[...] for me, there’s no better detour in Europe than visiting a public bath or spa for a relaxing, good soak. Some Americans are prudish when it comes to enjoying public baths in Europe — especially when the dress code is just a towel. Highlights include the soap-and-brush massage (rough, slippery and finished with a good Teutonic spank); the central pool, where women and men glide like swans under a divine dome; and after all that hot water, the cold plunge (don’t wimp out; it’s invigorating). Located in the middle of City Park, Széchenyi has indoor pools and a stunning outdoor complex, including a fun pool with jets, bubbles and circular rapids. Home to a peat spa, it attracts patients from all over the world, who come for weeklong stays to get naked and buried in the black, smelly sludge that’s thought to cure aching joints and spines. Another memorable spa experience is the Finnish sauna, which has particular appeal during the long, cold winters. Finns say the sauna is a great equalizer — here, wearing nothing and slapping your back with birch twigs (which supposedly enhances circulation), there are no bosses. Each time I sweat with strangers in a Finnish sauna, I walk away impressed at the way 5 million people can maintain a distinct culture here in this far-northern corner of Europe. Whether in a German spa, a Czech peat bath, or a Finnish sauna, a fun part of travel can be getting naked with strangers. Rick Steves writes European travel guidebooks and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio.