Budapest’s latest free riverside Danube beach has opened on the Árasztó bank in District XI, offering a significantly expanded swimming area compared with last summer.
A markedly larger riverside Danube beach
The Duna-fürdő Árasztó-part beach will welcome visitors daily between 10 AM and 6 PM throughout the season. Bathing is permitted within a designated 100-metre stretch of the river, with a depth of up to 1.2 metres. Officials said water quality at the site is excellent, speaking at a press conference held on Wednesday.
Gergely Karácsony, the Mayor of Budapest, said the opening represented more than the launch of a new bathing site. Rather, it forms part of a broader shift in how the capital relates to the Danube — without which, he noted, the city would not exist.
“In recent decades, we have somewhat neglected one of our most important allies, the Danube. It is time to build a city that restores this connection — not only between the river and the city, but also between residents and the natural landscape they inhabit,” he said.
The mayor thanked all those involved in making the project possible, including the Valyo Association, which has long advocated a renewed relationship with the river, Budapest Spas and Thermal Waters Ltd (BGYH), which provided the professional and safety framework, and the local authority of District XI.
From pilot to full-scale site
Ildikó Szűts, chief executive of BGYH, recalled that the Árasztó site operated last year as a pilot programme and proved popular with residents. As a result, the bathing area has been expanded from 20 metres to 100 metres.
She emphasised that all necessary precautionary measures had been taken to ensure safe and relaxed bathing conditions. An accredited laboratory has been monitoring water quality for weeks, with results consistently confirming excellent standards.
Strong currents remain a risk
Visitors were warned that the Danube’s current is strong and that the beach is used at one’s own risk. However, a lifeguard is on duty throughout opening hours.
Szűts told MTI that as long as bathers remain within the designated 1.2-metre-deep zone and adhere to the rules, the river can be used safely. Drinking water, showers and toilet facilities are available on site.
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Cili Lohász, co-chair of the Valyo – City and River Association, said the organisation’s long-term aim is to establish Budapest as a true “Danube bathing city”.
Symbolic opening
The beach was officially opened when Karácsony, Szűts and Imre László, mayor of Újbuda, each tossed a ball into the river within the designated area.
Families with children were already making use of the site during the event, taking to the water shortly after the ceremony concluded.
According to information published on the BGYH website, the Árasztó-part beach in District XI can be reached by public transport via bus 33, or by bicycle along the flood embankment cycle path.
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