As opposed to thermal baths (TERMÁLFÜRDŐ), STRAND (sometimes funnily labeled as ‘beach’) is a recreational establishment with cold water swimming pools and typical ’strand food’ like lángos and all those Hungarian fast food.

Thanks to the flexibility of the language the word can be easily converted into a verb ’STRANDOL’ which means much more than just BATHE. ’Strandolás’ is a full day activity including bathing, sunbathing, eating, drinking, reading and socialising.

The name PALATINUS is a reminder of the fact that Margaret Island was the property of the NÁDOR i.e. palatine, the most famous of whom was Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary (József Nádor) in the first decades of the 19th century.

It was only in 1908 when the island became the property of the capital and was opened to the public but until 1919 you had to pay an entrance fee.

Source: fungarian.hu

Republished with permission