The 7 best beaches in and near Budapest

A beach getaway might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re booking a trip to Budapest. Yet water abounds in and around the city – the Danube River, of course, plus all those thermal springs and nearby Lake Balaton, an easy day trip away. This means it’s not hard to find a place to splash around or relax on a beach in and around the Hungarian capital.

Hungarian beaches are little known to international visitors – but in the summer months they’re packed with Budapest residents looking to escape the city heat. Expect a fun yet laid-back vibe, and prepare to embrace the summer like a Hungarian.

After you’ve visited the city’s famous sites and are looking to cool down, consider our list of the best beaches within and near Budapest.

1. Római Part, Óbuda

Best beach for Danube bathing

Can you swim in the Danube in Budapest? Yes – but only in designated areas. Swimming used to be banned due to poor water quality; things have dramatically improved in recent years, though the risks to swimmers posed by boat traffic, strong currents and sudden drop-offs means that you there are only two official river beaches in the city. The most popular is at Római-Parti Plázs.

Free to access,and open until 10pm in July and August, Római Part (Roman Beach) backs onto the Danube River on the northern side of Budapest, in the Óbuda district. People from all over the city flock to its tree-lined pebbled beach, lined with riverside bars in repurposed double-decker buses and retro fish stalls. If you just prefer to lounge by the river with a fröccs (spritzer) in hand, grab a colorful deckchair right on the water’s edge at Fellini Római Kultúrbisztró.

Planning tip: It’s easy to get here on two wheels: a bike path runs along the Danube from the city center to Római Part.

2. Siófok Beach, Lake Balaton

Best beach for parties

If you want to spend a day at the “Hungarian Sea,” hop on a train and you can be at beautiful Lake Balaton in just over an hour. Siófok is the largest resort on the lake, and its main beach is one of the most popular waterside hangouts in the country as well as a top party destination in the summer.

You’ll need to buy a day ticket (up to 3000 forint per person)to access the grass-covered beach, which has bars, restaurants, sun loungers and even a giant Ferris wheel. This beach also backs onto Petőfi Promenade, a street famous for its vibrant bars and nightlife in the summer. If you want to take the party right to the beach, find concerts, foam parties and other ticketed events take place in the evenings all summer long.

3. Kopaszi Dam and Flava Beach

Best beach for restaurants and bars

A rehabilitated area near Kopaszi Dam surrounds Lágymányosi Bay, an artificial inlet off the Danube in the up-and-coming District XI, in the southern part of the city. It’s today filled with lush green parkland; trendy bars like Dürer Kert; restaurants overlooking the water that serve street food and gastropub cuisine; and plenty of sandy stretches to put a towel down.

Swimming used to be banned, but is now permitted within a buoy-marked area at Flava Beach, a ticketed beach complete with bars, street-food stands, changing rooms, showers and sun beds. You can also rent stand-up paddleboards here.

Planning tip: Note that in summer, Budapest can see heavy rain, which causes the water levels of the Danube to rise. This means river beaches can flood, causing them to “disappear” underwater.

4. Nagymaros Beach

Best beach for a laid-back, bohemian feel

Nagymaros is a small town sandwiched between the Danube and the Börzsöny Hills at the most scenic part of the Danube Bend, an hour from Budapest. Its free, sandy beach overlooking the hills is a stunning spot, drawing area locals and a more bohemian crowd. The town overlooks the forest-clad Pilis Hills on the other side of the bank. Visegrad Citadel towers over the river, making this a very photogenic beach indeed.

Should you need something to eat or drink, a few kiosks sell fish or lángos, a deep-fried pastry topped with sour cream and cheese. You can also sit down under the vine-clad courtyard in Piknik Manufaktura, which attracts an eclectic crowd. If you want something with an even more alternative vibe, walk along the river northward for about 30 minutes to Nomad Bar, where you can lounge on the river in a hammock with a drink, or go for a paddle.

5. Lupa Beach

Best beach for an upscale vibe

Lupa Beach is as close as you can get to a luxury-seaside-resort feel in the vicinity of Budapest. Surrounded by white sand, palm trees and four-post sun beds, this lake has some of the cleanest water you’ll find in all of Hungary. You can grab a cocktail or enjoy fine dining on the beach (Michelin-starred restaurant Costes has a catering stand here), go for a swim in the crystal clear water, and dig your toes in the sand.

Planning tip: Lupa Lake is only a 30-minute, direct bus journey from Nyugati station in central Budapest.

6. Lake Velence

Best beach for mineral-rich waters

Hungary’s third-largest natural lake, Lake Velence is only 30 minutes by train from Budapest. Rich in minerals like sodium and magnesium, it’s one of the warmest lakes in Europe, with water temperatures reaching a balmy 26–28°C.

The best-known free beach at Lake Velence is the Velence Korzó, close to the Velence train station. It’s often packed in the summer with locals who come here for the seaside vibe – think lángosand street-food kiosks, restaurants and cafes, sports and water-sports facilities, and much more. You’ll find sandy stretches along the waterfront with sun beds and sun shades you can rent, security boxes, changing rooms and bathrooms.

Detour: In Gárdony, one train stop beyond Velence train station, you’ll find less-crowded and also-free beaches, including a discreet nudist beach.

7. Palatinus Beach, Margaret Island

Best beach for families

Sometimes Hungarian beaches pop up around artificial pools, like Palatinus Beach on Margaret Island. This “beach,” on an island in the Danube, is in fact a thermal bath complex that’s been operating for more than 100 years, offering fun for the whole family with its selection of pools and even a water-slide park. The leafy green surroundings and amenities make it a pleasant place to spend a sunny summer’s day.