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On the far side of the park's main axis, Kos Karoly setany, the Szechenyi Baths could be mistaken for a palace, so grand is its facade. Outside is a statue of the geologist Zsigmondy Vilmos, who discovered the thermal spring that feeds its outdoor pool (daily: summer 6am-7pm; winter 6am-4pm; 1500Ft) and Turkish baths (Mon-Sat 6am-7pm, Sun 6am-1pm; 1200Ft). In the huge mixed-sex pool you can enjoy the surreal spectacle of people playing chess while immersed up to their chests in steaming water - so hot that you shouldn't stay in for more than twenty minutes. The best players sit at tables round the pool's edge, the former world champion Bobby Fischer amongst them. Bring your own set if you wish to participate. A cosy private cubicle is included in the price. Tickets to each section cost 200Ft less after 3pm. Beyond the baths on the other side of Allatkerti korut, the Municipal Circus ( Fovarosi Nagycirkusz ) traces its origins back to 1783, when the Hetz Theatre played to spectators on what is now Deak ter (performances mid-April to Aug Wed, Fri & Sun 3pm & 7pm, Thurs 3pm, Sat 10am, 3pm & 7pm; 600-1000Ft). To the right is Vidam Park , an old-fashioned fairground known as the "English Park" before the war (daily 10am-8pm; 300Ft, free for children under 120cm in height); the funfair was the setting for Ferenc Molnar's play Liliom , which inspired the musical Carousel . Kis Vidam , next door, is for kids under two years old (Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat, Sun & holidays 9.30am-7pm; free). Further down towards Hosok tere you'll find the delightful Elephant Gates of Budapest's Zoo ( Allatkert ; daily: May-Aug 9am-7pm; April & Sept 9am-6pm; March & Oct 9am-5pm; Nov-Feb 9am-4pm; 800Ft, child 600Ft, family 2400Ft), which opened in 1866. Its Art Nouveau pavilions by Karoly Kos seemed the last word in zoological architecture when they were constructed in the early 1900s, but the zoo slowly stagnated until the 1990s, when a new director aided by private sponsors began long overdue improvements to give the animals better habitats and make the zoo more visitor-friendly. Don't miss the exotic Elephant House resembling a Central Asian mosque, the Palm House or the Bonsai garden. The children's corner is signposted "Allatovoda". Besides the zoo stands Gundel's , one of the grandest restaurants in Budapest.
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