Roman Beach (Római Part)

Római part, or Roman bank, runs along the side of the Danube in District III, out by Óbuda. On a hot Sunday afternoon the grassy waterfront is filled with families enjoying the sun. Children ran up and down laughing and shouting, others play in the shade of the trees while their parents rest at a table full of lángos and fried fish, sipping fröccs or beer.

The air is filled with the smell of frying fish and the sound of palacsinta sizzling on the grill from the many small restaurants that line the promenade.

Kádár-era blocks of holiday homes stand by the path beside a few new villas on the river bank, with their concrete balconies looking out over the water. Cyclists are slaloming between those out strolling in the sunshine.

Out on the river young couples with kayaks try to navigate the Danube’s currents, while the motor-boats of the nouveau riche roars past them.

But unlike at, say stretches of Lake Balaton, most of those enjoying their Sundays at Római part are not nouveau riche, or indeed any kind of rich.

Római part is still a kind of local Lake Balaton for those living in these parts of Budapest, who cannot afford a holiday home at the lake, or perhaps even to go there for a week or two. Unlike at Balaton, it is definitely not advisable to swim in the waters here.

You will not hear much if any English-speaking voice, or any other kind of foreign language at Római part. Budapest1s gilded youth sneer at Római part for being proli or working class. You can like this mini resort for its honesty, because it is unpretentious and affordable, a place where real people who worry whether they have enough money to pay the electricity bill go to forget their cares for a few hours with a wine and soda in the sun. And also because the food stalls sell freshly-fried hekk, a Hungarian fish which, when eaten with chips and pickled cucumbers, is the nearest thing in Budapest to British fish and chips.

If you want to make a little effort to engage with Budapest beyond its superficial attraction, spend a sunny summer afternoon at Római Part.

Family fun at Római Part: the riverside in this area is car-free. You can stroll under the trees just as if you were on a Mediterranean holiday… rent a kayak, or just rest at the riverfront. Don’t swim in the Danube! Have a lunch of fried fish or fried chicken drumstick (rántott csirkecomb) at one of the small terrace restaurants. There are no specialactivities for children, other than a few toys for toddlers, a small amusement park and a bowling place, but your kids will enjoy themselves anyway. If you absolutely need a playground, there is a nice one 10 minutes away at Vitorla utca.

How to get there: take HÉV train from Batthyány tér and take off at the Római Fürdő station. Walk to the river. [printable map]

sources: Budapest Sun and Benjamin Guides - Budapest for Children

Római part, Roman bank, Danube, riverfront, beach, riverbank, Budapest, summer, fish, lángos, palacsinta, retro