City Park (Budapest)
Encyclopedia
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
(302 acres or 1.2 km²; a rectangle 0.9 miles (1.4 km) by 0.6 mile (0.965604 km), or 1.4 km × 900 m) in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
close to the city centre. It is located in District XIV of Budapest
Zugló
Zugló is the official name of the 14th district of Budapest , the capital of Hungary. It is a large and mixed neighborhood, with communist era style highrise apartments sprinkled between decently kept one house residential streets...
. Its main entrance is Heroes' Square
Heroes' Square (Budapest)
Hősök tere is one of the major squares of Budapest, Hungary, rich with historic and political connotations. Its iconic statue complex, the Millennium Memorial, was completed in 1900, the same year the square was named "Heroes' Square"...
(Hősök tere), one of Hungary's World Heritage sites.
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Name
The area was formerly called Ökör-dűlő, meaning "Oxmeadow". The first mention of the name comes from 1241 in the archaic form, Ukurföld. In the 18th century the area was called Ochsenried in German. Around 1800 the official name was changed to Batthyány-erdő (Batthyány Forest) after its tenants, the BatthyányBatthyány
Batthyány is the name of an old distinguished Hungarian Magnate family. The members of this family bear the title count or countess respectively prince or princess Batthyány von Német-Ujvár...
family. The first trees and planified walkways were established in 1751 and after the public park was created in the first decades of the 19th century the present-day name, Városliget (and its German version, Stadtwäldchen) was accepted and it became the first public park in the world.
History
City Park was the main venue of the 1896 millenniumMillennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
celebrations of Hungary, by which time Andrássy Avenue
Andrássy Avenue
Andrássy Avenue is an iconic boulevard in Budapest, Hungary, dating back to 1872. It links Erzsébet Square with the Városliget. Lined with spectacular Neo-renaissance mansions and townhouses featuring fine facades and interiors, it was recognised as a World Heritage Site in 2002...
, Millennium Underground
Budapest Metro
The Budapest Metro is the rapid transit system in the Hungarian capital Budapest. It is the second-oldest underground metro system in the world after the London Underground. Its iconic Line 1, dating from 1896, was declared a World Heritage Site in 2002.-Lines:The Metro consists of three lines,...
and the Grand Boulevard
Grand Boulevard (Budapest)
Nagykörút or Grand Boulevard is one of the most central and busiest parts of Budapest, a major thoroughfare built by 1896, Hungary's Millennium. It forms a semicircle connecting two bridges of the Danube, Margaret Bridge on the north and Petőfi Bridge on the south...
were built.
Sports
City Park has the largest artificial ice surface in Europe and it's the centre of Hungarian bandyBandy
Bandy is a team winter sport played on ice, in which skaters use sticks to direct a ball into the opposing team's goal.The rules of the game have many similarities to those of association football: the game is played on a rectangle of ice the same size as a football field. Each team has 11 players,...
. The B-group at the Bandy World Championship 2004
Bandy World Championship 2004
The Bandy World Championship 2004 was a competition between Bandy playing nations. The men's tournament was played in Sweden on 1–8 February 2004 for Group A and Group B was played in Hungary from the 25–28 February 2004 Finland won the championship for the 1st time...
was held herehttp://www.bandyvm.se/RTE/my_documents/my_pictures/VM_2004/budapest.jpg and also the Bandy World Championship for women 2007
Bandy World Championship for women 2007
The Bandy World Championship 2007 for women 2007 was contested between 7 bandy playing countries. The championship was played in Budapest, Hungary from 11 February-17 February 2007.-Premier tour:* 11 February* 12 February...
http://bandy-2007-vb.devall.hu/en/?Gallery.
The park used to host motorsport events in the 1950s. In 1985 despite the serious plans the city government decided against to host Hungarian Grand Prix races in the park.
Landmarks
Heroes' SquareHeroes' Square (Budapest)
Hősök tere is one of the major squares of Budapest, Hungary, rich with historic and political connotations. Its iconic statue complex, the Millennium Memorial, was completed in 1900, the same year the square was named "Heroes' Square"...
is noted for the following:
- The Millennium Monument (Millenniumi Emlékmű), one of Budapest's emblematic sights (1905)
- The Museum of Fine ArtsMuseum of Fine Arts (Budapest)The Museum of Fine Arts is a museum in Heroes' Square, Budapest, Hungary, facing the Palace of Art.It was built by the plans of Albert Schickedanz and Fülöp Herzog in an eclectic-neoclassical style, between 1900 and 1906. The museum's collection is made up of international art , including all...
(Szépművészeti Múzeum, 1906) - The Palace of ArtPalace of Art (Budapest)*Kunsthalle Budapest is a contemporary art museum in Budapest. The building, built in 1895, is located in Heroes' Square, facing the Museum of Fine Arts....
(Műcsarnok, 1895)
City Park proper includes the following notable sights:
- The Vajdahunyad CastleVajdahunyad CastleVajdahunyad Castle, or Vajdahunyad-vár, is a castle in City Park, Budapest, Hungary, that was built between 1896 and 1908, designed by Ignác Alpár...
, presenting the major art styles and housing the Agricultural Museum today (first built in 1896, in its present state finished in 1907) - The Széchenyi Medicinal Baths and Swimming PoolSzéchenyi Medicinal BathThe Széchenyi Medicinal Bath in Budapest is the largest medicinal bath in Europe. Its water is supplied by two thermal springs, their temperature is and , respectively....
(Széchenyi fürdő), one of Europe's largest bath complexes (1913) - The Municipal Zoological and Botanical GardenBudapest Zoo & Botanical GardenBudapest Zoo & Botanical Garden is the oldest zoo park in Hungary and one of the oldest in the world.It has 733 animal species and located within the Városliget Park....
(Fővárosi Állat- és Növénykert, founded in 1866, built in its present state in 1912, expanded and improved since several times) - The Budapest Circus (Fővárosi Nagycirkusz, 1971)
- The Budapest Amusement Park (Vidám Park) with a separate amusement park for small children
- Its roller coasterRoller coasterThe roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
, Hullámvasút, built in 1922 after the plans of Ervin Dragon, is 17 m in height and travels 980 m in five minutes. It is one of the ten remaining side friction roller coasterSide friction roller coasterA side friction roller coaster is an early roller coaster design that does not have an extra set of wheels under the track to prevent cars from becoming airborne. Before the invention of up-stop wheels, coaster cars were built to run in a trough, with wheels under the car and side plates to help...
s in the world, and is an ACEAmerican Coaster EnthusiastsThe American Coaster Enthusiasts is an organization dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of roller coasters. Membership is open to anyone with payment of yearly dues, and membership benefits may include discounted admission to certain amusement parks...
Coaster Classic. - Its merry-go-round was built in 1906 and its cave railway in 1912. Along with the roller coaster these are considered to be historic monuments.
- Its roller coaster
- The Gundel Restaurant, one of Hungary's most famous, founded in 1879 (residing in its present building since 1894)
- The Millennium Salon (Millennium Szalon) in Olof Palme House (1885)
- The Transport Museum of BudapestTransport Museum of BudapestThe Közlekedési Múzeum or Transport Museum of Budapest is one of Europe’s oldest transportation collections.It is a must for railway connoisseurs and amateurs. This museum has a unique collection of locomotives and wagons on a 1:5 scale. This means that a locomotive of, for example, 10 m length is...
(Közlekedési Múzeum 1899) - The Aviation Museum of Budapest
- City Park Pond (Városligeti-tó), used as an ice rinkIce rinkAn ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
in winter, the largest outdoor skating-rink in Central Europe (1926), with a hall built in 1894. It hosted the Bandy World Championship for women 2007Bandy World Championship for women 2007The Bandy World Championship 2007 for women 2007 was contested between 7 bandy playing countries. The championship was played in Budapest, Hungary from 11 February-17 February 2007.-Premier tour:* 11 February* 12 February...
and the B-group at the Bandy World Championship 2004Bandy World Championship 2004The Bandy World Championship 2004 was a competition between Bandy playing nations. The men's tournament was played in Sweden on 1–8 February 2004 for Group A and Group B was played in Hungary from the 25–28 February 2004 Finland won the championship for the 1st time...
for men. - The Petőfi Hall (Petőfi Csarnok), a youth leisure centre (1985)
- The Time Wheel (Időkerék, 2004)
- The Monument of the 1956 Revolution, completed in 2006 for the 50th anniversary of the historic event
- A spacious procession square (used for several purposes)
- Sports grounds, playgrounds, meadows, esplanades (e.g. one named after Olof PalmeOlof PalmeSven Olof Joachim Palme was a Swedish politician. A long-time protegé of Prime Minister Tage Erlander, Palme led the Swedish Social Democratic Party from 1969 to his assassination, and was a two-term Prime Minister of Sweden, heading a Privy Council Government from 1969 to 1976 and a cabinet...
), several statues (among others, of George WashingtonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and Winston ChurchillWinston ChurchillSir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
), a memorial for Anna LindhAnna LindhYlva Anna Maria Lindh was a Swedish Social Democratic politician, Chairman of the Social Democratic Youth League 1984-1990, Member of Parliament 1982-1985 and 1998-2003...
, a botanical garden and a transport park for children
See also
- People's ParkPeople's Park (Budapest)Népliget is located in Budapest, Hungary. It is a central bus station for coaches. In front of the bus station, there is a large, open field which is practically called the Népliget, but Hungarians tend to use Népliget in relation with the bus centre.Beside the coach station and the park itself,...
(Népliget) - Margaret IslandMargaret IslandMargaret Island is a long island, 500 metres wide, in the middle of the Danube in central Budapest, Hungary. It belongs administratively to the 13th district. The island is mostly covered by landscape parks, and is a popular recreational area. Its medieval ruins are reminders of its importance...
(Margitsziget)