Budapest and its surrounding is a real paradise for sport events ranging from Ironman 70.3 events, to Formula 1 GPs, Red Bull Air Race and marathon runs offering splendid views along the two quays of the river Danube. Athletes pass by Buda Castle – part of the UNESCO heritage – Gellért hill, the building of the Parliament, the Chain bridge competing against one another and against the clock.
Regarding the water related links of the city, the Danube is the number one reference, which splits the hilly Buda and the flat Pest side into two. Besides, Budapest is the city of spas, where visitors can reinvigorate in one the 19 different thermal waters or the 8 classical spas, including the Turkish spas, thanks to the unique composition and water temperature.
Since the country has a continental climate, one could expect to arrive in a dry and hot summer.
DUNA ARENA
The Duna Arena hosted the swimming and diving program at the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest.
Its footprint covers 50,000 square metres which is about the size of a polo field, or nearly two-thirds of Buckingham Palace, or about 11 times as big as Bill Gates house in Washington state which includes 7 bedrooms, 24 bathrooms, 6 kitchens, 6 fireplaces, a gym, a dining room, and a library.
Duna Arena stands 44 metres tall, which is just two metres shorter than Statue of Liberty in New York City (from the top of the base to the top of the torch). It measures five metres less than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It is also the height of 19 Yao Mings or 20 Shaquille O'Neals if each NBA star could be vertically arranged.
Duna's water capacity is 9,803 cubic metres. That's akin to 60,000 bathtubs full of water or 150,000 US kegs of beer or 15 million Starbucks venti coffees. And the entire structure took less than two years to build.
Address: Duna Arena - Népfürdő utca 36, Budapest, Hungary, 1138