Following historical memories in the Gödöllő Hills

Itinerary

• We hike from Máriabesnyő railway station along the P▲ markings to the asphalt road leading to the Erzsébet Rest.
• Turning left, we switch to the K signs and continue to the junction after Erzsébet Rest.
• Keeping left, we follow the S sign to the Hajdina Hill crossing.
• Turning right, we continue along the Z signs and walk to the Ménescsapás Hill.
• Turning right again, we descend to the road junction following Erzsébet Rest along the K sign.
• We walk back to Máriabesnyő railway station along the P▲ sign.

Route Description

From Máriabesnyő to the depths of the hills

We start our hike at Máriabesnyő railway station. Heading south, we pass under the railway through the underpass and join the path marked P▲. We cover the next 1.5 km on the tourist path alongside the noise barrier parallel to the tracks. Gardens belonging to the Besnyő estates line our side, and opposite us, the wooded hillside of Juharos dominates the view, our first destination. We reach the last street of the settlement and continue on asphalt to the last house, where a crossroad awaits. The P▲ marking continues along the tracks, while the Mária Route ᵯ branches left, leading through the railway underpass to the basilica 400 meters away: here it is possible to take a detour and visit the sanctuary.

We continue through an acacia grove over a bushy and shrubbery stretch, but the trail itself is well worn. Soon a fence appears, which we overcome using a ladder made for this purpose. On the other side, we step onto a wide trail and turn left, walking along the aforementioned wire fence. Looking back, we see the tower of the pilgrimage church rising above the trees.

Shortly, a closed gate blocks further progress, but we do not need to pass through it since the tourist path bends right and heads up the hill. It’s about 2 km to the summit of Juharos with a 120-meter elevation gain, which is considered quite steep in the Gödöllő Hills.

The path leads upward by the wildlife protection fence through a breezy forest section, offering occasional views of distant landscapes beyond the trees. Soon we cross a power line clearing that provides a unique panorama: behind the supporting poles and hanging cables, we can observe the rolling hills and the ridges of the Buda Mountains. This viewpoint is also suitable for observing the significant relative height difference of the outstanding mounds similar to Juharos compared to the adjacent Danube valley.

By this time, we have overcome most of the climb and are walking on the long, level ridge. The trail widens, and we enjoy easy walking on flat terrain. Due to vegetation, there is only limited view westward from the 308-meter-high Juharos ridge. Crossing the summit, we begin descending and reach a paved road at the bottom. This narrow asphalt strip branches from the Gödöllő-Valkó country road and leads to a hunting lodge at Erzsébet Rest. The P▲ marking ends here; turning left, we continue on the solid surface following the K sign.

Defense ditch system and royal rest

It is worth lingering and even taking a detour around the junction. We see a ditch starting eastward at the forest floor known as the Csörsz Ditch, a relic of an ancient border defense line. Built under Roman direction by the Sarmatians in the 4th century, this ditch and rampart system stretches about 1200 km along the edge of the Great Plain, all the way down to the Iron Gates on the lower Danube. Ditches 2-5 meters deep and 5-10 meters wide, along with adjacent ramparts, were clearly visible until the 19th century, until major landscaping removed most sections. Here in the Gödöllő Hills, longer stretches remain recognizable. A nature trail has been designated along part of it, currently existing only virtually, but the creating association plans to install information boards at stations. Walking the Csörsz Ditch trail provides insight into the history of the ancient defense system.

Passing around the metal barrier blocking the road, we head to Erzsébet Rest along asphalt following the K sign. The initially gently descending, then slightly ascending roadside features occasional sand walls and the protruding roots of trees standing on them. Soon, the asphalt road splits into two parallel branches; on the right, a building appears. Behind the hunting lodge enclosed by a low fence, a large built resting area offers a chance to refresh and sit. A memorial plaque at the base of one tree explains the name: the area was a favorite retreat of Queen Erzsébet. Due to the proximity of the royal castle in Gödöllő, the queen made many excursions here.

Game reserves and fences

After resting, we continue walking on asphalt to the nearby forest edge where the paved road ends, and turning left join the S trail, continuing onwards. We turn onto a wide sandy road that will characterize the conditions from now on. Thick layers of loess and sand from the Quaternary period covered the hills, on which the paths were made.

In the wooded, not very dense forest, oak, hornbeam, and maple mix, often interspersed with acacia. We head northwest on the marked path towards Látó Hill 4 km away. Elevation changes are so small (just a few meters per kilometer) that they are barely noticeable. On the left, we pass protected young growth by a fence and on a deeply cut path where soil layers are thicker than generally on the hills.

Soon we cross under a power line section again during the ascent to Juharos. After the clearing, a so-called Texas gate and fence common in the hills block our way. We cross this using a built wooden ladder. The purpose of this gate is that a ditch dug across the entire width of the path is loosely covered with metal pipes or railway tracks, which large wild animals and hoofed livestock avoid stepping on, while vehicles and pedestrians can pass. We encounter this gate type along game reserves in the Gödöllő Hills.

This area has been a significant hunting ground since the Middle Ages. In 1867 the forests around Gödöllő became a royal hunting ground as a coronation gift, and this function continued through the Horthy era and the decades of state socialism, persisting to the present day. Hence, there are many hunting stands and other hunting-related infrastructure elements. Game reserves with fenced areas also exist here, with overpopulated game stock.

Around Faház Hill

After the gate, we walk a few hundred meters to a meadow edge, from which we enjoy a northwestern view above the trees on the far side. The 279-meter-high Látó Hill peak is bypassed by the trail but this is not a loss because the fully forested peak offers no panorama. Instead, just before the summit, a well-passable path allows a 150-meter detour to the left to a ridge from which we can look out over the landscape. We see the houses of Máriabesnyő, the basilica, and surrounding fields, with Bolonka Hill closing the horizon in the background. To the left rises the wooded slope of Pulyka Hill, while to the right we can look towards Gudra Hill and Margita.

After Látó Hill, we descend gently to the saddle before Hajdina Hill. Here we say goodbye to the S marking (which turns left towards Domonyvölgy) and continue along the Z marking. After a short ascent, we reach a new junction where the trail to Faház Hill branches left with the Z▲ sign. Although the summit offers limited views due to vegetation and is noisy due to proximity to the M3 motorway, the 500-meter detour is worth it.

Here we can find some of the best-preserved remnants of natural forests. The Faház Hill area is the site of the oldest woodland community in the Gödöllő Hills. We see older oak and hornbeam trees, and at their bases are the rooting trails of wild boars after foraging. From the lookout, we can see the motorway in the valley and the hilly area beyond.

Direction Ménescsapás Hill

Returning to the wide Z marked road, we continue with a gentle descent and soon emerge from the trees to open terrain. In these uncovered parts, the loess cover is even thicker on the path, and due to regular vehicle use, vegetation cannot establish. We bypass a small meadow on the right at a right angle and then re-enter the forest. Next, we make two sharp turns due to fenced-off sections. At the first, we turn left and reach the bottom of the descent started at Faház Hill.

After a few minutes, we stand at a four-road intersection where our sign directs a right turn. We cross a ladder beside a gate known from earlier. Soon we exit the forest again, walking alongside a fence on the left side of the road. Opposite, we get a clear view of Ménescsapás Hill, which we soon ascend after the deep Big Valley crossing. At the bottom of the descent, we turn right at the barrier and emerge into the power line clearing which we have crossed three times since the start of the hike, then begin a short climb to Ménescsapás Hill.

The 70-meter elevation change is overcome on a path with a unique atmosphere, cutting several meters deep, while we can study the surface root braids of the edge trees. At the summit, turning right, we switch to the K sign, the turning point of our hike since from here we will return to the already visited Erzsébet Rest.

Kurgans in the forest

We walk through a beautiful oak forest, which opens up at one place to a long meadow. Upon reaching the Harminchányás woodland, on the left side from the path, we observe earth mounds created by human hands on the forest floor. Locals have long remembered the area called Tatárhányás, where bones and old artifacts were often found in the past. According to folklore, these were graves hastily covered with earth during the Tatar invasion. Archaeological research in the 20th century confirmed these as Sarmatian burial mounds, with several identified around Gödöllő. The Sarmatians made kurgans (a type of burial mound) for their dead, whose forested remnants we now see.

Continuing, we soon cross our last Texas gate again, this time with practiced ease. Crossing Korona Forest, we walk along forest edges and soon again reach the benches at Erzsébet Rest. We continue on the familiar path back to Máriabesnyő, following the K and then the P▲ signs.