Water Sports

Wherever there’s water a bit of wind and a camp site, you’ll find sailboards for rent (on Lake Tisza at Tokaj or on Lake Pecs at Orfu, for example), but the main place for the sport is Lake Balaton, especially at Kiliantelep and Balatonszemes. Qualified sailors can rent boats at locations around the lake, including Balatonfured, Tihany, Siofok, Fonyod and Balatonboglar. Motorboats are banned on Lake Balaton so the only place you’ll get to do any water-skiing is at Fured Camping in Balatonfured, where a cable tow does the job.

There are many canoe and kayak trips available. Following the Danube from Rajka to Mohacs (386 km) or the Tisza River from Tiszabecs to Szeged (570 km) are obvious choices, but there are less congested waterways and shorter trips like the 210-km stretch of the Koros and Tisza rivers from Bekes to Szeged or the Raba River from Szentgotthard to Gyor (205 km).

The HTB published a brochure titled Water Tours in Hungary, which is a gold mine of information for planning itineraries and rentals and learning the rules and regulations.

See City of therapeutic waters

Cycling

The possibilities for cyclist are many in Hungary. The slopes of northern Hungary can be challenging, whereas Transdanubia is much gentler and the Great Plain flat though windy (and in summer, hot). The problem is bicycle rentals: they’re hard to come by in Hungary.

Your best bets are camping grounds, resort hotels or Budapest’s Margaret Island in season. Bicycles can be taken on trains but not on buses or trams.

Remember when planning your itinerary that bicycles are banned from the motorways (and national highways Numbers 0 to 9), and they must be equipped with lights and reflectors. Riding mountain bikes is becoming increasingly popular, especially in the Buda Hills and in the Borzsony Hills north of the Danube Bend.

The HTB publishes useful pamphlets called Hungary by Bike and Bicycle Tours in Eastern Hungary with recommended routes and basic sketch maps. Hungary by Bicycle, in Hungarian, German and English, can be found in some Budapest bookshops. Figoria publishes a useful trilingual map called Budapest on Bike.

The Bicycle Touring Association of Hungary (MKTSZ :332 7177) in Budapest at VI Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 31 can supply more information.

A popular vehicle in Budapest: about 25,000 people try cycling in the heavy traffic, which is a quite daring enterprise. There are few cycle paths, which do not form a separate network. For further information see By Bike in Budapest, available in the tourist information bureaux. Bookshops sell maps for cyclists. Should you still venture on your bike, you are advised to ride in the large parks: the Margaret Island, the City Park and the Népliget.

Hiking

Though Hungary doesn’t have high mountains, you can enjoy good hiking in the forests around Visegrad, Esztergom, Badacsony, Koszeg and Budapest. North of Eger are the Bukk Hills and south of Kecskemet the Bugac Puszta, both national parks with marked hiking trails. Pick up detailed hiking maps in Budapest as these are not always available locally. Cartographia produces some two dozen 1:60,000 and 1:40,000 hiking maps to hills, forests, rivers and lakes throughout the country.

Horse Riding

The Magyars say they were ‘created by God to sit on horseback’ and, judging from the number of stables, riding schools and courses around the country, that still holds true today.

It’s risky – particularly in the high season – to show up at a riding centre without a booking. Do this through the local tourist office, or in Budapest you can contact Ibusz (Leisure Department, +36-1-318 2967) at V Ferenciek tere 10, which organises 10-day riding tours in Transdanubia, the Danube Bend and on the Great Plain. Prices range from DM1500 to DM2000.

Budapesti Equestrian Club VIII., Kerepesi út 7. Tel: 313-5210 Petneházy Horse-riding School II., Feketefej u. 2-4. Tel: 176-5937. On the premises of Petneházy Club Hotel***, accommodation in luxury bungalows. Tennis courts. Open: Prior booking is necessary. Staff at both places speak German and English.

Amateur Aviation and Pleasure Flights
Weather permitting, flights are possible every day from 8 am. to sunset. The minimum duration is 10 minutes, otherwise on request. Budakeszi-Farkas-hegy Airport: pleasure flights, hang gliding, gliding at weekends. You don’t need to book the services of Jet Stream Kft. in advance. Bus 22 from Moszkva tér as far as the terminus, then walk. Budaörs Airport pleasure flights. Bookings: 166-9420, 166-9533. Indicator Rt. expects prior booking. The small planes are also available for excursions to the Danube Bend. Bus 87 from Kosztolányi tér. Hot-air balloon over the city Daily, depending on the weather, only morning or evening. Minimum one-hour flight for at least 2 persons. Guests are transported to and from the place of takeoff in minibuses. Bookings: Sup-Air Balloon Club, Tel: 322-0015, 60/328-905

Billiards
You can play billiards in almost 100 venues, primarily pubs, but there are a few billiards salons as well: Black Pool (IX., Vámház krt. 15. 1000-0400), Fekete Lyuk (XXI., Damjanich u. 87. 1400-0400), Noiret (VI., Dessewffy u. 8-10. 1200-0400), Vega (IV., Árpád út 81. 1000-0300)

ATLANTIS BILIARD
XIII. Váci út 156. T. 349-4946.
Three floors and hundreds of tables.

MONTE CARLO BILLIARD AND CLUB
II. Török u. 4. Tel/Fax. 212-4409. Arcade, billiards, disco and drink bar.

BONNIE AND CLYDE
V. Ferenciek tere 5. Open daily 10 a.m.-5 a.m. Billiards and casino.

NOIRET BILLIARD SALON
VI. Dessewffy u. 8-10. T. 331-6103. Open: 2 p.m. 4 a.m. every day. Divided bar area with smoking and non-smoking areas.

STRICTLY SNOOKER CLUB
XIII. Tüzér u. 43. 3rd Moor. T./Fax. 344-2053. Open daily, noon to midnight.

GOLD CROWN BILLIARD
XI. Budafoki út 111-113. T.20C-5234. NON-STOP pool, snooker, darts, roulett, poker, bowling.

Bowling
The two most popular bowling alleys are in Novotel Budapest Centrum (XII., Alkotás u. 63-67) and Hotel Stadion (XIV., Ifjúság útja 1-3.). Duna Plaza Bowling club is also a good choice!

MVA BOWLING CENTER
XIII. Váci út 178 (Duns Plaza). T 465-1155. Open every day, 10 a.m.-1 a.m.

Golf
You can indulge in your hobby in the Budapest Golf Park & Country Club, located in Kisoroszi, 35 km north of Budapest, at a magnificent spot of the Danube Bend. 18-hole course, equipment for hire. Tennis courts. Open: March-Oct, prior booking only. Tel: 117-6025.

Another 18-hole course is found in Alcsútdoboz, 40 km west of Budapest, at the Pannon Golf & Country Club. Equipment for hire. Open: March-Oct. Bookings: 22/243-243

A great location for playing golf is Hencse. This 90 hectare course has 18 holes and is surrounded by forests and lakes. 
Hencse National Golf & Country Club Hencse, Kossuth u. 30. Tel.: +36 82-481-245 hencsegc@matavnet.hu 

More on golf courses in Hungary at http://virtualhungary.com/lists/golfing.htm

Rowing
The Danube offers exceptional opportunities to lovers of water. You can hire a boat in the middle of town on the Margaret Island (Danubius Nemzeti Hajós Egylet, Hajós Alfréd Sports Swimming Pool, upstairs). Boathouses stand in a row on the Római Bank: all have boats for hire. Are we right to assume that you can swim and know the basic rules of water traffic?

Squash
Several well-equipped courts are available in town. Prior booking is necessary.

1 court. Open: 0600-2000 Budapest Marriott Hotel V., Apáczai Csere J. u. 4. Tel: 266-4290.
4 courts. Open: 0700-2400 City Squash Club II., Marcibányi tér 13. Tel: 325-0082.
4 courts. Open: 0700-2400 Csepel Fitness Studio XXI., Beke tér 1. Tel: 276-8455.
6 courts. Open: 0700-2300 Lido Leisure Centre III., Nánási út 67. Tel: 250-2565.
2 courts. Open: 0700-2300 TSA Fitness Centre I., Pálya u. 9. Tel: 156-9530.

Tennis
Over 40 hotels, pensions, youth hostels and camp sites have their tennis courts. For further information see the publication Accommodation in Hungary. There are over 100 other tennis facilities, so the list below is far from being exhaustive. Prior booking is required to hire a court.

Budapest Sports Club XII., Szamos u. 2/C. Tel: 213-5129. 10 outdoor and 2 indoor courts.

Budapest Honvéd SE XIII., Dózsa Gy. út 53. Tel: 140-8935. 6 outdoor courts.

Budapesti Spartacus SC I., Dózsa tér, Tel: 212-3766. 9 outdoor and 6 indoor courts.

Építők TC X., Népliget. Tel: 113-9035. 9 outdoor and 3 indoor courts.

MTK Tennis Division XI., Bartók Béla út 63. Tel: 209-1595. 22 outdoor and 5 indoor courts.

Római Tennis Academy III., Királyok útja 105. Tel: 160-8616. 8 outdoor courts.

Újpesti Athletics Association VI., Eötvös u. 7. Tel: 342-8566. 8 outdoor and 2 indoor courts.

Városmajori Tennis Academy XII., Acsádi u. 1. Tel: 202-5337. 5 outdoor courts. Vasas Sport Club II., Pasaréti út 11-13. Tel: 155-7650. 20 outdoor and 2 indoor courts.