I remember coming to Budapest by train and walking out into the train station already being decorated in gold. There as contrasting division in the streets of the poor and rich parts of Budapest. Of course, my dad wanted us to experience the true royal experience while being in this grand city, so he booked one of the best rooms in a well-known five star hotel known as the Boscolo Budapest hotel. This was one of first introductions to Hungary’s rich side of its country. See, as amazing as all the outstanding European historical sites are, that is not what I remember most about Budapest as a city. Of course I went to go see the Chain Bridge and Hungarian Parliament Building, but I already saw a lot of Europe’s touristic spots so I wanted to go with something completely different. That is why I paid a visit to two unusual places in Hungary.

If you ever thought that a regular hospital made you uncomfortable, think again. In the 1930s, The Hospital in the Rock was a hospital constructed underground near the Buda Castle to prepare for World War Two. I was not allowed to take photos in there but I can definitely tell you that the whole place had a haunting feeling to it. Apparently this hospital was most used during the Siege of Budapest to keep the wounded and dead soldiers in a safer spot of the targeted city. I was told stories of how easily diseases spread in this hospital due to its enclosed environment underground. The nurses there would use a long cave system to get from room to room in time to treat patients. This hospital also became a nuclear bunker in case of nuclear attacks for the military after the siege and in preparation of Soviet rule invasions. A new internal ventilation system was installed in fear of any chemical attack occurring during the Cold War. Overall, my experience walking through these spooky underground medical halls was for sure a one of a kind trip. Plus, I’m a sucker for World War Two and Cold War history any day.

 
The second, more relaxing stop in Budapest was the famous bathhouse there known as the Széchenyi Thermal Bath. This is not like another day going to the pool. Picture it like a castle but only with huge pools of mineral baths and all kinds of saunas. Even though these have a bunch of people in there, each pool is cleaned and filtered every night to keep these baths clean and purified. I remember going to this bathhouse to enjoy a warm mineral bath and loving it, but I can only imagine how amazing it feels in the freezing winter to go there. The atmosphere of this environment was very chill. Nobody was rushing anywhere and everybody was there for one reason: to relax. The diverse crowd of people was surprisingly very welcoming and during the evening I visited, they were all watching a ball game on a big screen in the baths. This community is perfect for people who want to relax, care for their health, or even working out since there are so many different pools there for everyone. I think the most enchanting part of this visit was when I had a mineral pool all to myself inside the palace’s main rooms. The water was a sea foam green with microscopic bubbles and there were beautiful columns surrounding my personal spa. I highly recommend going here in the evening after a long day of exploring all of Budapest’s other beautiful spots.