A Day Exploring Margaret Island in Budapest, Hungary
Margaret Island is a small island in the middle of the Danube in Budapest that is just 2.5 km long and 500 m wide. Formerly known as Rabbit Island, it once belonged to the royal family and served as the royal hunting reserve. Today, it’s a popular spot for locals and tourists to get together, enjoy the outdoors, and relax. You’ll find plenty to keep you busy, including gardens, hot baths, restaurants, entertainment, and medieval ruins. You can easily make a full day exploring and enjoying the island.
Here are 14 things to do on Margaret Island!
Attractions
Musical Fountain
The Musical Fountain is one of the highlights of Margaret Island, where many people come to cool off and enjoy the show. The fountains are choreographed to the music that plays every hour on the hour and in the evening it lights up with different colors. On a hot summer day you’ll see people sitting along the edge with their feet in the water. Be sure to check out the pretty flowers nearby, as well.
Rose Garden
The beautiful 15 sq meter rose garden is located in the middle of Margaret Island and is filled with several different varieties of roses, making it the perfect backdrop for enjoying a picnic, an afternoon nap, or a romantic walk.
Mini Zoo
Next to the Rose Garden is a small zoo with rabbits, birds, peacocks, deer, and ponies. It’s meant to highlight animals that were on the island during medieval times. The zoo is small, but it’s free to visit and you can pet the ponies. If you’re interested in seeing more animals, check out the Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden in City Park.
Dominican Convent Ruins
The convent dates back to the 13th century. According to history, King Béla promised to send his daughter to a convent if he was able to defend the city against the Mongols. True to his word, his daughter, Margaret, was sent there after their victory when she was just 9 years old. You can find placards that explain the history in more detail, as well as a viewing platform.
Franciscan Monastery Ruins
Like the convent, the monastery also dates back to the 13th century. It was destroyed by the Ottomans in the 16th and rediscovered by Habsburg Archduke Joseph in the 19th century. The site became his summer palace and was later converted into a hotel. Today all that remains is a wall and part of a tower.
Climb the Water Tower
Another popular attraction in the park is the art nouveau Water Tower. For a small fee you can climb up to the top for a 360° view of the island. The water tower still functions and serves the hotels, restaurants, and bars on the island. It’s also used as a small venue for art and photography exhibits. We saw a small modern photography exhibit.
Japanese garden
The Japanese Garden is a beautiful little spot in the park with a rock garden, mini waterfall, a wooden bridge, and a pond where you can find fish, frogs, turtles, and ducks. And it seems to be a popular picture spot!
Bodor Fountain
Bodor Fountain is on the northern end of the island. It’s also referred to as the “Music Well” since it plays music every hour. We also caught the tail end of a string quartet playing there. The statue of Neptune on the top also slowly turns, with his harpoon marking the time.
Saint Michael’s Chapel
The original chapel was built during the 12th-13th century and destroyed during the Turkish invasion in the 16th century. The ruins were later discovered and the church was rebuilt during the 1900s. The 15th century bell discovered among the ruins is one of the oldest bells in Hungary.
Rent some wheels
If you’re feeling tired of walking, there are plenty of other options on Margaret Island. You can rent bikes, e-scooters, pedal cars, or our favorite golf carts that look like little mini vehicles. When we were there, we saw a dad teaching his son to drive in one of these and it looked like they were having a blast. You can also hop on bus 26, which runs up and down the island.
Palatinus Strand Baths
Palatinus isn’t the most popular bath house, but it was recently renovated in 2017 and is open year-round, making it especially convenient for guests staying on the island. Palatinus has thermal pools, water slides, saunas, a wave pool, and massage services.
Outdoor Theater
Last, but not least, Margaret Island also has an outdoor theater by the water tower where you can catch various classical performances, including orchestra concerts, operas, and ballets. When we were there we saw the opera Attila, which was very well done, and included choreographed dance scenes and lighting effects. We were lucky enough to get seats in the center of the 5th row, which was great! You can even purchase snacks and drinks to enjoy before or during the show.
Restaurants
Most of the restaurants on Margaret Island are located on the south side along Gasztro Sétány. They’re not known for having the finest cuisine, but it’s more for the ambiance and convenience as you explore the island. One of the cutest things about this little strip of restaurants are the colorful floating balloon lanterns strung over the walkway, which is especially picturesque at night.
Hippie Island
On our day exploring the island, we ate at Hippie Island Restaurant, which is decorated in bright psychedelic colors and hammocks. We ordered the shrimp and trout plates, which came with seasoned potatoes, corn on the cob, and a small side salad with garlic sauce. It was actually better than we thought given the ratings. We also recommend trying the flavored lemonades. Raspberry rose was our favorite!
Paulaner Sörkert & Mozi
Another cool place to check out during the evening is Paulaner Sörkert & Mozi, a beer garden and outdoor movie theater. Again, they’re not known for having the best food, but it could be fun cuddling up with your partner, family, or friends as you watch an old movie under the stars!
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