The Small Danube promenade runs along the Royal Quarter of Esztergom for about 2 km, in a north-south direction, until the Water City, next to the Prímás Island branch of the Danube. The promenade connects the most important tourist areas of the city, the historical Esztergom with the Széchenyi Square and the Víziváros with the Basilica and the Castle Hill. The two banks are connected by several bridges. In 1895 the Bottyán Bridge was opened, in 1897 the Kolos Bridge, in 1960 the Peace Bridge (now called St. Nicholas Bridge), in 2002 the Tabán Bridge (now called St. Elisabeth Bridge). It was then that the plane tree, which still dominates today, was planted. From here, the historic St. Stephen’s Beach Baths, built in the 1920s, open onto the first indoor swimming pool in the country. Parts of the historic water town fortress system run along the banks of the Little Danube. The embankment of the promenade acts as a flood defence. The northern side of the Little Danube is home to yacht harbours, while the southern side is a favourite habitat for a variety of birds and insects.
