Margaret Island

Margaret Island is a 225-acre alluvial site on the Danube River in the middle of what is now the capital, Budapest. Called Margit-sziget in Hungarian, the island is named after Margit, the beautiful daughter of a 13th-century king. The island is shaped like a teardrop in the nouveau art style. ), an emerald set in the middle of a river bordering the bustling city.

Among the island's centuries-old oaks and poplars are the ruins of a Dominican monastery where the princess lived. Margit – known worldwide as Saint Margaret of Hungary – has become a legend here, loved and sympathized. Within the convent walls, Princess Margit, as a teenager, defied her father's orders to marry a neighboring king, King Béla IV. Instead, the princess dedicated her life to God and died young.

The pious have come here to praise the profound devotion of Princess Margit. Lovers come here to carve their initials into the tree trunks or mark their names on what remains of the monastery's stone walls. Truly faithful people believe that only God can plant love in their hearts, so they ask Him to reaffirm their desires.

The waterfronts near Margaret Island became the site of unimaginable brutality in the winter of 1944-45. During that cold season, the Nazi Arrow Cross militia hunted down hundreds of Jews of all ages. The militiamen lined them up by the Danube, and ordered them to step out of their shoes. They then pointed a gun at the back of the victim's neck, letting the victim's body fall into the river and be swept away by the iceberg.

In 2005, artist Gyula Pauer commemorated the victims of the Nazi Holocaust by sculpting 60 pairs of cast iron shoes in a 1940s style. He attached them to the stone slabs of the embankment. Danube River, a short walk from the lavish 19th-century Hungarian Parliament building. The same building houses the sacred crown of Saint Stephen (István in Hungarian), a beautiful masterpiece of medieval goldsmiths, presented by Pope Sylvester II to the first Christian king of the House of Árpád.

Margaret Island is located in the middle of the Danube, between the Margaret and Árpád bridges. Apart from a few hotels and sports halls, there are no buildings on the island, so it becomes a large recreational space with promenades and benches, cycling and jogging paths, which is ideal. for a date or a picnic. Here you can find the Hajós Alfréd National Sports Pool, the famous Palatinus outdoor swimming pool, a petting zoo, a musical fountain and a Japanese garden. Very few cars are allowed on the island, travel on the island is served by bus number 26 from Nyugati station and it has a regular stop on the 4/6 tram line, located along Margaret Bridge. All types of bicycles, tandem bikes and water pedal boats can be rented.

On the extreme side of the island, in the shadow of the Water Tower, an outdoor concert venue operates in the summer to entertain locals and visitors. Nearby, the ruins of a medieval Dominican monastery associated with the princess Margit are heavily visited by pious people.

Address: Margaret Island, 1138 Budapest