Margaret Island & Northern Pest - Budapest - page 233

Neighbourhood Top Five
Revisiting Budapest's medieval past on Margaret Island by strolling from the ruins of
the Franciscan church and monastery , past the one-time Dominican convent where St Mar-
garet is buried and on to the Romanesque Premonstratensian church .
Pampering yourself at the Danubius Health Spa Margitsziget , one of the most modern
spas in town.
Paying homage to the heroic Raoul Wallenberg at his statue in Szent István Park .
Exploring the length and breadth of Margaret Island on two or four wheels with a rent-
al bicycle or pedal coach . ( Click here )
Getting behind the wheel of one of the big locomotives at the Hungarian Railway His-
tory Park .
Explore: Margaret Island & Northern Pest
Neither Buda nor Pest, though part of district XIII, 2.5km-long Margaret Island (Margit-szi-
get) in the middle of the Danube was always the domain of one religious order or another
until the Turks arrived and turned what was then called the Island of Rabbits into - appro-
priately enough - a harem, from which all 'infidels' were barred. It's been a public park
open to everyone since the mid-19th century.
The island is not overly endowed with important sights and landmarks. But boasting a
couple of large swimming complexes, a thermal spa, gardens and shaded walkways, it is a
lovely place to head on a hot afternoon. Cars are allowed on Margaret Island from Árpád
Bridge only as far as the two big hotels at the northern end; the rest is reserved for pedestri-
ans and cyclists.
Szent István körút, the northernmost stretch of the Big Ring Rd (Nagykörút) in Pest, runs
from Margaret Bridge to Nyugati tér. The area north of Szent István körút is known as
Újlipótváros (New Leopold Town) to distinguish it from Lipótváros (Leopold Town) to the
south of the boulevard. A wonderful neighbourhood with tree-lined streets, boutiques, res-
taurants and cafes, it's best seen on foot.