I scan the plastic bracelet around my wrist and the spa employee standing next to me watches me do so as he sips his coffee and looks bored. He stands up straighter, flashes me a big, crooked smile, and points proudly at himself.
He has a thin body and arms and the blue uniform he wears that looks more like scrubs hangs unimpressively off his lithe frame. His hair is graying and his eyes look tired, though there is now a twinkle in them. The bracelet is programmed to give me access to my locker and my massage. My muscles could use some pampering, though I was now wondering just how good of a massage I was going to get.
In the massage room, which has walls that are open at the top and stop about a foot above my head, is a table with some lotions on it and a very basic massage bed. My masseuse lays a sheet on the bed, which looks like it was drug through dirt on the way to the room. He mimes taking off a robe and points to a hook on the wall. Then he points to the bed and shows me how to place my arms while lying on the bed.
He grins, gives a brief nod, and goes over to the table with the lotions. The pressure is perfect and his hands are surprisingly stronger than I expected. He expertly molds my muscles and rubs out the aches and pains that had built up after hiking in the Dolomites and walking around big European cities for several weeks. I was in a total state of bliss when he too soon said something in Hungarian and I knew the massage was over. I should have gotten the 60 minute massage.
I give him a tip and he grins at me and waves and then my most unlikely masseuse heads back out the door with his coffee mug. When: The baths are open daily from 6 a. Available massage appointment times vary so call in advance for an appointment. You can also get underwater jet massages, pedicures, and more. Entrance to Szechenyi Baths is 4, Ft for a locker and 4, Ft for a cabin.
