Dobogókő’s two faces: from the wild northern to the sunny southern side

Itinerary:

• We start on the K trail towards the Dobogókő lookout terrace.
• We follow the S↺ trail on the northern side, on the Thirring-körút.
• We turn off towards the Rezső lookout on the P trail.
• Turning back, we cross to the southern side of the summit on the K↺ trail.
• Changing to the P↺ trail, we reach the Zsivány rocks, then return to Dobogókő.

About the hike in detail:

In the bustling centre

We start our pleasant walk from the Dobogókő summit bus terminus towards the peak of the Visegrád Mountains, to the Dobogókő rock terrace along the National Blue Trail K marking. Just a few steps from the central car park, near the highest point of the summit, a venerable stone house welcomes us, the Baron Eötvös Loránd Shelter – providing food, drink, protected shelter, and even accommodation in this busy tourist centre. The original shelter and the neighbouring log cabin were built at the end of the 19th century as the first tourist accommodations in the hills around Budapest. The two-room log cabin outgrew the quickly developing demands of the capital’s tourist life, so the stone house was completed by 1906. The dynamically developing tourist centre was expanded with a terrace and sleeping quarters, providing nearly 100 beds to hikers who at the time could only approach the mountains on foot. The building, neglected during communism, was renovated in the 1990s and has since served the guests of this busy tourist centre. The original log-wall cabin now houses a tourist museum, exhibiting the heroic era memories of Hungarian tourism.

Just a few steps behind the house stands the memorial of Dr. Ödön Téry at the summit of the Dobogókő rock terrace. The terrace’s edge is fenced, as there is a serious drop beneath us, allowing views over the tree canopy to the northern part of the massif. The view is captivating with the suddenly unfolding scenes; just within arm’s reach we see the canopy level of the forest on the steep northern slope below, from which the Rám Mountain and the Vadálló Rocks rock towers rise again. At the foot of the mountains winds the ancient river, the Danube, blending into the mountains with its wide ribbon. The scenic mountains are complemented by the volcanic cones of the Börzsöny across the river, whose larger central part lies somewhat detached from the Danube, rising into Carpathian vistas.

The giants of the Thirring Path

At the ridge beneath the lookout point, we turn with the S↺ sign towards the steep drop; we enter the wild rock world via an artistically carved gate arch onto the Thirring Path. The route is named after Gusztáv Thirring, a geographer and a pioneer organiser of Budapest’s hiking movement. The path winding around the rock towers was cut into the hillside in the 1990s with the help of scouts from Transylvania and Carpathian Ruthenia.

A winding wooden staircase eases the moderately steep descent leading under the rock tower with the view just admired. Here at the base of the rock, we find a shrine decorated with votive plaques, statues and flowers, offering covered benches as shelter for praying visitors. The shrine of Mary for the deaf was established by the community of the Hungarian Nature Walkers Association’s deaf-mute group in 1926. They carved a Lourdes sanctuary into the rock and placed a statue of Mary brought from a pilgrimage site. The abandoned and damaged shrine during the post-WWII communist era was renovated and consecrated in 1992. The Mary statue found in its hiding place was exhibited in the Dobogókő museum.

The path continuing along the steep slope is now more austere but manageable in steepness with its switchbacks and reaches the outcrop of the Thirring Rocks. Among the ancient beech trunks stand the huge stone towers, which can be climbed via paths, although the view is strongly limited by the dense forest-covered hillside. Below us, volcanic rock obelisks pile up like monumental sculptures, prehistoric world monuments guarding the calm of the descending slope. The path side-steps to the outermost rock, then boldly cuts under the towers.

In the nook beneath the rocks, the path turns back westward, closely hugging the bases of the towers seeking the gentlest terrain. Under one of the overhangs, a natural rain shelter protecting from weather hardships provides puritan comfort with a bench made of planks. Above us, on the freshly broken rock surface, the volcanic rock building the towers and hillside is excellently observable. Reddish granulated material binds larger rock chunks, as the ashfall and lava bombs of the erupting volcano mixed. During explosions 14.5 million years ago, huge rock fragments were embedded in the debris, some protruding semicircularly from the rock face with notable size.

The path struggles sideways on the slanting slope among uprooted tree roots. In the early 2010s, a heavy ice layer frozen onto the trees broke and twisted the voluminous beeches out of the steep hillside. At the base of one tower, a metal chain helps progress on the steep, rocky surface. The monumental towers align in two groups; after the second rock formation, the path curves upward in an arc to take advantage of the slope easing and return to the summit.

Returning to the comfortable ridge promenade, we follow the P trail westward to the terrace of the Rezső lookout. A similar panorama unfolds here as from the Dobogókő lookout visited at the start of our route, only this place is less crowded and quieter, and from here we see a thin strip more of the Danube Bend. Opposite, the towers of the Vadálló Rocks draw sharp outlines on the side of the Prédikáló Rock, while the volcanic mass of Börzsöny distinctly separates from the mountains around the Danube Bend.

The southern highwaymen

We briefly walk back on the P trail, then continue on the K↺ trail around the buildings of Dobogókő, passing the landscaped buildings of the Pilis Hotel. We reach the highway with a gentle descent, which we briefly follow back towards Dobogókő on the far side. Since 1935, the asphalt strip has enabled road traffic to Dobogókő, significantly increasing its popularity. Reaching the P↺ trail, we turn into the southern side along Ady Endre Street; descending through young forest to the edge of the Márton meadow clearing. At the lower end of the meadow, a resting place and rain shelter await beneath voluminous beech crowns.

Within arm’s reach, deep in the beech woods, lies the enchanted nook of the Zsivány rocks. We can see the rocks in full if we briefly detour south from the tourist path to the first projection under which is a basin surrounded by andesite towers. The site truly reminds one of a highwaymen’s lair or hideout; the tower above the basin protects the southern side like a huge guard bastion with a significant drop. The same volcanic tuff material can be found here as on the northern side at the Thirring Rocks, but the Zsivány rocks form a more compact unit, a slipped block of rock remains intact within the hillside.

Beside the tourist path is the partly filled entrance to the Great Cold Hole, marked by a log barrier and sign. The caves here are actually much narrower, shorter and less accessible than their limestone counterparts, as only narrow, fragile fissures opened by rock movements can be found. In the 2010s, cavers cleared the rock layer, but it soon collapsed again. The name Cold Hole refers to ice stalactites found by its first discoverers inside, and during summer a cool breath flows out from the ground.

From the shady beech grove of the Zsivány rocks, we continue on the young slope on the far side of the side ridge, close to level, now joining the National Blue Trail on the K sign. We bypass a narrow valley where a paved road below our route dates from pre-written times. It is assumed to be a road from the Roman Empire leading to a watch post on the Dobogókő summit. Indeed, the border of the Roman Empire ran here along the Danube line below the summit. In the mid-20th century, the foundation of a watchtower was still described at the summit, but the ancient ruin was destroyed during later construction works.

We soon reach the bottom of the resort area, winding up among forest houses towards Dobogókő. With a short climb, we walk among old oaks along the gravel road leading back to our starting point, the parking lot and bus turnaround.