Great Gerecse circle, or what lies behind the Turul

Itinerary :

• We leave Alsógalla railway station via Aradi Street, then continue straight on Cement Factory Road and Tarján Road. The latter crosses road 1 and leads out of the settlement.
• We arrive at Tarján via a beautiful forest road.
• In the center of Tarján, we turn towards Gyermely on the main road.
• After Gyermely (with the option to detour to Gyarmatpuszta), passing through Szomor, Máriahalom and Epöl, we arrive at Bajna, however from Epöl we can take a walking detour to the Old Hole and Őr Hill.
• From Bajna, we set off towards Bajót on the main road, then turn onto the gravel road towards Pusztamarót at the signposted place.
• In Pusztamarót, we cycle along the wide gravel road, which crosses to the far side of the Great Gerecse block via the Watershed.
• From the Watershed, we descend for a long stretch on a forestry concrete road to Bikolpuszta, where we turn left towards Tardos on the main road.
• Near Heprifalva we can make a detour to the canopy walkway at the Red Bridge.
• In the center of Tardos, first towards Vértestolna, then at the edge of the village we turn towards Tata.
• Leaving Tardos, we turn again towards Tata and pass by the Agostyán Arboretum and the ecovillage, arriving at Agostyán.
• From Agostyán, we cycle to Tata; Agostyán Road leads almost to the shore of the Old Lake (the end of the street becomes one-way, at this point it's advisable to cross road 1 on the pavement pushing the bike, then roll down to the lake on Bartók Béla Street on the right-hand side), from where we can visit the city sights, or take the train back to Tatabánya and detour to the Open-Air Mining Museum.

Detailed description of the route:

From Tatabánya to Bajna through the lesser-known hills of Gerecse

The Gerecse, situated between the Tata depression and the Danube valley, is a characteristic, fragmented block mountain. However, the individual blocks are small in size, so the karst formations are smaller compared to other mountain ranges in Hungary (e.g., Bükk, Buda Hills, Gömör-Torna Karst). The mountain range’s name derives partly from the Moravian word "grics" (mountain, steep slope) and partly from the peregrine falcon’s name (this magnificent bird still nests in the secret corners of the mountain range).

We start our tour in Tatabánya, known for its industrial past and paved roads. Let’s not be prejudiced against the industrial city sprawling under the Turul — Europe’s largest metal bird, erected in memory of the Battle of Bánhida in 1907 — especially if we wish to explore Gerecse! Few know that this city, once among Hungary’s most polluted, became the country’s first climate-friendly municipality in 2007.

The variety of sights is naturally narrower than in Tata, but not far from the Alsógalla railway station there is the Open-Air Mining Museum, also known as an industrial skanzen. It provides insights not only into the mineral wealth enriching the wider area but also offers a detailed picture of an important historical era. If possible, include this underrated exhibition at the start or end of the tour, where among other curiosities you can see two authentic classrooms from the 1920-30s and the 1960-70s.

Thanks to the geological structure of the region, after leaving Tatabánya, we face a climb, then the terrain flattens towards Tarján. A third of the population in Tarján preserves German nationality traditions. This might be less visible riding around the village, but on the road to Gyermely, we find the Old Woodcutter’s restaurant reminiscent of Bavaria, worth stopping for at least a coffee!

Then we take on the hills of Gerecse and shortly before Gyermely, we pass a notable and unique site (about a 1 km detour): in the once independent Gyarmatpuszta game reserve stands a 19th-century hunting lodge and a beautiful chapel, where the most famous historical figure of Gerecse, Móric Sándor — the "Devil Rider" — and his favorite horse were buried. Gyarmatpuszta is also noteworthy as one of the primary protected hunting areas used by the closed circle Agreement Hunting Association, established by János Kádár in 1964.

Departing Gyermely, it’s delightful to enjoy cycling in the surroundings of Szomor, Máriahalom and Epöl. The minor roads mean few cars disturb us, allowing us to admire the wild rolling hills and find some beautiful traditional houses and cellars in the villages.

The Old Hole and the Devil Rider's Castle

Looking at the Gerecse tourist map, we immediately notice that, in the wider area of Bajna, from Héreg through Bajna to Zsámbék, there isn’t a single hiking trail. More exactly, the eye of the hiker almost burns at the single Z▲ marking, which winds from the Epöl side of Bajna to the 347-meter-high Őr Hill, touching the relatively lesser-known, spectacular caves of Gerecse (Jankovich Cave near Bajót, Szelim Cave) and the unfairly sidelined Old Hole cavern. As the trail is short (1.3 km and 172 m elevation gain to the summit, and the cave is only 500 m from the road), it’s definitely worth locking up the bikes and conquering this special peak, and especially the cave.

The wide-mouthed entrance to the Old Hole is reached by a few meters of clear detour from the hiking trail. Behind the impressive cave opening, a spacious, wide corridor descends evenly. The cave has only one entrance, and as the corridor slopes downward, cold air visibly fills the passage, so the temperature difference over this short stretch is significant (and pleasant) in summer. It’s worth climbing to the summit, offering a nice panorama of the central block of Gerecse and the surrounding, lesser-known raptor peaks, although the view is increasingly obscured by upward-growing vegetation.

The picturesque Bajna under the hill is famous for the Sándor–Metternich Castle, the residence of Count Móric Sándor, known as the "Devil Rider," in the 1830s. Allegedly he said, "He who needs to learn to ride will never learn," when, without any prior experience, he mounted a horse as an adult. The eccentric count rose to European fame, with the Devil Rider legend reaching London; his life story calls for a historical adventure film. It is indeed worth exploring the whims and historical thoughts of this peculiar count (the "Devil Rider" castle in Bajna, designed by our renowned neoclassical architect József Hild, is scheduled to reopen in 2020, featuring an exhibition on the Devil Rider's life).

People of the mountain steppes

Leaving Bajna, we cycle on a beautiful road towards the Danube, with the impressive Great Gerecse block on the left and the Pilis forming on the right; it is also worth looking back towards the picturesque Bajna. From the main road, at the marked place, we turn onto a gravel road to climb to Pusztamarót.

Pusztamarót, now a holiday area and camp, is named after a unique settlement form. The steppes were formerly independent inhabited outer areas of settlements, mainly agricultural. Most were established on the Great Plain, with fewer in our mountain ranges (more in Gerecse, thanks to varied terrain). They were typically part of estates, housing a few dozen residents, mostly agricultural servants. The settlements consisted of servant houses, stables, repair workshops, sawmills, and other economic buildings, with manorial mansions or castles on the larger ones. Animal husbandry (especially sheep, cattle, horses) predominated, while crop cultivation was usually limited to orchards (apples, plums, etc.), home gardens, and fodder production.

Additionally, they usually had roles as hunting grounds and forestry centers; some larger ones even had narrow-gauge railways. These depopulated during socialism; the crew filming "One and a Half Million Steps in Hungary" only found a small population and dilapidated buildings in Pusztamarót. Today, the "luckier" mountain steppes have become holiday resorts, hotels, or feature tourist hostels, lodges, or forestry houses. Most, however, await decay, with houses falling apart and cemeteries preserving the memory of a diligent past.

Pusztamarót is among the few to have partially renewed: some buildings are still in use, and it has become a busy tourist center in the mountain range. The former pioneer camp operates, a manor building was converted into an inn, with a spring, buffet, and comfortable rest areas built on the spacious meadow. A historical memorial site was erected beside the old cemetery, commemorating the tragic event of September 15, 1526. Locals and many refugees here withstood a siege for 3 days against overwhelming forces. According to sources, 25,000 people died during and after the siege.

In the heart of Gerecse

The gravel road used so far initially leads us to the Watershed — the farthest point accessible by car from Pusztamarót. From here, thankfully, we ride on increasingly better forestry asphalt road, mostly descending. On the right is the former Pisznice quarry, where Romans mined Gerecse's "gold," the "red marble." Tölgyhát, Red Bridge, Pisznice, Kis-Gerecse, Bányahegy — except for the latter, mining of Gerecse “red marble” has ceased in most places. In fact, the material is red limestone, named “marble” because of its excellent polishing capability.

This hard, well-workable limestone from the Jurassic period decorates many public buildings' walls and floors in Hungary. We can count in many Budapest apartment blocks, the Visegrád Royal Palace, the Esztergom Bakócz Chapel, and even at Krakow’s Wawel the fossil remains of many shell-like cephalopods mistaken for snails. The ammonites, relatives of polyps, often appear massively in the Jurassic limestone. The Pisznice quarry, featured extensively in the documentary "One and a Half Million Steps in Hungary," has not mined red limestone for decades; the quarry courtyard, home to rare plants and animals, is a strictly protected area accessible only with permission from the Danube-Ipoly National Park Directorate.

After leaving the forestry road onto the Tardos-Süttő main road and turning left towards Tardos, it’s worth admiring the remains of the former Bikolpuszta, with an information board on the right. The area of the former Bikolpuszta, wiped out in the Turkish era, now contains special, estate-related graves. A little higher up, there's a nice view of the gentle hills with a classicist late-Baroque manor built in the 1760s by the Nedeczky family. The manor’s view with the towering forest behind evokes Transylvania most vividly.

We cycle to Tardos, the center of Gerecse and “red marble,” along a beautiful forest road. Near the place marked on the map as Heprifalva, we can take a short detour to the canopy walkway opened in autumn 2019. The former quarry area at Red Bridge features a circular walkway 44 m in diameter and 105 m long, with a maximum height of 11 meters from ground level. Here we can truly immerse ourselves in the admiration of the forest!

Before Tardos lies Malomvölgy Leisure Park, another ideal rest place. The red “marble” is now mined only in Tardos, on Bánya Hill. Hence, the reddish gravel and rocks are everywhere around the village, decorating paving, fences, and village signs. In the center of Tardos, we first turn towards Vértestolna, then at the village edge towards Tata.

Agostyán: arboretum and ecovillage

After climbing the rise leading to Tata road, we turn right and from there essentially coast to Tata. More precisely, we could coast if not for two special sights on the way worth stopping for. The first is the arboretum, called by some the Gem of Gerecse. The 30.5-hectare arboretum was partly created thanks to the Eszterházy family, who planted red pines in 1912 on this special microclimate area — these now are the oldest trees of the arboretum. Later the arboretum was developed based on this foundation, with various conifers continuing to be its main attractions.

The “ecovillage,” accessible by prior appointment, is really the display area and educational center of the Foundation for Natural Lifestyle. The center, based on human-ecological principles, features a self-sustaining farm, a gentle energy nature trail, memorial forest, and a unique historical ecological center, naturally in a magical forest environment. The latter represents a medieval settlement under construction, based on excavations on the nearby Old Kovács Hill belonging to the Baj municipality. The center also organizes environmental education programs and camps.

Tata, city of waters

Tata offers many natural and cultural attractions. Here, we highlight natural wonders related to the wider geographical environment. The city, located between the limestone areas of Gerecse and Vértes, is mainly renowned for its karst springs. The Fényes Spring Nature Trail, winding above a magical forest standing in the water, is a must-see. Here, in the "City of Waters," the largest-yielding karst springs once erupted, but they dried up during socialism, due to increased water extraction for deep coal mining in the region.

During this period, the yields of the equally famous springs of Hévíz, Tapolca, and Buda also declined, but the biggest victim was undoubtedly Tata. With the end of mining in the early 2000s, the springs resumed flowing, and now we can wander through this one of the country's most special habitats, a crystal-clear water-fed peat forest, mouth agape, guided by the unique nature trail.

The springs of Tata were considered inexhaustible not only by the ancient Romans; at the end of the 19th century, there was even a survey about how to supply Budapest's drinking water from Tata — quantity was no problem, but the water emerging at 20-22 °C wouldn't have cooled sufficiently on the pipeline system built to Budapest. (Incidentally, the original flow rate could have supplied the capital’s current population!)

The artificially dammed water surface of the Által-ér, the famous Old Lake, is also an excellent cycling area. The path around the lake leading through a quiet park forest on the uninhabited side is about 7 km long, and an ecotourism center is found on the lakeshore. Tata's third largest lake, Cseke Lake, is another world, mainly due to the nearby English Garden, built in the late 18th century around the karst springs here — these too have started to recover in recent years. The beautiful garden houses a small castle in Copf style, a Turkish mosque built to emphasize the garden’s romantic and sentimental character, and also grottoes and ruins.

In short, Tata is well worth getting to know, and it’s advisable to set aside a dedicated day to comfortably return to the Open-Air Mining Museum near our starting point in Tatabánya.