walks

Öböl XI is the new recreational area, built in the Lágymányosi bay in XI district of Budapest.

It is located to the the right side of Lágymányosi bridge in Buda.

99% residential and very quiet part of 11th district spreading over Buda hills. It has both old villas now shared by several families, and housing of socialist times with spacious lawns.

It is a great place for peaceful weekend walks (but only if you are comfortable with quite steep slopes).

If you find Budapest winter too mild and miss the fun of winter sports head to WestEnd City Center (VI. Váci út 1-3 by Nyugati train station). The 2000 sq meter open-air skating rink located on the top of the shopping mall is a perfect pastime for adults and kids alike.

And there is no need to invest in the gear, because you can rent the skates at the skating rink (600 forints/hour).

Located 477 meters high in the Buda Hills, Normafa is a huge forest in the city, one of the most popular green spots of Budapest. Fresh air and the panoramic view make Normafa an attractive place for jogging, family outings, romantic walks and downhill biking.

Saint Stephen’s Day is a main national holiday in Hungary. Here its capital Budapest enjoys bread and circuses.

Népsziget is yet another island in Budapest (though far less popular than Margit Island or Óbudai Island) connected to XIII district in Pest and Római part in Buda. Római part is lively recreational area with many cafes and open air pools.

Népsziget is the land of semi-abandoned factories, various sport facilities and camping sites, an ungroomed park with its distinctive atmosphere.

Budapest is blessed with excellent climate and streets wide enough to accommodate open-air terraces. From May to October many restaurants, cafes and bars offer outdoor eating and drinking for their guests.

There is Duna Corso with posh restaurants and great view of the Danube and Buda, there is Liszt Ferenc square with many tables in the shadow of old plane trees, there is more budget Ráday street with over twenty terraces.

Budapest is also famous for its kerts (Hungarian for “garden”). Usually, these are located in the courtyards of abandoned buildings in the downtown and known for their laid-back atmosphere, arty crowd and reasonable prices.

Here we offer you a selection of Budapest outdoor bars and kerts to visit this summer:

In 1241 king Béla IV was trying to escape Mongol hordes and took an oath that he would offer up his yet to be born daughter to God if his family and country were saved from the enemies.

Thus, Princess Margaret born next year become a nun and in 1251 the king built a cloister and a church for the order she belonged to on the Island of Hares.

Today, this island is known as Margaret Island or Margit-sziget in Hungarian. It is a 2.5 km long and 500 meters wide island and recreational park in the middle of Danube and Budapest. In fact, it used to be three separate islands, but in the end of the 19th century they were connected and raised to control the flow of the Danube and flooding.

Chain Bridge (Széchenyi lánchíd) was the first permanent bridge across the Danube in Budapest built owing to Count István Széchenyi, the very remarkable figure in Hungarian history.

This symbol of Budapest reproduced on many souvenirs and postcards, opened in 1849, though it was year 1820 when Count István Széchenyi vowed to himself that he would have the bridge built. This vow he made when he received the news that his father died in Vienna. It was cold December, and pontoon bridge across the Danube was put out of use by ice-floes. Széchenyi got stuck in the Pest riverbank for a few days before he could dash to Vienna.

Christmas Fair on Vörösmarty Square is one of the most attractive Christmas destinations in Budapest. This is a place for you to choose some special gifts among many handcrafted items – from teddy bears to brooms, to warm up with the hot wine, to enjoy the air of festivity.