Hungarians have always been avid sports people: during the history of the summer Olympics, Hungarians have brought home 460 medals, of which 158 are gold. The top events in which Hungarians have excelled are fencing, swimming, canoeing, wrestling and track & field sports. The performance of Hungarians is outstanding in the field of water sports; one reason for this is that the Balaton and the Danube (especially the former) are an excellent natural training site for water sports. In Budapest there are many cozy and well-equipped places in modern sports too, such as bowling, billiards, darts, go kart, wake-boarding and squash, as well as extreme sports. Do not hesitate, rent a bike, go hiking, try something you’ve never done and enjoy the scenery! Running – The best places to run are mostly centrally located. Margaret Island, a recreational mecca with several km of trails with great river and city views, one circle around the Island is 5350 meters. There is also excellent running opportunities along the Danube, on both sides. There are also other great locations for running: City Park (Varosliget) or head to Gellért Hill in Buda and run up to the Citadella (fort), or enjoy the more expansive Normafa a few km west of the city. Many of the parks also feature an open air fitness park, with machines for exercising. Biking – Budapest has a public bike sharing system called BuBi (short for Budapest Bicycle), you need to register with your bank card at the touchscreen terminal or using the MOL BuBi Mobile app. This sturdy bicycles are ideal for short trips in the city between the sightseeing points as 30 mins costs 500 HUF. Luckily, there are several bike rentals, where you can pay a deposit and take the bike for longer terms. Usually they charge 2000 – 2500 HUF / day, check out the following friendly rentals Bikebase District 6. Podmaniczky utca 19., Budapest Bike, District 7. Wesselényi utca 18., Dynamobike, District 5. Képíró utca 6.. Yellow Zebra, District 6. Lázár utca 16. Margaret Island has long paths for bikers, lots of green and fresh air. E-bikes can make up to 50 km / 30 miles on one charge, and they’re very easy to use. Just step on, start pedaling and the silent electric motor turns on, you won’t feel any struggle up the hills. I like E-bike is situated in Fővám tér 5., opposite to the Great Market Hall. Horseback Riding – A popular activity in Hungary, a good place to check out is the Petneházy Lovasiskola (Riding School), at District 2. Feketefej u. 2. Far in the Buda Hills, the school is located in the countryside, with trails in the hills. Open riding with a guide is around 4000 HUF for 25 minutes. There are also pony rides for children at 3000 HUF for 15 minutes, and the 30-minute horse-cart rides for 10 people is 25,000 HUF. The stable is open year-round, but only on Sunday from noon to 5pm. They open Tuesday to Saturday, by appointment. Squash – City Squash and Fitness Courts (Országos Fallabda Központ) is located at District 2. Marczibányi tér 13 , with four courts, is an easy walk from Széll Kálmán tér metro stop. The hourly rates vary during the day, roughly 3000 – 4000 HUF / 1 hour. Racquets can be rented for 500 Ft; and balls can be purchased. The courts are open weekdays 7am to midnight and also at the weekends 8am to 10pm. Tennis – If you wish to play tennis in Budapest, the Római Tennis Academy at District 3. Királyok útja 105 is the place to be, another is Városmajor Tennis Academy at District 12. Városmajor u. 63-69 , but many luxury hotels, have tennis courts that non-guests can rent. SmartFit – The German Milon company launched the first training machine with the latest technology and the latest sport science research that can deliver lots at an eccentric and concentric level during training, thereby improving the workout efficiency by 30%. Milon machines are designed to balance the challenges of modern life. The 36-minute workout plan can be easily built into our everyday lives. Furthermore, due to the chip card system, we can continuously monitor the success of our work. Thanks to the unique technology, both professionals and ordinary people recognize that work on Milon machines is noticeably different than the others. SmartFit Gym, District 6. Central Passage Király utca 8-10. 1st Floor Photo credit: Pixabay