Chairlift hike around Normafa

Itinerary

• From the upper station of the chairlift, we walk up on the asphalt road (following the red heart mark of the Cardio Trail) to the Erzsébet Lookout on János Hill.
• From the lookout, we descend on the P trail close to the Frog Lake.
• At the Frog Lake, we go down a unmarked stairway, then climb back up on another stairway to the forest promenade.
• On the P trail (to the left), we walk to the playground in front of the chairlift.
• From the playground next to the chairlift, we walk along Mária Road on the Kᵯ trail to Anna Meadow.
• On the Kᵯ trail, we take a detour to the Anna Chapel via a continuing unmarked path to the Reconciliation Chapel, then we return to the promenade.
• We turn left and follow the red heart of the Cardio Trail to Normafa.
• At the Normafa viewpoint, we join the Z trail at a sharp angle to the left, which we follow until a forest junction.
• At the junction, we turn left onto the Z▲ trail and climb up to the Tündér Rock.
• From the Tündér Rock, we descend the unmarked stairway below the rock tower.
• In the quarry, we turn left to the Z▲ trail, which leads to the lower station of the chairlift.

Detailed description of the hike

The Zugliget Chairlift is the country’s first passenger cableway and has been operating for more than 50 years. Over a route nearly one kilometer long, it carries passengers in two-seater hanging chairs, bridging a height difference of 262 meters, from the Zugliget Basin to János Hill in about fifteen minutes.

The first cable railway plans were made in 1933 and were well received, but implementation was delayed for decades partly due to the war. It wasn't until 1967 that the cableway's plans returned to the agenda. Construction began the same year, and two years later, on August 20, 1970, the public could finally use it. A public naming competition was organized, receiving around ten thousand suggestions, including creative ones like Mountain Copter, Zuglibusz, Huza-vona, János Hill Buzzing, Zitye-Zötty, Hegyremegy, and even Puszivasút was proposed. Eventually, the jury decided on János Hill Cableway, popularly known as the Chairlift.

The arrival is marked by the lower end at the side of János Hill. From here, it’s worth climbing further as a few minutes’ walk reveals a wonderful panorama from the Erzsébet Lookout.

Memory of Sissi on the hilltop

From the upper station of the chairlift, we walk up the asphalt road to the Erzsébet Lookout on János Hill. The tower, built in neo-Romanesque style at Budapest’s highest point, is named after Queen Erzsébet, who favored János Hill as a hiking spot.

The lookout's history dates back to 1885 when the idea to build it was conceived. At that time, a low wooden tower stood on the popular hiking site. The Hungarian Tourist Association already suggested replacing the dilapidated wooden structure with a stone lookout in 1896. Among those pushing for this construct was Frigyes Glück, who organized a charity collection at an international congress of hotel owners in Budapest for tourism purposes.

The final plan, prepared by Pál Klunzinger, the city engineer, under the leadership of Frigyes Schulek, was approved in 1907, along with funding for construction. Building started in June 1908, and the 23.5-meter-tall four-terraced lookout was completed by 1910. The Erzsébet Lookout was mostly constructed from freshwater limestone transported by road to today’s upper chairlift station and then by a temporary track to the hilltop. Currently, a café operates on the lower level, and an exhibition about the tower’s history is on the floor above.

Its round shape and excellent panoramic views make it worth visiting. On clear days, one can see the Pilis and Visegrád Mountains, Börzsöny, and the highest peaks of the Mátra range far away. From here, you can also spot the rugged terrain of Gerecse, the Vértes and the Velence Hills, and numerous Buda Hills and nearby settlements.

The largest surface lake in the Buda Hills

From the lookout, choose the descending P trail, which leads by stairs in the shade of trees to the asphalt road. Then continue along the P trail that bends into the forest beside the playground, gently descending towards Budapest’s largest natural surface lake, Frog Lake. The last meters are reached by turning right from the promenade and descending a unmarked stairway. The small lake is popular among children due to its idyllic setting, with benches, tables, and a firepit area, making it a pleasant rest and picnic spot. Although not very large, Frog Lake is special: standing water is rare on the sedimentary rocks of the Buda Hills, but here a clay layer under the basin retains water.

From Frog Lake, we turn back, and after overcoming the stairway, turn left on the P trail, walking back to the upper station of the chairlift. From there, turning right on the Kᵯ trail (Maria Road) and passing the TV tower, we can rest at Erzsébet Erzsébet Kneeling. The memorial to Queen Erzsébet, located along the János Hill road, consists of a prayer stool and a picture of Mary. The memorial was created in the queen’s honor after her death, with benches, a shelter, and a firepit nearby.

The chapels of Anna Meadow

The next stop is Anna Meadow, where two chapels stand. One is the St. Anna Chapel, rebuilt in 1992, which we reach by staying on the Kᵯ trail and taking a detour. The site was originally built between 1825 and 1830 at the meadow’s edge in honor of St. Anna and soon became a popular pilgrimage site. During summer St. Anna days, pilgrimages were regularly led here from Budakeszi and the Zugliget convent of English nuns.

The chapel was demolished after a workers’ meeting in the 1950s but was rebuilt by an activist of the Budapest-Zugliget Association and their family on the association's 100th anniversary after the regime change. A large redwood cross was also erected beside it. Today, benches, tables, and a firepit welcome hikers near the building.

Behind the St. Anna Chapel stands the Reconciliation Chapel, which opened in December 2023. Its plain, minimalist style is echoed by a bell tower that enhances the sacred atmosphere of the site.

Normafa all-year round

From the St. Anna Chapel, we return to the promenade to the red heart of the Cardio Trail and follow it to Normafa. You cannot get lost on this section, as it runs parallel with János Hill Road to Normafa. Along the paths, you’ll find many huge, old trees, mainly beeches, but also a good number of Turkey oaks and hornbeams covering most of the Buda Hills.

The Normafa got its name in the mid-19th century when the National Theatre troupe often came here to hike. In 1840, theater director Pál Nyáry presented the world-famous opera singer Rozália Klein-Schodelné with a gift from the audience here, after which she sang the great aria from Bellini’s Norma. Allegedly, she chose this aria because the huge Viharbükk beech here resembled the opera’s scenery. Since then, the beech has been called Normafa, and it was mentioned as such in an 1865 guidebook.

The extraordinary wooded, park-like clearing offers 180-degree views of the Ördög-árkok Valley and the Hármashatár Hill massif. You can also see Pesthidegkút, the inner districts of the capital with the Danube, the Buda Hills, and the Pilis mountain range. In the distance, the ridges of Cserhát and Mátra can be seen, with the snowy peaks of the Bükk’s Nagy-Eged in clear weather. Within Normafa Park, there are also two playgrounds equipped with climbing ropes, castles, slides, and swings: one at Anna Meadow and the other at the chairlift’s upper station. Near the playgrounds, free toilets and drinking fountains are available. In the picnic area, you can relax amidst green surroundings with beautiful views at the pastry shop, langos stand, and outdoor catering units. The Normafa Ski House Restaurant also operates here.

Former ski paradise

At Normafa, turning towards Barla, we join the Z trail, which first crosses the lower edge of Anna Meadow before descending the hill. The remains of ski lifts among the trees testify that this area once provided facilities not only for sledding and cross-country skiing but also for serious downhill skiing for winter sports enthusiasts. In the early 20th century, seven ski slopes of varying difficulty were created here. After recovering from the war, the popularity of skiing at Normafa remained steady. In the second half of the 20th century, disc lifts were installed on the slopes, and on some, including the cross-country trails, lighting was provided until the 1980s. Near Normafa, at Hármaskút Hill, a ski jumping hill stood until the late 1960s.

Spring water, iron boar, legends

Heading down on the Z trail, we pass the Disznófő Spring, which, according to legend, served as a summer residence for the harem ladies of the Buda pashas during Turkish times. Another theory suggests it got its name from wild boars once living nearby. Around the 1820s, a spring house was built here, and in 1890, an iron boar’s head was added to the spring’s outlet.

At a junction, we turn left onto the Z▲ trail, which gently climbs to Tündér Rock. Stepping onto the large, terraced block’s side terrace, the wide panorama reveals why in the 19th century this site was also called the "Beautiful View." Below lies Zugliget, opposite rise Hunyad Peak and Pheasant Hill, above us guard János Hill and Normafa, and beyond we can see the Pilis mountain range. The rock and its surroundings have been a protected area since 1977. Climbing the huge stone tower is not only pointless but forbidden and life-threatening!

Tündér Rock is a huge, hard dolomite block fragmented by structural movements and sculpted by thermal waters, standing out of the surrounding eroded rock because it resists erosion better. Descending the unmarked stairway leads to the edge of the quarry spreading at the foot of the ridge, showing geological history of the mountains – the dolomite has been quarried extensively. Here, you can also observe that lime precipitated from ascending karst waters cemented the crumbling rock hard.

Below the quarry, we rejoin the Z▲ hiking trail (to the left), continuing our path to the chairlift, passing the old tram terminus, now a campground where you can stop for food. The final stretch follows an exciting forest path with houses, a narrow rock edge, and descends along Zugligeti Road to the lower station of the chairlift.