Aktív Park

In the east of Budapest, in the 17th district, Aktív Park offers an open-air karting track within a leisure park that brings together several activities. The outdoor layout is driven in the open air, on petrol karts, and people gather as a family or with friends to string together timed laps. It is a venue built for spending the day, away from the bustle of the city centre.

Beyond the karting, the park offers a playground, motorbikes for children, laser tag, dance classes and a bistro for a bite between runs. Karting stays open to all, with no licence: a briefing, a helmet, and you head off to find your best lap. The format suits families as much as groups of friends out to race, and the variety of activities lets you mix things up. Opening times follow the season, so it is best to check before coming.

The Rákoshegy quarter, where the park sits, is a green residential area of eastern Pest, well linked to the centre by the suburban railway and major roads. Budapest, crossed by the Danube, lays out its must-sees minutes away: the neo-Gothic Parliament, Buda Castle, the Chain Bridge and the great thermal baths such as Széchenyi. The Hungarian capital, UNESCO-listed for its riverbanks, is worth several days on its own once the race is over.