Budapest ‘Runseeing Tour’

Most of our Budapest routes incorporate some aspect of what a visitor to Budapest would want to see, but this is a comprehensive ‘Budapest Tour’, modeled after the course of the popular Telekom Vivicitta Half Marathon. There are a couple of modifications, due to our inability to affect the same road closures :). Use this route as a guide, or make modifications to the 21k (13 mile) distance.

The tour starts in City Park, and follows famous Andrássy, a main street, but runnable, passing by the House of Terror, theaters, the Opera House, and other Inner City landmarks, using József Attila to cross the Chain Bridge to Buda. The next 2-3k are a tour of the Buda Castle and other landmarks in that area, using the perimeter roads. Next, head 1km south along the river, passing by the Museum of Folk Art and the Calvinist Church. The route then turns around at the church, heading north along the river for 5+km to the Rákóczi Bridge, skirting Gellért Hill, the Citudalla, and other Buda landmarks, with good views over to Pest. Turn around at bridge, and run ~2.5km to the Liberty Bridge, crossing to Pest. Run nearly 2km along the water on the Pest side, back to the Chain Br., and take a right on József Attila and then left on Bajcsy-Zsilinszky, for the final 3km, passing St. Stephen’s Basilica, and other landmarks, with great views to the Parliament Building, returning to City Park.

Modification/Alternative Options: Clearly, this is a long run. Divided it into a couple of runs, or cut some sections. A couple of good options:

• Do a loop or one-way starting at Gellert Hill in Buda, then to the Buda Castle, and along the Danube to Margaret Island. Then back on the Pest side of the Danube
• Reduce some of the river running, especially on the Buda side
• Leave the Buda option for a another day, and enjoy the main streets of Pest, with a riverside section
• You could do a great ~10k by starting in City Park, and just using the river sections between Liberty Bridge and Chain Bridge, saving the other Danube sections for another day.

Video Highlights: Budapest Tour (12 min.) virtualfitnesstv.com