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The Olympic Memorial and the Wall of Olympic Athletes in Olimpia Park

The Olympic MemorialBudapestGreater Budapest

The greatest celebration in the world of sports, the Olympics, has been a cradle of success for Hungarian athletes for decades. One the nicest parks in Budapest is a tribute to the Hungarian Olympic, Paralympic and Deaflympic champions, as well as to the Olympic ideal.

Situated between Kossuth Lajos tér and Jászai Mari tér, this multi-faceted park is popular with children, dog walkers and city picnickers alike. Everything in the park was inspired by the Olympic ideal. A map of the world is made up of sandblasted dots on the concrete surface, with metal circles marking the location and year of each Olympic and Paralympic games. The silhouettes on the concrete walls indicate the Olympic sports that Hungarians have been successful in.

Symbols of the Olympic Ideal

A steel sculpture, entitled “Symbol”, was added in 2014 next to the 1996 stone and bronze Olympic Monument in the park’s central space. Both were created by Gábor Mihály. The Olympic rings, painted red, white and green, are visible even from the Buda side of the Danube. Everything in the park is Olympic themed, from the lighting to the fountains. The walls feature the names of Hungarian gold medal-winning Olympic athletes, as well as Paralympic and Deaflympic athletes. The newest wall, with the names of 62 Hungarian hearing-impaired Olympic champions, was unveiled in June 2022.

Symbols of the Olympic Ideal

A steel sculpture, entitled “Symbol”, was added in 2014 next to the 1996 stone and bronze Olympic Monument in the park’s central space. Both were created by Gábor Mihály. The Olympic rings, painted red, white and green, are visible even from the Buda side of the Danube. Everything in the park is Olympic themed, from the lighting to the fountains. The walls feature the names of Hungarian gold medal-winning Olympic athletes, as well as Paralympic and Deaflympic athletes. The newest wall, with the names of 62 Hungarian hearing-impaired Olympic champions, was unveiled in June 2022.

Sports, play and relaxation

The southern half of the park is for children. In addition to basketball and football pitches, there is a playground with a special feature: a climbing frame in the shape of the Austro-Hungarian warship, SMS Maros. The northern part of the park consists of a fenced dog run and a “relaxation zone”, which is popular with picnickers.

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