If you feel like doing some exercises in nature surrounded by breath-taking views, I recommend you the hiking trail from Nagymaros to Zebegény. The hike is not too difficult and takes approximately 2 hours to complete, but you should have a moderate level of fitness.
Getting to Nagymaros
Getting to the starting point of the hike is very simple. There are trains from the Nyugati Railway Station approximately every half hour and the journey takes less than an hour. On the train you can enjoy the beautiful views of the Danube and the surrounding mountains, and when you see the Visegrád Castle on top of the hill, you’re almost there. You should get off the train at the Nagymaros-Visegrád station.
The hike
After getting off the station platform you will enter a little square with a beautiful old church.
From there you should walk up to Diófa street. Look for the blue striped symbol painted on the walls and signposts along the road - this symbol indicates that you’re on the hiking trail.
You will walk through the village for a while and eventually enter the forest. During the summer time it is lush and green, a cool escape from the heat, and in the autumn season, the leaves appear in hundreds of different colours. If you listen carefully you might even hear woodpeckers pecking away on the trees. No matter what season you choose, it is an enchanting place that makes you feel far away from the city. There is only one path to follow at this point, and there are plenty of symbols painted on the trees to guide you.
Finally you will reach a crossroad where you can choose from several different hiking paths to take. I recommend that you turn right, still following the blue symbol, to Hegyes-tető. It’s a short 15 minute walk to Julianus kilátó - a beautiful look-out tower and the highest point of the hike. From here you will have incredible panoramic views to the Danube Bend. It makes the steep climb so worth it - you will forget how tired you are!
After taking tons of pictures and having a well-deserved rest, it’s time to hike down to Zebegény. It is a steep way through the forest, so be careful! Now you will follow not only a blue sign but also a yellow one.
After climbing down the steep part, you should search for a yellow arrow pointing left - you should follow the yellow symbols now, they will take you to the endpoint of the hike, to the village of Zebegény.
After the hike
I am sure that by the end of the tour you will be pretty hungry but luckily you can’t stay hungry in Zebegény. The town has a few cozy cafés, a barbeque restaurant or you can go down to the river and find the food trucks selling lángos and pancakes. Getting back home to Budapest is simple, the station is in the middle of the village and the train comes every half hour.
Article by Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship holder, Paula Louw.
The article is based on the view of the author, and is not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Study in Hungary.