Tourist information - Entertainment - Margaret Island

Margaret Island (also Margitsziget, Margit-sziget; occasionally Margit Island) is a 2.5 km long island in the middle of the Danube in central Budapest, in the 13th district, between the two city parts, Buda and Pest.

The island is mostly covered by park areas, and is a popular recreational area for tourists as well as locals. The island spans the area between the Margaret Bridge (south) and the Árpád Bridge (north).

Its best-known landmarks are:
- the Centennial Memorial (see picture), commemorating the hundredth anniversary of the city's unification;
- a small Japanese Garden with a mildly thermal fish pond;
- a tiny zoo featuring a wide range of exotic waterfowl among other animals;
- the "Music Well" (Zenélő kút), a small pavilion, which was originally built for open-air concerts (it is close to Árpád bridge);
- the "Music Fountain" (Zenélő szökőkút), a fountain near which music is played and light shows are performed in summer (it is close to Margaret bridge);
- an octagonal Water Tower of 57 m (built in Art Nouveau style in 1911, today functioning as a lookout tower and an exhibition hall, see picture).

The Music Fountain and the Water Tower are protected UNESCO sites.

The island houses various sports establishments, like the Palatinus water park (the largest open-air swimming complex in Budapest), the Alfréd Hajós sports pool (where the European LC Championships 2006 took place), a tennis stadium and an athletics centre.