Margaret Island
Margitsziget

Located in the middle of the Danube at the level of Obuda between the Margaret Bridge annd the Arpad Bridge, Margaret Island is popular primarily due its green open areas and tranquillity, its gardens, the Palatinus thermal baths, and the ancient charm of the istoriale ruins it Holden.

History
Originally known as Rabbits Island, Budapest’s Margaret Island has always played an important role in the city’s history. In the Middle Ages, the island was home to a number of religious cloisters, but by the beginning of the 1800s, this 2.5 kilometer-long island was embraced by members of the royal family, who took it upon themselves to turn it into an ornate garden. Later, the island became a health resort and visitors flocked there to take advantage of its therapeutic springs.

The south
There is only one motor road, which runs the length of the island (but open only for buses); otherwise there are only footpaths. Century-old trees, quiet walks, a flower-garden, romantic ruins and á little game-reserve offer relaxation to people tired of the noise of the city, old and young alike. At the Margaret Bridge entrance to the island the visitor sees a fountain and the Centenary Monument (by István Kiss, 1972) erected on the hundredth anniversary of the union of Pest and Buda. The Stadium is a children's sports establishment.
On the Buda side of the island is the Alfréd Hajós Sports Swimming Pool, with an indoor pool 133.5m long and two open-air ones of 33.5 and 50 m. ; further on, in the centre of the island, are the Palatinus Outdoor Baths. The latter occupy an area of 17.5 acres and the three pools are filled with therapeutic water. In front of it we find the city's most beautiful rosegarden.
Right near the theater is a 57m / 187ft high octagonal water tower (víztorony), built in 1911. The elegant Art Nouveau tower, protected as a UNESCO monument, is used as a watchtower and exhibition area.
Not far away, on the open-air stage next to the water tower, opera, operetta and ballet perform- ances are held. There is an open-air cinema which functions in the summer and nearby we find the Tennis Stadium. 

The north
The most significant ancient monument on the island is the ruin of a thirteenth-century convent of Dominican nuns near the open-air theatre. The convent was founded by King Béla IV, who built up the country again after the Mongol invasion (1241-42) and is therefore sometimes called the second founder of the State. His daughter Margaret came to live in the convent in 1251 at the age of eleven. She was later canonised and the island now bears her name. A marble plaque in the nave of the church ruins indicates the spot where she was buried. A few steps to the north of the convent ruins we see the chapel of the medieval Premonstratensian monastery. In its tower hangs the oldest bell in Hungary. Around the chapel, along the promenade, we find statues of the most eminent a representatives of Hungarian literature and arts. Walk- ing to the north we reach the Grand Hotel. At the north- ern end of the island the exotic plants and the artificial waterfall of a charming rock garden delight the tired sightseer. 
source: www.aviewoncities.com  and www.fsz.bme.hu

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