Varosliget Park is maybe the largest and most picturesque corner of nature in Hungary. The park combines ponds, playgrounds, a former sanatorium, a museum and walking paths. There is also an amusement park, a zoo and a circus. Today, while walking along the shady paths, it is difficult to imagine that barely two centuries ago, this area was still a marshy hollow –though one of the privileged sites of royal hunts. In the early nineteenth century the marshes were drained and replaced with a system of ducts between which were planted rows of trees. This is how the initial version of Varosliget park ("Forest City"), so dear to the heart of Budapestians, first appeared. The park later took its present form during the work for the celebration of the millennium of Hungary. It is impossible to list here in detail all the points of interest that make up this park. But we will try to review the most significant and most interesting elements.
The Szechenyi public baths, one of the largest and oldest public bath complexes in Europe, are the highlight of the park. Upon entering, be sure to carefully observe the beautiful mosaics that are close to the entrance of the facility, as well as the color gradients under the dome. Whether in the summer or winter, you can swim here under the open sky, or relax in the steam baths and tubs filled with water of different temperatures. You can also play chess while sitting in the water, as many local residents visibly do.
The park also has several artificial lakes. It’s on the edge of one of these lakes that you’ll see the silhouette of the Vajdahunyad castle. This castle is one of rare beauty! It is easy to imagine while observing it, a medieval castle whose stones have witnessed many historical events … Unfortunately however, it is of recent construction. The current building is not much older one hundred years.
