Canoeing on the Danube
A carefree fun in the outdoors
3 hours including transfers
History of canoeing
Canoeing was the primary mode of long-distance transportation across and along waterways. Canoes were developed over the course of thousands of years primarily by the native people of North America.
The actual word we know today as canoe originated from the word kenu meaning "dugout." Another story is that the word canoe comes from "canoa", which is said to originally come from the native people in the Caribbean via Columbus to Europe. These dugout canoes made from essentially large tree trunks that were shaped and hollowed, were used by the Caribs to travel between islands.
Canoeing remained popular as recreational or sporting watercraft and now its goal is simply to use boats to have fun on the water.
Water activity on the Danube
In the 1930s about two dozen boat houses were built on Budapest's northern stretch by the Danube and the Roman beach became a cult pastime to rent keelboats and spend a weekend there. On a hot Sunday afternoon the grassy waterfront is filled with families enjoying the sun. Children are running up and down laughing and shouting, while their parents rest at a table full of scones and fried fish, sipping beer. The air is filled with the smell of frying fish and the sound of pancake sizzling on the grill from the many small restaurants that line the promenade.
Out on the river young couples with canoes try to navigate the Danube's currents.
The Roman beach increasingly became the near-natural home of relaxation and recreation combined with leisure sports.
We offer the beach for those, who require the summer days' waterfront atmosphere and feel important the fresh air and the closeness of the nature and the river. You can be involved in a huge adventure, if in a canoe you go to discover the Danube. The river still has an amazingly rich flora and fauna and this wilderness can be the easiest visited by canoe.
The really beautiful places...
Starting from the Roman beach we guide you to the Rabbit island. For the year's greatest part we can not speak about island, just about a tree, which stands out from the middle of the river. When the water lever is lower, a shelf is emerging. This shelf is called Rabbit island.
After leaving the enchanted tree, you can cath the sight of a little mouth. This is one of Budapest's most marvellous places, a dead channel next to Luppa island. Who pulls here in and keeps quiet for some minutes, that can feel himself/herself in the wilderness. Newborn ducks are swimming following their parents, cranes are searching their feeds, predator attacks the peacefully siesting fishes…
Extra: Tour to Lake Tisza & Hortobágy
For groups we organize a day tour to the Lake Tisza, an enchanting bird and water sport paradise. The region will dazzle you with its untouched water life, peaceful beaches and welcoming country people.
It is well worth visiting the special Tisza Lake Wetlands by boat and the trips are not just for experts; these trips are open to anyone interested in the wonders of nature. Sometimes the boats pass through narrow, winding channels while at other times they ride the waves on a 1000 hectare open water expanse. Interesting plant life runs alongside the channels and the special world of birds is waiting for you.
The Bird Reserve is strictly protected giving home to around 200 bird species: herons, egrets, wagtails. The reserve is part of the Hortobágy National Park and it's an UNESCO's World Heritage Site.
After the adventurous boat tour we take you to the miraculous Hortobágy Puszta, where you will see the grassy plain which is one of the most beautiful sights of the European tourism. During the puszta–visit you can become acquainted with the fauna and flora, see the traditional Hungarian domestic animals, take part in a horse-carriage trip, participate on a spectacular horse- herd performance and can ride a horse too. In the Shepherds' Museum you can get to know with mysteries of the shepherd's life and the landscape, respectively you will visit the Bridge with Nine Vaults.
The program includes home made apricot brandy and cheese scones as welcome drink and snacks and a fine 3-course lunch in a traditional restaurant of Hortobágy.