Rudas Baths’ 450-Year-Old Tradition Added to National Heritage Register

The 450-year-old tradition of gender-segregated bathing in cotton aprons at Budapest’s Rudas Baths—a tradition that is still alive today—has been added to the National Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

The initiative was launched by the Rudas Women’s Association and the Rudas Civic Circle to preserve and promote the historic bathing culture. The practice, which has survived at the Rudas Baths, combines the use of therapeutic waters with relaxation and community gathering. The bath’s tradition is upheld by a community of several hundred people of various ages and backgrounds.

The goal of inclusion in the national register is to promote the long-term preservation of the tradition and to raise awareness of Budapest’s bath culture.

The initiators’ long-term plan is for the practice of bathing in aprons in gender-segregated sections to also gain international recognition as part of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage.

“At Rudas, on designated women’s and men’s days, guests wear cotton bath aprons provided by the bathhouse. This unique form of bathing combines the beneficial effects of the therapeutic waters, physical and mental rejuvenation, social connection, and historical tradition. The bath apron reduces social distinctions arising from clothing, while the enclosed and discreet atmosphere of the pool area creates a safe, anxiety-free, and liberating environment,” the press release read.

Gender-segregated bathing dates back to the era of Ottoman rule and is a distinctive part of Budapest’s bathing culture. The tradition has been preserved at the Rudas Thermal Bath, where, on designated women’s and men’s days, guests wear cotton bathrobes provided by the bathhouse.

The option for gender-segregated bathing has gradually declined in the capital over the past decades; the Rác and Király Thermal Baths have closed, and gender segregation at the Gellért Thermal Baths was discontinued in 2013.

Budapest was awarded the title of “spa city” in 1934, recognizing the capital’s thermal water resources and the significance of its bathing culture. Budapest is “the only city in the world where one can find, all in one place, a wealth of healing waters springing from more than 100 sources, an unparalleled collection of historic baths, and a separate, apron-wearing spa culture that is unique in Europe” the press release pointed out.

Via MTI; Featured photo: Facebook/Rudas Fürdő

The post Rudas Baths’ 450-Year-Old Tradition Added to National Heritage Register appeared first on Hungary Today.