About the Budapest Nepliget
The Nepliget is an important public green space in District 9 of central Budapest, the capital of Hungary. The park spreads over two hundred and seventy acres to the west of where the River Danube snakes its path through the inner city on its meandering course to the neighboring countries of Serbia to the south and Slovakia to the north.
The Budapest Nepliget was created to celebrate the centenary of the joining of the outer-lying territories of Buda and Obuda with Budapest in the late 1800s which formed the city as it is today. Much more than a patch of manicured grass, the Nepliget contains the TIT Planetarium, five sports centers, the palace-like Eiffel Arts Center, a tennis club, and several cafeterias and bars.
The Nepliget is a place to enjoy outdoor time in a busy city wandering along the network of pathways that crisscross the greens. Often called the People's Park, summertime sees locals and tourists alike relaxing on the grass, admiring the ornamental flower beds, feeding the resident flocks of pigeons with leftover picnic food, or just taking a peaceful respite from Budapest's traffic-clogged streets.
Things to do at the Budapest Nepliget
Once you've wandered around the Budapest Nepliget, and had a brief rest sitting on the grass while consuming a piece of almas pite, a type of Hungarian apple pie, from a nearby bakery, you'll just about have exhausted all there is to do in the park. You won't have time to get bored though as in the streets surrounding the Nepliget and in Budapest itself there's more than enough to keep an army of sightseers occupied for a week.
- See Budapest from the water by taking a two-hour cruise along the River Danube. Catch the boat from its dock near the Chain Bridge, then take a seat and admire the scenic city and the UNESCO World Heritage Sites slipping by on either side.
- Go all medieval by climbing the hill to the imposing fortress known as the Fisherman's Bastion, the castle with seven turrets that looms over Budapest. Have a coffee on the castle terraces while taking in the spectacular city views below.
- Get all historical and go to the Hungarian National Museum to browse the diverse exhibits on display there.
- Refresh your body and senses with a dip at the Gellert Thermal Bath and Spa Center while appreciating its amazing Art Deco architecture.
- Spend a few hours exploring Margaret Island. The two-and-a-half-kilometer-long island sits in the middle of the river and is covered with verdant parklands you can ride around on a golf or pedal kart.
Transit options for the Budapest Nepliget
- The closest underground metro station to the Budapest Nepliget is the M3.
- The Budapest Nepliget Bus Station is one of the city's main transport hubs and located right next to the park. From the bus station, there are inner-city services as well as to other major Hungarian cities.
- The Budapest Nepliget is served by an inner-city tram service called the Kobanya also and the nearest stop is adjacent to the park.
Luggage storage at the Budapest Nepliget
Budapest is a big city, so to get to the Nepliget from where you're staying you will need to use some form of public transport. Getting on and off buses, underground trains, or trams is not easy when you're humping your baggage with you. You won't want to drag your bags up the hill to the Fisherman's Bastion either. You can make your life a lot easier by leaving your bags in a Bounce luggage locker in Budapest while you set out to explore this interesting city.
Attractions and activities near the Budapest Nepliget
Duna Ipoly Nemzeti Park: Budapest is surrounded by incredible landscapes where there are a multitude of parks and nature reserves. One of the most impressive is the Duna Ipoly Nemzeti National Park which is around an hour's drive north of the city. The park is a wonderland of natural beauty and contains explorable cave systems, castle ruins, an arboretum, a living museum housed in thatched cottages, and a hiking trail winding through meadows and marshlands.
Visegrad: Head out of Budapest to visit Visegrad and you can get ready for an adrenaline thrill while seeing some spectacular sights. Trek up volcanic hills to the ruins of the medieval High Castle for incredible vistas of the Hungarian countryside. Tour the Visegrad Citadel, an elaborate castle-like structure housing a living museum where there are great views of the Danube from the ramparts. Take the ride of your life down the Visegrad Bobsled. It doesn't need snow as the sleds careen down a metal tube as well as along a small gauge track. It's fun, fast, and scream-inducing.
Szada: Take a walk, or better said drive, on the wild side by driving north-east out of Budapest for thirty minutes until you arrive in Szada. On the outskirts of this unassuming Hungarian village, you'll find the Szada Safari Park. The park was created by the Hungarian National Circus Organization to rehouse animals used in the country's traveling circuses. Among the animals given a new lease of freedom in their own paddock-type enclosures are giraffes, camels, elephants, zebras, and donkeys. The safari park is a drive-through and there are also opportunities to get close and feed some of the tamer animals.