District XIII · Danube
Margaret Island
A car-free island in the middle of the Danube: a 5.35 km running track, medieval convent ruins, the musical fountain and the Palatinus bathing complex.
What it is
A 2.5-kilometre island in the middle of the Danube, between Margaret Bridge and Árpád Bridge, and entirely given over to parkland. No private cars are allowed on it.
It is named after Margaret, daughter of Béla IV, who was placed in a convent here in the thirteenth century as a fulfilment of her father's vow after the Mongol invasion. The ruins of that convent are still on the island.
What is here
A 5.35-kilometre rubberised running track around the perimeter — the most-used piece of sports infrastructure in the city. The musical fountain at the southern end, which performs on the hour. A small zoo, a Japanese garden, a water tower with a viewing gallery, and the ruins of both the Dominican convent and a Franciscan church.
The Palatinus bathing complex, with eleven pools and slides, is the summer draw.
What it is like
The city's exercise yard and its picnic ground. On a warm weekend it is genuinely full — runners, families, people asleep on the grass — and in winter it is close to empty.
There is very little commerce beyond seasonal kiosks, which is deliberate and is why it works.
Practical
Tram 4 or 6 stops in the middle of Margaret Bridge, which puts you at the southern tip. Bus 26 runs the length of the island.
There is almost no shade on the southern half. Nothing here is far, but the island is longer than it looks from the bridge.
🏛️ Attractions
See all →
♨️ Thermal baths
See all →
🍽️ Restaurants
See all →
☕ Coffee houses
See all →
🛏️ Where to stay
See all →
Ensana Grand Margaret Island Health Spa Hotel
Margaret Island4.5(2,686)out of 5 on Google
Open · until 23:59
Where to stay in Margaret Island
Live prices and availability on a map centred on this exact spot — hotels, apartments and hostels, so you can judge the walk from here rather than guess from an address.
Bookings made through this map earn us a commission. Your price is unaffected.
Tours & tickets nearby
We may earn a commission from these. It never changes your price.
Frequently asked
Which district of Budapest is the Margaret Island in?
the Margaret Island is District XIII, on an island in the Danube. It is easy to verify from the postcode: the four digits start with 1 and the next two give the district, so any address here begins 113. That is the quickest way to find out where a listing actually is before you book it.
What is worth seeing in the Margaret Island?
The best-known sights here are Nagy-rét, Margaret Island Water Tower and Japanese Garden. The full list, with opening hours and a map, is further up this page.
Where should I eat in the Margaret Island?
Among the best-rated restaurants in the district are Melba Étterem. The ratings come from Google and are refreshed periodically — they are not paid placements.
Is the Margaret Island a good area to stay in?
It depends what you want from it. The accommodation section above lists a few options in the district, and the write-up at the top of this page says plainly who the area suits and who it does not. The map at the foot of the page is centred on the Margaret Island itself.
Are there thermal baths in the Margaret Island?
Yes — Palatinus Strand Baths and Dagály Gyógyfürdő, Strandfürdő és Uszoda. Budapest sits on an active geological fault line, which is why thermal springs surface in districts all over the city rather than in one spa quarter.
Districts next door
Budapest is compact and its districts run into one another — these are the closest, by walking distance from the centre of this one.
Before you go
Skip-the-line ticketsEntry booked ahead for museums, baths and towers — which on a winter Saturday at Széchenyi is a genuinely long queue avoided.Check tickets →City passOne pass covering a set of attractions. It pays off only above roughly three paid sights a day — worth the arithmetic before you buy.See what it covers →Self-guided audio toursA guided route on your own phone, at your own pace, for a fraction of a walking tour. Good in the Castle District and the Jewish Quarter, where the story is not written on the buildings.Browse audio tours →Experiences & day tripsDanube cruises, bath entries, Szentendre and the Danube Bend, and the ruin-bar crawls — booked ahead.Browse experiences →
We may earn a commission from these. It never changes your price.