Image by András Nagy

Every once in a while you may feel like you want to get out of the city, not too far, just to feel the green love of Mother Nature. Although Buda is greener with all its hills, the Pest side also has a forest to discover – Farkaserdő.

While the name suggests this forest would be the home of wolves, I haven’t met any yet. But there is a variety of tree and forest types ranging from a dark oak forest to a clear, mixed poplar and pine park forest. On the Western side of the forest there is a swampy open area, a nature reserve which you can cross using the network of narrow paths.

Geographically this side of the city belongs to the Pest plain and is built on sand. You can explore all the original natural features of a sandy plain here without having to travel far away.

The forest is just the right place for running, biking, it has a little technical track for mountain bikers (and there’s also a bike park nearby, at the crossing of Farkaserdő and Óceánárok streets). In late spring I usually come here to pick some elderflowers and acacia flowers, put them in water for a few days and they make a wonderful drink. If the weather allows, you can use the fireplaces available for grilling.

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Farkaserdő | Relaxing | Free
Farkaserdő utca | Outer Pest
24 hours daily

Image by Eszter Szilva

A beer garden during spring and summer and an ice rink in the cold months, Jégkert tailors itself to the seasonal needs. This spot is located just opposite Mamut shopping centre in Buda but it’s completely hidden behind a bus station and a restaurant.

Jégkert is a regular ice skating rink with a roofed rink, dressing rooms and, of course, mulled wine. It’s small and not as impressive as Budapest’s main ice skating rink in Városliget, but that’s precisely its charm (by the way, the famous Városliget one is supposed to reopen this winter after a three-year-long renovation!)

I suggest taking a look at the schedule whether the rink is open to the public. Jégkert is home for children hockey teams as well so you might come across a bunch of kindergarten hockey players. Most of the time, early afternoons are free, and you’re free to skate during the whole weekend. It’s possible to rent skates as well. The opening time is flexible: on weekends you can ride your skate as late as two o’ clock in the evening.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Jégkert | Relaxing | Entrance adults HUF 1250
Széna tér | Central Buda | +36703352553
07:00 – 00:00 daily

Image by Szilva Eszter

Just a corner from busy Múzeum street, the noise of the traffic is suddenly replaced by a happy mix of children’s laughter and clatter. It comes from Károlyi kert, one of the hidden parks of downtown Budapest quite similar to the city garden of Honvéd tér.

This wonderfully kept park has two large groups of regular guests who live side by side without any quarrels. Kids coming from the nearby schools or with their parents enjoy the playgrounds while university students take the benches. Located in the vicinity of the art and law faculties of ELTE university, students often arrive here to breathe some fresh air between the lectures. When I studied at ELTE, I often bought take-out lunch the nearby organic shop and buffet and ate it sitting here.

The park used to be a garden of the neighboring Károlyi palace, now housing The Museum of Literature Petőfi, until it was turned into a public park in the thirties. I was happy to discover that recently, a nice café and vine bar opened at one of the park’s corner, which installed a little terrace in directly at the entrance of the park. It’s nice to continue hanging out there after Károlyi kert closes. Every day strictly at sunset.

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Károlyi kert | Relaxing | Free
Károlyi Mihály utca 16. | Central Pest
Daily from 08.00

Image by Eszter Szilva

For me, one of the best ways of discovering a city is riding a bike on its streets. Recently, Budapest’s biking culture has developed a lot, there are more and more cyclists each year and although the bike lane situation is still far from perfect, the number of cycle paths and lanes have grown significantly. My favorite route is cycling along the Danube from Árpád bridge to Szabadság bridge on the Buda side. This is a designated cycle path (however, shared with pedestrians sometimes), so I can recommend it also for those who are not experienced city bikers.

I like this route because during this approximately seven-kilometer long trip I get a wonderful glimpse of Budapest. I especially like the impressive line of the Danube bridges, each one different but beautiful. After Árpád bridge, first I pass Margit bridge across the new bike tunnel. Arriving to Battyhány square, I can enjoy the nicest panorama of the Parliament. On my other side I already see the Buda Castle and Lánchíd bridge ahead of me. After passing the more modern Erzsébet bridge the route leads to the recently renovated Szabadság bridge next to famous bathes like Rudas and Gellért.

Biking is also good because you can stop whenever you want. There are several nice cafés or restaurants along the route, for example Platán next to Erzsébet bridge, which has a cozy terrace under a huge tree.

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Biking along Danube | Relaxing
Budai alsó rakpart | Central Buda
24 hours daily

Image by Miklos Zsamboki

Rudas Ivócsarnok (“Drinking Hall”) is a place where you can drink very healthy thermal water that comes out of the ground hot.

Located near Rudas, one of Budapest’s thermal baths, the hall is a small, single-room construction where you can often see old ladies and gentlemen waiting for their turn with empty bottles in hand. Inside, you pay at the register to the right, then take your slip of paper to a stand where hot and smelly water is bubbling out of three taps. These are coming directly from three subterranean hot springs, and you can either get a half-liter mug for 30 Forints, or fill your own empty bottle for similar, ridiculously low prices.

Now, all three types of spring water are warm, and the one with high sulfur content also smells like eggs, so it’s not something you probably want to drink to cool yourself down on a blistering summer day. Instead, it’s what you drink if you’re health-conscious and wish to prevent any one of a good dozen ailments from rheumatism to high blood pressure.

The Hall is a bit hard to find. First you should get to the Buda side of Erzsébet bridge (the closest tram stop is Döbrentei tér, or you could walk across from Pest), then look for the entrance on the edge of a wide, circular open-air area, surrounded on several sides by the elevated motorway that leads up onto the bridge.

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Ivócsarnok | Relaxing | Mug of thermal water HUF 30.00
Erzsébet híd (Buda end) | Central Buda
Mon, Wed & Fri 11:00 – 18:00, Tue, Thu 07:00 – 14:00