold.
Nagy Zsinagóga (Great Synagogue). Nagy Zsinagóga is Europe's largest synagogue. It was designed by Ludwig Förs and built between 1844 and 1859 in a Byzantine-Moorish style. It has been described as "consciously archaic Romantic-Eastern." Dohány u. 2-8, tel. 1/342-1335. Free. Open weekdays 10-3, Sun. 10-1.
Operaház (Opera House). Open only to ticket holders, there are 50-minute tours conducted daily at 3 and 4 PM. To join a tour, meet by the sphinx at the Dálsz’nház utca entrance. It's a good idea to call ahead to confirm that a tour is being given (tel. 1/131-2550, ext. 156). The cost is about 500 Ft. VI, Andrássy út 22, tel. 1/131-2250.
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