Can’t stand the scorching hot concrete jungle of the inner city? Lucky for you! If you didn’t notice, Budapest has a huge river flowing through the middle, offering you waves, shades, and river breeze. Here are the top six Danube-spots you have to check out this summer!
Március 15. tér
Located in Pest next to Erzsébet Bridge, this square represents one end of downtown Budapest’s Danube Promenade, a pleasant boardwalk that’s other tip is found at the side of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, and has been a popular spot for people watching since the middle of the 19th century. Here, not only can you marvel at the twin-silhouette of Gellért and Castle Hills, you can also study the line of fortresses and towns that once dotted Roman Pannonia, connected together by the mighty Danube, and take a peek into the underground history of the place, looking below through the glass floors, onto the remnants of Contra-Aquincum, an ancient Roman border fort.
Clark Ádám Park
This green patch is situated next to the Buda end of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, just a few steps away from the roundabout in Clark Ádám tér. It’s nothing big, nothing fancy, just silky smooth grass, a couple of shade-giving trees and some benches to support you while idling away the time. Refurbished as part of the Green Sweden programme back in 2013, this oases of peace gives you an unmatched panorama of Pest and the Chain Bridge, with Castle Hill rising high above behind your back.
Kopaszi Dam
Also known as BudaPart, this green bay in the south of the city is actually just about to be transformed into Budapest’s newest residential/office district, as well as the birthplace of the Hungarian capital’s first skyscraper, to be built by 2020. Thankfully, the eastern half of the bay will remain untouched, continuing to be a favored picnic spot amongst the citizens of Budapest, awaiting families and couples with lots of greenery, a quiet lagoon, and a number of fine restaurants. You can reach Kopaszi Dam either by taking tramway nr. 1, the public transport boat D12, or you can get there by riding your bike.
Római Part
A favored weekend destination of bikers, families and evermore tourists looking for something off the beaten path, Római Part provides visitors with a unique, romantic atmosphere in a semi-wild environment. Stretching for around 2 kilometers southwards along the Danube from Aquincum, Római Part is dotted with buffets, restaurants, bars, floating jetties and terraces, serving inviting bites, refreshing drinks, natural tranquility and lots of sunshine. Try the famous hekk (deep fried hake), have a lángos with sour cream, and sip on a Belgian brew to make your Római Part experience complete!
Moszkva Promenade
Refurbished for the 2017 FINA World Championship and not even officially opened yet, Moszkva Promenade spans Pest’s Danube riverfront between Árpád Bridge and Margit Bridge, facing Margitsziget. The promenade, whose aim is to bring the people of Budapest closer to the river, includes two bicycle lanes, sunlit benches, and access to the Danube. Although it could use some more trees, we’re hopeful that the walkway will become a popular venue amongst Budapesters in the summer season.
Nehru Part
Handed over to the public last year, Nehru Part is probably the city’s most youthful public venue: stretching between Bálna and Petőfi Bridge in Pest, it’s composed of an open-air fitness park, a skate park, a playground, sports facilities such as a football field and basketball courts, a number of chess tables and waterfront benches. To make Nehru Part more inviting, designing team TÉR_KÖZ also laid out a biodiverse garden in the park – a self-maintained green area, the perfect backdrop for a riverside picnic just a few minutes’ tram ride from the center.
