Turkish Bath

The history of the famous baths of the country started during Turkish times: the Ottoman hosts occupying the country built the first hamams and ilijads here – there were a total of 75 Turkish baths in Hungary at the time. Only five remain by now. The one located in Eger is the only functioning Turkish bath outside Budapest today. The city of Eger is not only famous for its Baroque buildings and architecture, its Vicary, and its well-renowned wines, but also for its Medieval traditions. The city’s most well-known historical figure to this day is the hero István Dobó, defender of Eger castle, whose statue stands in the middle of the square named after him. With his sword and only a handful of men, he successfully defended the Castle in the 16th century against the overpowering Ottoman Turks pushing into Europe. Eger later fell, and its minaret and magnificently renovated Turkish bath serve as reminder of these times under Ottoman rule.  

The domed pool of today’s bath was actually completed between 1601 and 1617. Over time, the bath was transformed and new buildings were added. The dome was renovated a few decades ago, when its internal arc was decorated with 200,000 pieces of gold mosaic. The water temperature of the Turkish pool is 30°C. The small and large infinity pools and the bubble pool all have 30°C water. In addition to these, another warm water and hot water pool are also available, with 36°C and 38°C water temperature, respectively. The complex also includes an aroma cabin, steam bath, sauna and infra-cabin. Visitors can use six pools, as well as various wellness and therapeutic services. The bath was originally built over thermal springs. The medicinal water of Eger rich in radon feeds three pools and seeps through the pebbles covering their bottom. Among its other beneficial effects, radon is known to mitigate the inflammatory processes of the body. It promotes the production of endorphin, a hormone stimulating happiness and the regeneration of the cells.