Dent, Bob: Budapest for Children - Our Budapest (Budapest, 1992)

6. Parks and Open Spaces

PARKS AND OPEN SPACES

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are tennis courts and further still, to the west of the Thermal Hotel by the bus stop, there is a place where a “bringóhintó” can be hired. Always popular with children, these are four-wheel, three-seat carriages which can be pedalled around the island. Bicycles can also be hired here (open all year round).

Across the road, but still to the left of the hotel, there is a small “Japanese” garden —a botanical and rock garden with exotic plants, streams, waterfall and ponds. Tropical water-lilies and attractive fish thrive in the warm-water ponds. Beyond this, towards the northern end of the island, stands a “musical well”. Originally driven by water, it today runs on electricity. If it’s working, it should play a 5-minute tune on the hour.

The central stretch of the island is mainly pathways and trees, with lots of benches and the occasional small play area (climbing frames, etc.), though in the northern half, by the old water tower, it opens out into a large grassy area. In the summer the 57-metre tower look-out is open for visitors (open 10-18). At the bottom of the tower is an open-air theatre which functions in the summer and often has performances of interest to visiting families—folk shows, etc.

Just to the northeast of the theatre is a reconstructed 12th-century chapel. In its tower hangs one of the oldest bells in Hungary (15th century). It was found nearby in 1914 in the roots of a walnut tree torn out during a storm.

To the southeast of the theatre are the ruins of a large Dominican convent. It was here that St. Margaret lived and died —there is a small shrine to her. Tradition has it that King Béla IV vowed during the Mongol invasion of 1241-42 that if Hungary survived, his daughter would be brought up a nun. Thus Margaret came here at the age of nine (we don’t know what she thought about it) and lived here until her death. The island was named after her in the last century. (It used to be called the Island of Hares, as it was a royal game reserve in the Middle Ages.) The large number of statues and busts to the north of the ruins are of Hungarian writers, poets, painters, sculptors, musicians and actors.

On the east side of the island, near the river and mid