Margaret Island (Margitsziget)

These were framed with a common concrete shore as part of river regulation efforts in the 19th century and so the 2.5-kilometre-long island was formed.

The island was already inhabited by Roman times; in the Middle Ages monks preferred the island for its calm and kings for its excellent hunting. The island bears the name of Margit (Margaret), daughter of King Béla IV (Adalbert), who renounced the world and entered the island's convent after surviving the rampage of the Tatars in the 13th century.

The Turkish occupation in the 15th century put an abrupt end to the cloister island's blossoming. After centuries of neglect, the island was reborn in the 19th century when an open park and entertainment centre was opened to the general public. This was made possible by the Margaret Bridge embranchment built to the island in 1900, opening the island to pedestrians.

Today, the 100 hectares of parkland is kept peaceful and quiet by being sealed off to most vehicular traffic. Park your car at the northern end of the island and rent a "family bike" known as a Bringóhintó Cycle Car, or take a healthy walk through the island. Budapest joggers plan their routes along the island's embankments.

The park is beautiful and very varied: century-old chestnut avenues, English, Japanese and French gardens alternate with ruins of a nunnery, an old water tower and a wide range of sports facilities. The island has the largest open-air swimming complex in Budapest, the Palatinus, and a fine outdoor theatre.

The northern section of the island is home of the turn-of-the-century Grand Hotel Margitsziget and the modern Thermal Hotel Margitsziget, the latter offering thermal spa and state-of-the-art medical services using thermal water springs on the island to cure different types of locomotor disorders.

Source: Budapestinfo.hu