Bázel: buffet, café, boathouse and event venue.
A meeting place for the families, friends, dog walkers, cyclists and sports enthusiasts visiting Hajógyári Island – Shipyard Island in English, for the companies that once operated here at the Óbuda part of Budapest – and the surrounding area. Drawing on the nostalgia of rowing and life by the water, our space brings a fresh European urban atmosphere, with quality cultural offerings, food and artworks. An inviting sports venue and café, it accommodates both public programmes and private events.
A meeting place for the families, friends, dog walkers, cyclists and sports enthusiasts visiting Hajógyári Island – Shipyard Island in English, for the companies that once operated here at the Óbuda part of Budapest – and the surrounding area. Drawing on the nostalgia of rowing and life by the water, our space brings a fresh European urban atmosphere, with quality cultural offerings, food and artworks. An inviting sports venue and café, it accommodates both public programmes and private events.
In touch with the river
Bázel is located in one of Óbuda’s unique settings, at the foot of K Bridge, surrounded by the Danube, Hajógyári Island and Graphisoft Park. The remains of Aquincum, Hajógyári Island, Római-part and the riverside promenades form an urban landscape in which the river serves simultaneously as a transport route, a recreational space and a place for community life.
Bázel is one of the newer additions to this waterfront landscape. It lies along the pedestrian and cultural axis stretching from Szentlélek tér to Római-part, next to the entrance to Hajógyári Island and the rows of plane trees along Hamvas Béla promenade. The EuroVelo 6 cycling route also passes directly in front of it, following the Danube from the Black Forest all the way to the Black Sea.
Take the Szentendre suburban railway (H5) from Batthyány tér or the Buda end of Margaret Bridge to Filatorigát station: a 10-minute ride followed by a three-minute walk.
By bike
A Duna-menti kerékpárút itt fut el mellettünk, a Margit híd budai hídfőjétől 15 perc az út.
By car
Approaching from the south, you can park right next to Bázel in the car park along Angel Sanz Street, which continues from the lower embankment road.
Landing stage
As of the spring of 2027, you will be able to launch from Bázel’s own landing stage. In order to keep in line with the tradition of the place, Bázel will definitely have its own touring rowing boat (keelboat) available to hire, and we also plan to offer canoes, kayaks and SUPs.
History
Bázel Boathouse was previously operated by the Külker Sports Association; its nickname, Fila, refers to the neighbourhood which is called Filatorigát. The building served scullers, housing touring rowing boats and skiffs. Mrs. Kati and her family also lived here in a caretaker’s flat. Employees of the Foreign Trade Company (Külker) used the grounds for sport and recreation, and the rowing events of the Külker Olympics were held here on the smaller branch of the Danube. The association’s successor still operates on the Római-part banks as Külker Rowing Club, led by legendary Tibor Mihály, who was once also in charge of the Fila. Following Hungary’s political transition in 1989, the boathouse was privatised and a motorboat storage building was added; this is currently Kisbázel (Small Bázel). Today, Miklós Tömör, founder of the Valyo – City and River Association, brings back Danube life to the banks of the small branch.
The banks of the side channel between Hajógyári Island and Óbuda once had a thriving water-sports scene, much as the Római-part banks did later. With the construction of the gasworks factory and K Bridge, these boathouses disappeared, leaving Fila as the last remaining example until 1992. Today, many athletes and recreational paddlers still take to the water in this urban yet untamed setting: kayakers and canoeists from Honvéd and Újpest sport club, and rowers from Külker and the DNHE boathouse on Margaret Island. Individual and group SUP paddlers have also appeared. There is currently no launching point on the small branch, and we would like to change that at Bázel Boathouse by building our own landing stage.
This part of the city is closely connected to the Danube and bathing culture. The ruins of Aquincum are scattered throughout the area, and the district is also associated with the shipyard and the Római-part banks. Óbuda’s long-term vision is a pedestrian corridor running through the district from Szentlélek tér to the Római-part. The walking route links important cultural assets of the third district. Bázel, beside the shipyard gate, could become one of its stops, along with the avenue of plane trees on the Béla Hamvas Promenade starting here and the beautifully restored buildings of the former gasworks. The Danube cycle route EuroVelo 6, which runs from the Black Forest to the Black Sea, also passes through this stretch.
In the Swiss city of Basel – written Bázel in Hungarian –, the use of the river is exemplary, and the swimming lane has become a symbol of the city. Almost everyone has a swim bag that makes them visible in the water, keeps them afloat and keeps their clothes and phone dry. A typical way of bathing there, unfamiliar here, is to enter the river at one point and get out a kilometre downstream, walk back to the starting point with a drink or an ice cream, and drift down again. We would like to introduce this at Bázel Boathouse in the future, which is what the new name of the boathouse refers to. At present, seepage from soil contamination at the former gasworks factory pollutes this stretch of the Danube at low water levels, unlike areas of the main Danube channel that are highly suitable for swimming. To make swimming at Bázel possible, the seepage from the contamination approximately 700 metres away must be stopped. Until that happens, the channel can be used for rowing and SUP paddling.
What we have
A proper snack bar with quality at its heart. Freshly roasted coffee with local milk, and seasonal cakes made with good ingredients. Homemade syrups, fresh lemonade, classic soft drinks and Club Mate. Czech beers, including alcohol-free options; wines from Szekszárd, including natural wines; and wines for spritzers with soda water. A few good spirits for the tougher days. An ever-changing food selection: pizza, burgers or a simple slice of bread spread with lard – we’ll shape it together with you, but we’ll always make sure there’s something to eat.
Sontagessen★
Sontagessen is a Sunday lunch series where friends, relatives, acquaintances, we ourselves or invited cooks (perhaps even chefs) prepare something they’re good at, feel like making, want to try or think suits the occasion. We make the most of Bázel’s facilities: food can be cooked in a cauldron, in an oven, on an induction hob or over charcoal – or we might simply make some properly buttered bread together. What matters is that it tastes good and comes from the heart, and that we enjoy cooking and eating together. The menu is prepared in limited quantities; if you miss out, you can choose from the regular menu.
Tislizés: lingering around the table
An activity whose name is derived from the German word Tisch, meaning table. It is all about lingering around a table, chatting, sitting, sipping and nibbling at leisure in the sunshine. While doing so, we recommend watching the waves of the Danube and the trees on the opposite bank.
Space and objects
The objects at Bázel have found their way into our spaces through careful selection and generous gifts. Artists and art enthusiasts also took part in the construction work. Our permanent concept centres on three main themes: a) ironwork, everyday metal objects, fences and folk ironwork; b) geometric elements, abstraction, triangles and the aesthetic of the Kádár-era cube house; c) found objects from beaches, boathouses and the waterfront. We try to retain the simplicity and homeliness of the spaces.
Workshop / Presentation / Exhibition
At Bázel, we make room for a wide variety of creative, visual and performing arts events. Bázel is primarily designed for fair weather, so we particularly recommend it for outdoor programmes and exhibitions. We have designed Kisbázel to accommodate creative workshops and smaller exhibitions in a covered, sheltered setting.
Residency
Each year, Bázel welcomes three resident artists from the fields of visual art, architecture and public art for two weeks each. During the programme, we provide participants with workspace and accommodation. They can use the spaces and equipment of Bázel, and we support them through our network and communication channels. We ask the artists to leave their mark in some form on the grounds of Bázel or the surrounding area.
We will publish the detailed terms and a call for applications on 15 January.