Parks and Nature

Not many people know there's a small zoo sitting in the middle of Margaret Island. It's been there since 1950, and it's a nice nod to the island's original name: the Island of Rabbits, since rabbits still hop around freely. Alongside them you'll find fallow deer, ornamental birds like Asian silkies and storks, and ponies that kids can ride for a small fee. It's been part of the Budapest Zoo since 2002, and is open from the spring school break through to the autumn break. Easy to stumble upon, and worth checking out during a walk on the Island.

Most people who climb Gellért Hill head straight for the Citadel, which means the Philosophers' Garden on the Elizabeth Bridge side stays quieter and less visited. The view of Budapest from up here is just as good though. The garden has a small group of philosopher statues as its centerpiece, where figures including Jesus Christ and Buddha stand together "for a better understanding of each other", as the pedestal reads. A few steps away, the Prince of Buda and Princess of Pest reach toward each other across an eternal gap. The park describes itself as a place "for a good book, for friendly wine drinking, romantic meetings or simply sitting and looking around." That about covers it. If you want a bit of calm with a great view and fewer people around, this is the spot.

For a long time, the area in South Buda was neglected and was quite easy to overlook. Then it was redeveloped as part of the larger BudaPart residential project, and it became one of the nicest spots in the city to just spend time at. Today the waterfront park is constantly busy with families, couples, joggers, and just people enjoying some nice spring/summer sun. There are good bistros and terraces along the water, so it's easy to make a half-day of it. If you want to see a side of Budapest that feels genuinely local rather than touristy, this is a good place to check out.

If you want to go hiking in Budapest, you need to cross to the Buda side first. The Citadel is the obvious choice for most, but if you want more walking and actual nature, János Hill is worth the effort. At 528 meters it's the highest point in the city, and at the top stands the Erzsébet Lookout Tower that has been there since 1910. Named after Empress Elisabeth (Sisi), it takes about 100 steps to reach the top, and on a clear spring day, visibility can stretch up to 80 kilometers. Locals say that if you're lucky, you can even spot the peaks of the High Tatras in the distance. Getting there is half the fun. You can take the Children's Railway to János-hegy station and follow the forest path up, or approach from Zugliget using the chairlift.

The Normafa Park, located in the Hills of Buda is a popular destination for hikers in the capital. According to legend, the old beech tree that has stood here for centuries sprouted in the year of King Matthias's birth. Hungarian poet Miklós Radnóti also skied here with his lover, and it was a popular excursion spot for actors of the Hungarian National Theatre. It was at the base of the beech tree that the opera singer Rozália Schodelné Klein sang an excerpt from Bellini's opera Norma, after which the location was named Normafa. The tree was struck by lightning in the late 1920s and destroyed. However, the area has remained a popular excursion spot, with locals coming here when the first snow falls or when spring is a reason to go for a walk in a sweater.

Tucked inside the rose garden at the Városliget park, this Zsolnay fountain sits surrounded by 1,500 rose bushes and is easy to miss if you don't know it's there. Built from original Zsolnay designs, it's a small but carefully crafted example of early 20th-century Hungarian ceramic art. A quiet and genuinely pretty spot, worth a detour if you're in the area.