Capital adventure from Normafa to Hármashatár Hill

Itinerary:

• Start from Normafa on the K↺ trail.
• At the bottom of Anna Meadow, join the Z trail.
• Pass by the Fairy Rock, then reach and cross Budakeszi Road.
• From here, proceed through streets, and still following the Z trail, reach Apáthy Rock and the Árpád Lookout.
• Cross Szépvölgyi Street and climb the Hármashatár Hill.
• 400 meters before the summit, switch to the K trail, taking a detour to Guckler Károly Lookout.
• Return to the Z trail, then continue straight on the Z+ trail to reach the Hedvig Street bus stop.

Description of the route:

We start from Normafa, the capital's favorite excursion spot. We head towards Anna Meadow on the lower road, immediately entering the trees, thus avoiding the constant crowds, mainly around the buffets. Upon reaching the fire pits line, the path splits; turning right, we follow the Z trail.

Not far from the starting point, within the dense forest, stands a smaller recently renovated and locked building whose purpose is unknown. It may have been some sort of pilgrims' hostel, but the graffiti 'Pedomaci + Hajni' on the wooden window panel hardly creates a religious atmosphere.

The first real attraction of the route is the Fairy Rock, located on a 383-meter-high hill of the same name. You can climb on a built path beside it (climbing directly on it is forbidden due to several serious accidents) onto another large rock.

This is an excellent place for sightseeing and relaxation, from where you can spot several lookouts, for example, those named after Erzsébet and Káan Károly on János and Nagy-Hárs hills. If you have some time, you might catch or photograph the Children's Railway train chugging opposite from an unusual angle.

Leaving the forest, we zigzag under the chairlift, briefly walk on asphalt, and if we peek into Napraforgó Street, we will see an interesting sight. Built in 1931 to showcase modern architectural trends of the era, these houses are still worth admiring.

Next to the school named after Lőrinc Szabó is a long staircase, then we continue directly to the 242-meter-high Apáthy Rock, named after the former owner of the area. Along the way, you might encounter a legless lizard, a notable protected species here, or a praying mantis and a death's-head hawkmoth.

Apáthy Rock is a dolomite block where hikers usually experience mixed feelings: the panorama is very beautiful, but the piles of discarded cigarette butts and bottle caps are rather depressing. It is said that the forests surrounding Apáthy Rock still contain the ruins of King Matthias’ former hunting park; this four-kilometer diameter area included parts of District II, Zugliget, and Budakeszi Forest.

A few steps later, we reach the Stone Gate, which is actually a cave where the ground is eerily colored red by iron oxides. Nearby, homeless people fight life-and-death battles with the municipality for a small cave-like hollow.

On Lookout Hill, in the right season, you can expect loud rustling of leaves and bushes, but do not be alarmed; the noise is caused by birds rather than large predators. Soon we arrive at the Árpád Lookout, standing at 376 meters. From this popular, partly ruin-like building, you can admire the Buda Hills and the Danube.

Then follows a short forest walk, then Szépvölgyi Street lined with large villas, and another climb. Here we leave the Z trail and head to the Hármashatár Hill! Since spring 2016, the interestingly shaped Guckler Károly Lookout has been visitable, offering a beautiful 360° panoramic view of Budapest and the Danube from its 4-meter-high observation level at 499 meters altitude.

Finally, return to the city by retracing the Z trail, then descend straight to Hedvig Street on the Z+ trail for a pleasant walk down.