Where to find the best parks in Budapest
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Loading... - Lucy Richard
- 17 Jan 2022
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Here are our picks for the 13 best green spaces for picnicking, hiking, playing with kids or simply recharging your batteries as you enjoy beautiful views.
City Park (Városliget): best park to spot famous landmarks
Budapest’s most famous open space, City Park is home to the iconic Széchenyi Baths, Vajdahunyad Castle and the Budapest Zoo. The park is one of Budapest’s top landmarks in itself, with vistas resembling a fairy tale book – especially in the winter, when the lake transforms into one of the most beautiful ice rinks in Europe. Significant development is underway, with parts of City Park slated to be home to an ambitious museum complex – but the most beautiful parts of the park remain untouched and well worth spending an afternoon in.
Margaret Island (Margitsziget): great for picnics
In summer, crowds flock to Margaret Island in the Danube with blankets, cold bottles of wine and snacks. Measuring 1.6 miles by 550 yards, the slender island is covered with parkland, medieval ruins, a rose garden, a Japanese garden and even a little zoo. The Musical Fountain close to Margaret Bridge is a popular spot for picnickers, with ample lawns becoming less crowded the father in you venture.
Buda Hills and Normafa: best park for hiking and cycling
Normafa Park draws crowds thanks to meadowy hillsides that offer incredible views over the city, together with spots for picnics and BBQs. It’s also the most accessible destination in the Buda Hills, with buses running from Széll Kálmán tér direct to plentiful forested trails for hiking and mountain biking. Around Normafa, you can wend your way to the Elizabeth Lookout Tower on János Hill, or to Fairy Rock. For even more adventure, go off the beaten track over to the rugged hiking routes running between Hűvösvölgy and Szépvölgy, which join up with the Blue Trail, the oldest long-distance path in Europe. Families will love a ride on the Children’s Railway, a nostalgic single-gauge railway run mostly by uniformed children.
Károly Garden: perfect for an urban escape
The elegantly gated Károly Garden in the heart of downtown provides a tranquil refuge to escape from the clamor of city streets. In summer, you can grab a drink at the picturesque Csendes Társ, which backs onto the park’s ornate gates. Year-round, you can take a stroll, grab a bench and read a book, or just take a breather before heading back into the bustle beyond the fence.
Kopaszi Dam: best park for a beach day
This former dam juts out between the Danube and Lágymányosi Bay. The area has been rehabilitated into parkland with many bars and cafes – but perhaps the best thing about the Kopaszi Dam area are the sandy stretches and beaches along the inlet. Bring a beach towel to lie out in the sun with a book. Budapest's other best beaches are all attached to lakes and rivers too. Read More…
