From the city of queens to the coronation city in Bakonyalja

Itinerary

• Start from Veszprém railway station heading toward the city center along Jutasi street, where cycling infrastructure extends all the way to the bus station. Where the pedestrian and cycle path turns right onto Bagolyvári street, turn right, then at the end of the street pass under an arcade to reach Szabadság square. Turning right here, a direct path leads to the castle at Óváros square.
• From the castle, return the same way to Megyeház square, then proceed straight through the traffic lights where the road bends right; continue straight – at the other end of the parking lot you can turn onto the cycling path that passes through Erzsébet promenade and Erzsébet park.
• On reaching Stadion street at the cycle path (traffic light), turn left and continue on the bike path, then when you reach the roundabout, turn right onto Almádi street. From here, the bike path leads straight to Szentkirályszabadja, then continues to the settlement boundary on the road toward the former airport.
• Where the bike path ends suddenly in the middle of nowhere, turn right onto the dusty bulldozer road (if you want to see the airport, continue straight on the wide dirt road), then after a few hundred meters, turn left – here the bike path resumes heading toward Litér.
• Roll straight through Litér, cross road 72, and continue (here the EuroVelo 14 signs help you navigate), then at the next road turn right; the bike path leads all the way to Királyszentistván.
• Passing Vilonya, Berhida, Ősi, Nádasdladány, Sárkeszi, Sárszentmihály, just keep going straight at intersections, following the road to Székesfehérvár.
• After Sárszentmihály, at a roundabout keep left toward Székesfehérvár (second exit), then at the next roundabout choose the short street behind the gas station (still following route EV14), then turn left onto Balatoni street. Passing the stores, take the second exit at the roundabout, then cross the railway crossing. The road leads straight to Sóstói stadium (when you see the first parking lot, turn right toward the namesake Sóstó).
• Leaving the stadium and cemetery, turn left (Hosszúsétatér), this road passes under the railway and leads to the city center. At the end of the street, turn left (Balatoni street), then immediately right, and following the cycle path turn into the houses. The cycle path continues on a dedicated bike lane leading to Piac square (bus station), from where you can turn into any small street to reach the city center.
• From the city center, continuing along Várkörút, Prohászka Ottokár street leads straight to the railway station.

Detailed route description

From Veszprém railway station a bike lane or bike path leads all the way to the city center – a truly bike-friendly solution that deserves credit. We reach the city gate, Szabadság square, passing under an arcade, and after a few pedal strokes we breathe in the historical atmosphere at Óváros square or directly at the castle. The county seat offers sights enough for several days, but you can pick some for a one-day route (and it's worth it). Most of the sights concentrate in the castle district; maybe starting with a visit to the Fire Tower is best, as you can see far in every direction from there. The tower was originally possibly one of the bastions of the castle in the Middle Ages. Later, the earthquake in Mór in 1810 damaged the building; it was almost dismantled, but instead was reinforced and raised slightly to serve as a lookout tower for the fire watchmen. In 1891, "to signal fires faster, the fire commander connected his flat by telephone to the city hall." Speaking of the city hall: the romantic style building near the Fire Tower on Óváros square was originally built as a church bank and gained its current function in 1990. You can enter the Óváros through the Gate of the Heroes: the building completed in 1939 presents the history of Veszprém heroes from the 1848/49 revolution and war of independence, the First and Second World Wars, and the 1956 revolution and war of independence. In Óváros, the atmospheric Vár street runs through, with tourist attractions towards its end. Among the most famous is probably the St. Michael's Cathedral, likely founded by King Saint Stephen's wife, Queen Gizella; it is certain that queens were crowned by the bishop of Veszprém for centuries. The original church standing here was probably built in the time of Prince Géza, and under Stephen's reign, two towers were added to the Romanesque-style church. After a fire at the end of the 14th century, it was rebuilt in Gothic style, then destroyed during the Turkish age, with only the crypt remaining. Today the basilica proudly stands in neo-Romanesque style at Holy Trinity square, recalling its former (imagined) form. Directly next to it stands the Archbishop's Palace, a masterpiece of Hungarian Baroque architecture, housing among others a 65,000-volume library, an interior exhibition, and a memorial exhibition for Queens Erzsébet and Zita. Opposite stands the Salesianum, the tourism center of the Veszprém Archdiocese. Upstairs, you can visit rooms with splendid Baroque murals, learn about medicinal plants and their effects in the glass-floored herb room and garden, while the attic houses a liturgical exhibition offering insight into the spaces, sounds, and objects of liturgy, and even a violin maker’s workshop where you can take a look. At the end of Vár street, in the company of statues of Saint Stephen and Gizella, you can glance over the northern part of the city (including the famous viaduct) and the Bakony hills. If that's not enough, you can spend at least half a day at the city zoo, admire the Art Nouveau houses in Óváros square, or visit the Bakony house, a residential house built as a model of a small noble peasant house and one of the earliest outdoor ethnographic exhibitions in Hungary.

Onward to Pripyat!

The latter is already located on Erzsébet promenade, where we leave behind the city center of Veszprém and set off to the slopes of Bakonyalja: the bike path leads almost all the way downhill to Királyszentistván with two short breaks; we will follow this largely with two small detours. The first minor detour arises in Szentkirályszabadja: at a traffic light intersection the bike path splits between routes to Balatonalmádi and Litér. Following the former, you enter the village and go straight to the Árpád-era church. The church, standing on a small hill since the 13th century, was originally built in Romanesque style and later expanded with Gothic features. The tower’s stone-framed, stained glass window, the bricked pointed arch on the south facade, and the buttresses remind us most of the builders centuries ago. With the spread of the Reformation, the church became Reformed in the 16th century, then had to be returned to the Catholics in the 1670s; the ruinous church gained its current form roughly a century later when Bishop Pál Rosos restored it in 1789.

Returning to the bike path to Litér, the next detour comes at the sudden end of the bike infrastructure: after a few hundred meters on a wide dirt road going straight, you have to cycle toward the former Soviet barracks, the so-called "Hungarian Pripyat". The Chernobyl comparison is somewhat strong, but indeed it is a strange experience to roam among completely deserted residential buildings along deserted roads overgrown with vegetation (though the rundown military base is attracting more and more tourists). The airport was started in 1938, but the concrete runway was completed in the 1950s under Soviet control. It first housed MiG-15 and JAK-19 aircraft, then the 87th Bakony helicopter regiment, and several thousand Soviet soldiers until 1990. The barracks began decaying already around the regime change and has been deteriorating since.

Returning to the bike path's end, turn left onto the wide bulldozer road, then after about 500 meters turn left back onto the bike path to Litér – it's incomprehensible why the two asphalt strips do not connect. The bike path has a very pleasant alignment, and after the last turn, Litér appears, with the Tétsi Plateau in the distance, making this section quite picturesque, with the road gently descending to the village, allowing you to enjoy the view. In Litér, the Reformed church, a bit unimpressive at first glance, is worth a closer look because its south facade hides a special gate: experts consider it the first Hungarian appearance of the column statue gate type developed in Chartres, France. The Romanesque entrance widens outward in steps, topped by leafy, palmetted capitals. In the triangular area above the door, there was formerly a relief of "Christ among the angels". External columns are decorated with apostle figures, and at the bases of the columns lie lions holding a human head between their front paws.

Pétisó and a touch of England in Bakonyalja

Leaving the church, we continue through the village toward Királyszentistván. Crossing the busy road 72, we continue on a mirror-smooth asphalt, low-traffic road, next to which the international cycling route signs of EuroVelo14 appear, which can also be followed all the way to Székesfehérvár, making it almost impossible to get lost on the remaining part of the road. At the end of the road, passing between a gas turbine power plant on the left and an electric substation on the right, we turn right onto another perfectly surfaced bike path, leading all the way to the border of Királyszentistván. "Where King Stephen and leader Koppány fought" – welcomes the visitor on the village's website, as tradition holds that King Stephen defeated Koppány in the valley of the Séd in 997 between Sóly and Királyszentistván. We quickly roll through the main street of the village, then after crossing the railway, we arrive in Vilonya. (Today only freight trains run on the track, but when it was built around the turn of the century, it played an important role in the national railway network as a branch line of the Győr-Veszprém-Dombóvár HÉV.) "A village on the map: Vilonya – but for us much more!" – again a quote from the village website sets the mood for getting to know the settlement, through which the Séd flows. Millers formerly harnessed the power of this water near the creek; several mills stood on the shore once (only one remains now), and nowadays a pleasant rest park awaits the village's residents behind the last houses. In the middle of the village stands a Reformed church surrounded by a medieval wall, originally built in Roman times but now bearing Baroque stylistic features.

Leaving Vilonya, we continue on a low-traffic road in Bakonyalja toward Berhida: short, fairly gentle climbs and descents alternate until we reach the village. Crossing a railway crossing, the houses of Peremartongyártelep (known for its chemical industry) appear on the left. Upon arriving in Berhida, first, we can pause briefly next to the Jewish cemetery, then in the village center, with about a 100-meter detour from the roundabout, you can reach the Church of the Holy Cross, built at the turn of the 13th to 14th century. This late Romanesque - early Gothic architectural masterpiece features a solid tower topped with two crosses. It is worth circling the rectangular nave to better examine the entire church and admire the stained glass window breaking through the southeastern side of the sanctuary.

From Berhida, we head toward Ősi, with in the distance on the left side of the road, at the foot of the Bakony hills, the Pétfürdő and Nitrogénművek industrial area can be seen – the place where pétisó (a nitrogen-containing fertilizer developed in 1931) is made – and further away, Várpalota. On the low-traffic road reaching Nádasdladány, many will surely look for the renovation completed by summer 2021, but first and foremost, a special building located in the village center at the road junction (also the northern tip of the castle park) draws the eyes of travelers and hikers. The village's Catholic church was built by Count Ferenc Nádasdy at the end of the 19th century – built of red bricks, neo-Romanesque style with a huge stained-glass window above the main entrance, and a round tower on one side similar to structures seen mostly in England. This may not be a coincidence, as the nearby castle was built in English Gothic (so-called Tudor style) in the second half of the 1870s. The towered, lace-like, multi-chimneyed manor house is surrounded by a huge English park, but the fully renovated and furnished castle is also worth exploring: here you can see one of the most beautiful domestic Ősök halls with original paintings, large wrought iron chandeliers, and stained glass windows, as well as the beautifully renovated library room. When built, modern innovations such as sewerage, gas lighting, and even a speaking tube network (a kind of internal "telephone") were installed.

We quickly roll through the neighboring Sárkeszi, but mentionable is the Roman Mithras sanctuary (Mithraeum) found near the village border. Three altars and the remains of sanctuary walls were excavated, which according to our knowledge was the second largest in Pannonia, thus its significance is unquestionable. The wall remains were reburied, and the stone carvings found there can be seen at the end of our tour at the Saint Stephen King Museum in Székesfehérvár. Before reaching the county seat, we touch only one more settlement: near Sárszentmihály we can rest by a playground before the last kilometers. The village has a Zichy castle and a Zichy manor, hidden in the castle park from curious eyes.

Székesfehérvár, Székesfehérvár

Those who traveled by train to Lake Balaton in recent years probably heard the announcement "Székesfehérvár, Székesfehérvár station". Now there are only a few kilometers left to Székesfehérvár, where it is worth stopping first at Sóstó (turn right before the stadium). Sóstó was formed as the marshes of the Sárvíz but, as its name shows, its water contains alkalinity which was confirmed by a 1713 study. After the Ottoman occupation, the marshes extended even to the city center's edge, causing serious public health problems but were resolved in the 19th century by tree planting and drainage. From then on, it served recreational purposes until WWII but was neglected afterward; today it is again a pleasant, fresh spot in the city, best explored by a roughly 7 km nature trail and a visit to the visitors' center at the stadium.

From Sóstó, we soon enter the city center following almost continuous cycling infrastructure (and the Eurovelo14 route). The mostly Baroque-style city center has preserved its medieval urban structure, mainly because the city walls around the city core stood until the first half of the 19th century. The city has a rich history reaching back before the foundation of Hungary. From this millennium-old past, the most important elements are highlighted: the story begins with Prince Géza, who founded the city on a hill rising from a swampy, marshy area, where a small stone castle with a princely palace and a church was built. Saint Stephen elevated the city to a royal seat and also received special ecclesiastical status by building a huge basilica and becoming a coronation city. The royal throne was in the basilica, where the coronation jewels and treasury were kept, later also the country’s archives. In addition to coronations, numerous Árpád and later mixed dynasty kings were buried here, and in 1222 the Golden Bull was announced at the diet, and in 1412 Sigismund welcomed King Władysław of Poland here.

From the 11th century, Fehérvár became an important stop for pilgrims to the Holy Land, also touched by many Crusaders. After the Mongol invasion, Alba Regia's worldly significance declined but it became increasingly important as a church center. The flourishing first stopped after Matthias’ death: then Habsburg Maximilian’s troops occupied and looted the city, and in 1543 it fell to the Turks, becoming the center of the Buda vilayet under the name İstolni Belgrad (a name of some Slavic origin). Few written sources survived from the Turkish period, so little is known about the city life under Turkish rule. At the beginning of the 18th century, Székesfehérvár appeared as a neglected, ruined city, but soon reconstruction began, which we owe much of today’s cityscape, especially in the city center.

Every street and square in the city center contains some sight or point of interest, among which some are considered must-see for visitors. In the heart of the city, starting to explore the small streets from the ruins of the former coronation church (the basilica burned down during the city’s siege in 1601, along with much of the castle, when the gunpowder stored in one of the towers exploded) is worth it. Although the church was once one of the largest basilicas in medieval Europe, today the name Romkert (Ruins Garden) is entirely justified as only ruins can be seen on Coronation square, hinting at the former grandeur. Nearby is the episcopal palace built at the end of the 18th century in the copf style, whose greatest value is a library with more than 40,000 volumes. On the other side of Városház square, unsurprisingly, stands the city hall, known to have been used since 1689 and housing an authentic replica of the Holy Crown. Around the corner is the Hiemer house, and across the street the Franciscan church – you could spend an hour or two just in the main square before exploring the streets reflecting the medieval urban layout.

The stops of the small city route can include the Black Eagle Pharmacy Museum (with its furniture carved several hundred years ago), the Cistercian church, or the brilliant Art Nouveau Árpád Bath. From 10 o’clock, every other hour the clockwork chimes, and the figures depict royal Hungarian historical figures associated with legends: Saint Stephen, Saint Ladislaus, Saint Elizabeth, and Saint Margaret, along with Matthias Hunyadi and Queen Beatrix. Equally lovely and fresh is Kati néni, the market stall woman statue on Liszt Ferenc street. The former characteristic figure of the Fehérvár market was still spreading her products (milk, sour cream, duck and goose offal, meaning four parts of poultry fried in its own fat) at 93 years of age. The city circuit closes at St. Anne chapel, the city's only fully preserved medieval building, built around 1470 in Gothic style and used as a mosque during Turkish rule.

For practical reasons – those who want can easily return to the start of the route by train – we finish the tour at the railway station. Passing through the Vasútvidék city district from the city center, the Prohászka Ottokár memorial church, a monumental round church and one of Székesfehérvár’s (non-downtown) symbols, falls along our way. The building’s designer stated about his work (without false modesty): "Although many distinguished architects competed, none came close to the perfection of my floor plan. A perfect round church, with four transepts. Its main attraction is the 30-meter internal diameter dome, unique in itself." The railway station building itself is a listed monument and a remarkable representative of socialist realism. It's worth looking around the waiting room, where enormous frescoes above the ticket offices are visible at both entrances.