From Erdőkertes to Máriabesnyő via Margita

Itinerary

• From Erdőkertes train station, we ascend on the S◼ marked trail to the ridge leading to Bódis Hill.
• We turn right and follow the S signs to the intersection before Margita.
• Again turning right, we switch to the P mark, descending through Babatpuszta to the Pap Miska well.
• From the spring, following the P+ mark, we circle around Gudra Hill.
• From the far side of Gudra Hill, we walk on the P mark to Máriabesnyő.

More details about the route

On the streets of Erdőkertes

We start our hike from Erdőkertes train station. Crossing the road, we turn right onto the sidewalk and follow the S◼ signs toward Margita. At the railway crossing, the mark directs us left into Csibaj Street, where the ascent begins. Erdőkertes is one of the youngest settlements in the hill region. It was parceled out at the beginning of the 20th century, then in 1956, the developing and increasingly inhabited outskirts became independent from Veresegyház. The village belonging to the Budapest agglomeration saw significant population growth from the early 1990s, resulting in the merging of the village with Veresegyház and neighboring settlements.

On both sides of the street, new well-maintained homesteads and gardens line up, and as we ascend, the view of the surrounding area opens toward the Danube. In the foreground, the buildings of Erdőkertes and Veresegyház color the landscape; behind them rise the High and Rear Hills above Csomád, and the horizon is dominated by the Visegrád Mountains, Pilis, and the Buda Hills. Soon we reach the highest point of the street, then turn left into a narrower street. From the junction, beyond the rooftops, between Fóti Somlyó and Magas Hill, – like a small window – we see the Nagy-Kevély, rising 25 km away from here. Walking along the short street, we finally reach the forest edge. Stone steps lead among acacia trees, but soon we walk under pines. Behind the gardens of the outermost houses, the 326-meter-high Gyertyános block above Mogyoród can be splendidly seen, which we can easily identify from the prominent Saint László lookout tower.

Heading to Margita

We switch to a path that leads through a dense shrub and turf-level forest section, where protruding branches and twigs sometimes create a bit of a bush fight to proceed. Soon we reach the ridge leading to Bódis Hill, and turning right, we follow the S mark. From here walking is easy: we continue on a wide cart road, typical of the trail conditions of our hike. The ridge road is open, so we proceed under beautiful bright mixed forest oaks, maples, and hornbeams toward Margita. We cross the 323-meter-high Bódis Hill, which due to vegetation does not offer a panorama, but between tree trunks we sometimes get limited views toward the Danube Valley. After the peak, we descend with a gentle slope to the saddle; on one section we can observe sand walls below the soil layer on both sides of the deep path. Soon a fork appears, where we say goodbye to the signs followed so far and turn right to continue hiking on the P mark. After a few minutes of walking among trees, the shape of a tower emerges: we have reached the highest peak of the Gödöllő Hills, the 344-meter-high Margita.

On top of the hills

The geodetic measurement tower, standing on top, made of reinforced concrete rings, has long since lost its original function and now serves as a lookout point. More than 100 similar structures were built nationwide in the 1970s and 80s for surveying and mapping purposes. However, with the spread of satellite remote sensing, they became redundant and thus neglected. Some have severely deteriorated, making entering them dangerous. However, if the ladders and steel floors upstairs remain intact, cautious and careful movement can lead to the top, although entry is officially prohibited. It is encouraging that their renovation and conversion into lookouts (e.g., Csóványos, Pilis-tető) began in the 2010s. Hopefully, this relatively well-maintained tower will soon officially become a lookout.

Climbing the ladders carefully, we can admire the panoramic view from the best lookout point in the entire hills. It could even be called a royal view, as a steel structure shaped like the crown and circlet of the Holy Crown has been installed on top.

From here, we can overlook much of the gently contoured hilly area: we get acquainted with the locations, prominent blocks, and valleys of the settlements, their arrangement, and spread. To the southwest and west, in the foreground, we see the houses of Veresegyház and Szada, as well as a mosaic of agricultural fields and forests nearby. Behind them, the Gyertyános peak above Mogyoród, with the Saint László lookout tower, stands out clearly. Continuing, the Old Hill and Somlyó of Fót, then the rear and high hills of Csomád rise. It is clearly visible from here that although the absolute height of the hills is not great, the relative elevation differences are sometimes considerable. Beyond the Danube valley, the horizon is framed by mountain ranges on the far bank. The Buda Hills can be easily identified by the silhouette of the triple border and Széchenyi Hill radio towers. To the right of this are the peaks of Pilis (e.g., Kevély, Pilistető), then the Visegrád Mountains rise (e.g., Vörös-kő, Prédikálószék). Continuing along the horizon, we spot the ridges above the Danube Bend from Börzsöny (e.g., Kopasz Hill, Nagy-Sas Hill), then the arcs of High Börzsöny follow (e.g., Nagy-Inóc, Nagy-Hideg Hill, Csóványos). In the foreground, Naszály peaks, behind which we can observe the Selmec Mountains in Slovakia and the direction of Madaras. To the northeast, the easily recognizable quarry-sensitive Szanda Hill of Cserhát rises, guarded by Bézma and Tepke. Turning east, we see an entire mountain range in its full longitudinal extent: the Mátra appears table-sized. On the highest point of the ridge, Kékestető, hikers can look back at us from 57 km away. Between Szanda and Mátra, we can look even farther: we can distinguish the highest parts of the Javoros and Polyána ranges in Slovakia. In exceptionally clear weather, the more distant peaks of the Low and High Tatras also appear. In this direction, we can also see a constructed curiosity on the nearest ridge to us, on Ecskend Peak: one of the stations of the former Warsaw Pact military communication system. This data transmission network, consisting of 26 elements across several countries, was capable of transmitting information throughout the entire territory of the military alliance via this chain. Until 1991, Hungary operated four similar stations at different points. Then the equipment was dismantled, and the buildings were left to fall into ruin.

Turning southeast, we watch the more distant parts of the Gödöllő Hills: the valley of the Aranyos stream flowing into the Babat meadow, which is part of our route, and behind it the edges of the Faház peak and the Lookout hill. To the right of these, we observe the Calvary hill of Isaszeg and the Bolnoka plateau above Kerepes.

Descent to Babatpuszta

After soaking in the view and returning to ground level, we continue our hike on the P mark. We descend on a cart road from Margita to the boundary of Szada, where we follow the mark with a sharp left turn. We stroll through a sparsely wooded mixed forest similar to the ascent, and as we move away from the peak, the sandy layer on our path thickens. Another sharp left turn temporarily leads us back below Margita, then we reach the origin of the Aranyos stream valley. We descend pleasantly to the edge of Babat meadow. The hiking trail, initially descending more steeply then barely noticeably, leads under cover in the valley bottom. In the airy, sparsely wooded forest, the dense undergrowth often makes the view jungle-like, further enhanced by tree trunks partly covered by ivy. More and more sand lies underfoot, lending the forest a tropical atmosphere. Soon, we reach a clearing and pass under double high-voltage power lines. Along the edges of the plowed clearing, several hunting towers stand; these open areas are especially suitable for hunting.

We pass by livestock enclosed with electric fencing. At the edges of the sparse forest, there is a chance to encounter feeding roe deer or small game; it is advisable to walk quietly. The increasing number of open sections signals the proximity of Babat meadow, until finally we reach the edge of the open area at a junction. In the middle of the grain field spreading to the left, we find the scant remains of an Árpád-era church ruin and a memorial plaque that commemorates the formerly settled village. We cover the next 3 km in open terrain through the settlement of Babatpuszta. This site is an experimental farm of the Szent István University, where ecological farming is practiced on about 300 hectares. By damming the Aranyos stream, they have also established a fish pond system here, along whose banks covered with sedge and reed the hiking trail leads. We walk past pastures where we can wave at horses and cattle. After the hunting lodge decorated with a wild boar relief, stables and other farm buildings follow. At the edge of the farm stands a large yellow building: the stable castle. This special monument was erected by the Grassalkovich family, founders of the Babat estate, in the mid-18th century, where a female family member suffering from tuberculosis was treated. The U-shaped building’s central towered part was the living wing, flanked on both sides by stables — thus the countess could breathe the beneficial, ammonia-rich air recommended by the doctor. Next to the stable castle, there is the agricultural farm’s organic gardening, then we walk on an asphalt road past the last fish ponds, and finally pass through a tunnel under the noisy M3 motorway.

End of our hike: the outlaw’s watering place and the Maria pilgrimage site

On the other side, we arrive at the Pap Miska spring. The nicely renovated dripping area from 2015 offers a tourist resting place built under old oaks where one can sit and eat a little. The name of the spring refers to the last outlaw watering site near Gödöllő, who robbed merchants and travelers on the Pest-Kassa highway crossing the hills.

We leave this location on the P+ mark and bypass Gudra Hill through dense shrub forest; on its far side, we again switch to the P mark. Soon the houses of the Incső district of Gödöllő become visible, then after bypassing a barrier, we exit from among the trees.

After the residential park, we reach the fence of the Máriabesnyő cemetery. Inside is the grave of Count Pál Teleki, the most famous grave. After walking through the gate, we can pay respects at the resting place of the tragically fated former politician, geographer, and Chief Scout. From the cemetery, we walk on a wide gravel road toward the nearby pilgrimage church.

Máriabesnyő, belonging to Gödöllő, is one of Hungary's most visited pilgrimage sites. Depopulated during the Turkish era, the area began to be resettled in the 18th century by the landowning Grassalkovich family. They decided to build a chapel on the ruins of the Árpád-era church. During the construction work, a small statue of the Virgin Mary, carved from bone, was found in the ground, which became a revered item of the place. Soon, large pilgrimages started toward Besnyő, making the expansion of the chapel necessary. Thus, by 1771, the building complex standing today with the Capuchin monastery was completed. The main altar in the upper church houses the miraculous statue, and from the lower church, the family crypt of the Grassalkovich family opens. In the monastery courtyard, the Mary Museum can be visited, presenting the tradition of Virgin Mary worship in Hungary.

Passing through the calvary alley in the church garden, we leave the pilgrimage site and exit onto the street through a large Székely-style gate marking the area’s boundary. The large ornate gate was erected in 1943 to celebrate the return of Székely Land to Hungary. At the nearby pedestrian crossing, we cross the main road 3, then after a few minutes' walk, we arrive at Máriabesnyő train station.