As the end of winter draws near, everybody yearns to be outside. At this time of year, you never know if you are faced with bright blues skies, overcast greyness or snowfall. Nevertheless, make sure you’re dressed appropriately and get some fresh air!

If younger family members have cabin fever and are already bored with all the programmes the city offers for children, Normafa is the best destination for getting rid of excess energy. Bus 291 will take you from Nyugati train station to the lower station of the Zugliget Chairlift. The journey through the more than 1km-long cable way takes 15 minutes. The open cable car offers a spectacular view of the forest and the city to be enjoyed, and kids always enjoy a bit of adventure travelling above the ground. The use of the chairlift is free in both directions with a Budapest Card.

After arriving at the top, start walking in the direction of Normafa. Delightful forest paths will lead you past playgrounds and fire pits, and you’ll soon reach the strudel hut, well-known all over the city, where you probably won’t be able to resist the delicious smells. Speaking of nature and special vehicles… When heading back to city, take the cogwheel railway instead of the bus. Széchenyi-hegy station is only a short walk, and then the train takes you to Városmajor in 20 minutes.

Another favourite park among city dwellers is Kopaszi-gát. The nicely renovated and maintained park in Lágymányos readily offers everything you might need for an afternoon spent with the family: a playhouse, a playground, a park with a lawn, the riverbank, restaurants and cafés to welcome the young and the old. To make the programme even more exciting after recharging the batteries in the idyllic environment, take boat D12, which takes you back to the city centre. Another plus is that the Budapest Card ensures free use of the boat service, as well as almost every other form of public transport.

Taking a short walk in the city centre after the peace and quiet of nature is not bad, either. Rain or shine, the beauty of Budapest never disappoints: breathtaking buildings, picturesque streets and elegant setting is all you need to forget about bad weather.

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