Cycling around Lake Velence

Itinerary :

Follow the cyclist signs and the yellow cyclist markings painted on the pavement all around the lake.

• Start the ride at the roundabout next to Velence train station. Head towards the Promenade, but at the zebra crossing turn right onto the bicycle path parallel to the road.
• Moving slightly away from the lake, follow the cyclist trail, then the dedicated bicycle path.
• After the Drótszamár campsite, pass through a small forest section to reach Evezős street, which later becomes the Lakeside road.
• This road leads up to the arboretum, where we arrive at the hilltop via a sharp right turn.
• Ride downhill on a steep road to the main road, then turn right.
• Cycle briefly on the roadside, then after passing under the M7 motorway, continue left on the bicycle path.
• After a forest section, we reach Pákozd, where we cycle on low-traffic streets.
• We get out to the roadside, with the bike path running alternately on one side or the other.
• At the sign towards Dinnyés/Seregélyes, turn left onto Gábor Áron street.
• Cross the motorway above, and cycle for a long stretch on the lake's western side.
• Turn onto the lake's southern shore, where again a dedicated bicycle path leads.
• Near Agárd, turn closer to the lakeshore, then from here through Gárdony to Velence there is alternating dedicated bike path and low-traffic streets, sometimes by the shore, sometimes a bit further from it.

Detailed description of the ride

The adventurous northern shore

Start the ride by joining the bicycle path at the roundabout near Velence train station, heading towards the lake's northern shore. After crossing the bridge, a sign soon indicates the bike path continues right, meaning we cross the road and share the wide sidewalk with pedestrians. After the bus stop, a short section directs cyclists onto the road; be careful cycling this 350 meters. Then we finally turn back onto a bicycle path on the far side of the road, and from here we can feel completely safe for a longer stretch.

Well-marked signs show the way through Heroes Park, where since 2022 there has also been a playground and a fitness park, then through the Main street to Camping street. A cobbled bike path starts from the villa park, at the end of which we get a glimpse of the lake. We can't enjoy the view for long, as we soon leave the shore and cycle through a pleasant but short forest section.

We reach the long, straight Lakeside road, a wide asphalt road protected on both sides by dense vegetation shielding us from the nearby motorway noise. Although we see nothing of it, we pass just below Sukoró; signs mark the turn-offs at both ends of this road section. Although rare, cars do use this road, so be cautious. The end of the perfectly straight section slowly starts to climb, and we begin ascending the Mészeg Hill. Of the two major climbs around Lake Velence, this is the longer one, so once past it, the hardest part is behind us. Near the hilltop, at the junction, turn right and roll down a pleasantly sloping forest road to Pákozdi Pagony. If you don't turn off at the junction, you can take a 1 km round trip to visit the military memorial park around the Pákozd battle monument. Here you will find a buffet, toilets, and drinking water.

If you stay on the narrow lake circuit, it is worth stopping at the shady rest area in front of the Pákozd arboretum. The tour can be interrupted for a short walk to explore the wildlife park and to look around from the lookout at our completed and remaining route.

The bike path joins the road coming from Szúnyog Island on the left via a steep downhill. Here we turn right, but before that it is worth checking out the chapel a few steps to the left, dedicated to the fallen in the Don Bend. Riding on the right side of the road, we pass under the motorway and then continue on the bike path again to the left. We arrive at Pákozd along a row of orderly lined poplars. After the industrial area, we continue on quiet side streets, climbing a small hill on one of them – and with this, we have covered almost all the elevation gain of the entire tour.

From the top of the "bump," a 400 m round trip detour left leads to the huge Miskahuszár statue erected in 2017. If until now we only saw the monumental figure from the motorway, this short detour is worth making – posing next to the 13-meter figure, we may feel almost like dwarfs.

The bike path otherwise continues to the right towards the main road, then passes through the town center, sometimes on one side of the road, sometimes the other. On the way, you will find numerous buffets, restaurants and shops, and you can fill your bottle at public wells. Hiking trail markers starting from the church lead to the famous Pákozd swinging stones – a good opportunity if you want to combine cycling with hiking.

Just before leaving Pákozd, a cyclist and road sign indicates to turn left towards Dinnyés (otherwise we would continue towards Székesfehérvár). On Gábor Áron street, i.e., on a public road, we cover the 4 km long wide but poor-quality asphalt section connecting the lake's northern and southern shores – fortunately, cars rarely use this road. This is the least stimulating part of the route, as we cycle straight and long along fields and arable lands. The road section ends with a turn where a buffet open all year round is a reliable spot for cyclists.

Joyful cycling on the southern shore

Beyond the buffet continues the Lake Velence bike ring, and here we turn onto the southern shore. The dedicated bike path first runs parallel to road 7, then alongside the railway tracks, and later goes quite close to the shore. Our first stop might be the uniquely shaped lookout at Dinnyés, from which we can observe waterfowl above the dense reed bed. Below the lookout, there is a resting place and a cyclist service point.

In Agárd, we finally get close to the main attraction, the lake itself: we get closer to the shore, where the road passes by and sometimes through the beaches. We arrive at the legendary Agárd pop beach, which has been operating for over four decades and offers great summertime options for swimming or snacking at buffets. If you want to keep moving and avoid pedestrians, it is best to cycle on parallel side streets that are not marked. We arrive unnoticed in Gárdony, as the southern shore settlements of Lake Velence blend into each other, so the train stations mostly serve as landmarks.

The last few kilometers are real joy rides: all we need to do is enjoy the environment, cycling by the lake, discover the small island between Gárdony and Velencefürdő, or have an ice cream. Opposite, a few hundred-meter-high hills of the Velence Hills frame the lake, among which the Bence Hill is clearly identifiable, crowned by the goblet-shaped lookout.

Crossing a bridge over a marina bay, we slowly reach Béke street and arrive back at our starting point Velence on the bike path parallel with the railway tracks.