From ridge to ridge in Gerecse

Itinerary

• From Dorog we follow the K marking, including the ascent to the Aknatorony lookout up to the Nagy-Gete.
• From the Gete we descend on the K marking into the Sörház valley.
• In the valley, we turn left onto the poorly marked K+ trail.
• A few meters later, we turn right onto an uphill path.
• We proceed along the edge of the fields, then cut straight across the plot at a hunting stand onto the dirt road running southwest.
• On the dirt road, we turn right; following the connecting K marking, we arrive below Hegyes-kő.
• We climb up Hegyes-kő on an unmarked but well-trodden short path, then descend from it.
• Returning on the K mark, following it downwards, we walk back to Tokod.

Detailed about the hike

On the way to Gete

The track network at the Dorog railway station once handled significant freight traffic: as we will see multiple times during our city walk, the history and street image of the settlement is defined by its coal mining past. In the Dorog Basin, extraction began at the end of the 18th century, and in the 19th-20th centuries, serving Budapest’s growing demand, the former small village grew into a sizeable industrial town. Traces of the coal mining collapse at the end of the 20th century can be found everywhere as we head towards the mountains following the K mark. After ascending from the railway underpass, the former mining company headquarters and the exhibition site with mine shaft section, the Reimann Mining Museum and Miniverse, stand on the right side of the street.

Passing the roundabout, we are accompanied by a village-like row of houses. At the Church Square, we turn right and ascend the hillside, eventually turning towards the Calvary. The stations of the Blue Trail lead with a long staircase up to the Aknatorony lookout standing on the hilltop, which formerly served the nearby coal mines and was moved to its current location in 1981, marking the 200th anniversary of the start of coal mining in Dorog. It was made a lookout in 2025; it is always open, and thanks to its grated flooring it is not intimidating for those afraid of heights to climb it. From the upper "cage" you can see the wide surroundings of Dorog, almost the entire Pilis range, the Buda Hills, and the peaks of Börzsöny; in less humid conditions, the southern mountains of Slovakia are also visible. (In the opposite direction, a limestone quarry fills the view.)

The K marking leads along the dirt road at the city outskirts southeastward and now winds among houses toward the Gerecse Mountains. We reach the edge of Dorog, crossing an unused industrial siding lost in weeds. Passing a chemical plant, we continue on in the woods—more precisely in an overgrown locust grove on the side of a former mining pit. From the sunny section, we finally arrive under the trees as our path begins to climb steeply. We are surrounded by ever older and more impressive forest, following briefly the path of an overhead power line. The climb eases somewhat as we turn towards the slope of the Gete near Csolnok.

The Gete Mountain

Again, we cross the transmission line corridor, essentially starting the ascent on a rocky path up the narrow, east-west elongated and lowering ridge of the Nagy-Gete. Although forestry access roads avoid the ridge, pines appearing as color elements indicate the previous forest logging and newer artificial plantations. We also cross the minor peak of Gete Mountain; from a path diverging left from the marked route, we can walk to a lookout decorated with a cross. The rock grassland panorama mainly spreads out toward the rolling hills of the Zsámbék Basin, with the Pilis, the Buda Hills, and the Nagy-Gerecse also visible on the edges.

From the Nagy-Gete, only about 50 meters elevation difference and one and a half kilometers distance separate us—we continue along the rocky path. We walk on the spine of a small eagle’s ridge, often windy due to exposure, in forest. After about 20 minutes of comfortable uphill walking, we reach the peak, which at first glance has a grassy summit with a large cross.

On the Nagy-Gete

On its western slope, popular also among hang gliders and paragliders as a starting point, there is a sloping clearing nestled among the trees. The main massif of the mountain range’s Triassic limestone also comes to the surface. Of course, it is worth raising our eyes to the heights, as the entire Gerecse ridge is visible from here. Before us is the Hegyes-kő, appearing as a hill but with clearly visible breakoffs, followed by the Kő-hegy, the Öreg-kő towering above Bajót, and in the background, the block-like Nagy-Gerecse with its transmission tower hides behind each other. To the south lie the lower ridges and peaks of the mountain range; the Halyagos, which shields Tatabánya, also stands out from the environment. The low outer plateau of the Vértes is also visible. A bunker was built on the peak during World War II. Even more interestingly, Hungary’s first organized ski race was held on this mountain in January 1908.

The Blue Trail descends: entering a rocky, steeply sloping path between the trees presents a challenge. Watch your steps carefully as slipping is easy! At the foot of the mountain, we cross a pine forest, beyond which the panorama admired from above opens again on the small extension of Öreg-kő, but this time Tokod and the flatlands of the Danube are also visible. We get closer to Hegyes-kő, but as we slowly enter the trees, the many white rock ledges on which we will soon climb disappear from view.

On untrodden paths among the fields

For a short section, we follow the narrow creekbed of the Sörház valley to the left. Further up in the valley, a small fishing pond has been created (about a 3-5 minute detour). Soon the K+ trail beckons to the right between the trees; do not expect to find many markings here—it is poorly and sometimes not at all marked to Hegyes-kő, so rely on your GPS, especially when wandering between agricultural plots! We step onto a small loess plateau with countless deep ditches cutting into its sandy side. We wind among small plots and forest edges, initially along the edge of a field. Later, at a hunting stand, we cross straight over the field, heading southwest so as to reach the far dirt road; turning right here, we will no longer get lost. To our left lies the hilly part of Gerecse, opposite the rocky ledge of Hegyes-kő enriches the view.

On Hegyes-kő

The route of the National Blue Trail joins from the right, and with one last climb we arrive on the southern side of the rocky ridge. The marked path continues straight, but the well-trodden, unmistakable trail ascends the limestone slope. It is worth climbing this in the summer heat since the white rock’s reflective capacity makes this slope very hot: from above, we can enjoy a splendid panoramic view. To the north, the Danube valley and, on the far side, the vineyard-covered hills of the Bátorkeszi ridge sometimes reveal the volcanic masses of Madaras and the Selmec Mountains. Among the nearby sights, the vast forest of Börzsöny dominates the view, with the Danube rocky ridge of the Helembai Mountains in the foreground, as well as the graceful curves of the Esztergom Basilica drawing attention. The Pilis and Visegrád Mountains are also identifiable (the former also peeking south beyond the huge Nagy-Gete), along with the Buda Hills. To the west undulates the blocky terrain of Gerecse: behind the Kő-hegy lie the Öreg-kő of Bajót, the Nagy-Gerecse, the Halyagos, and the Vértes, with the Somlyó easy to find on the map. Tokod lies at our feet. The mining past of the area is striking; numerous industrial buildings squeeze among the low houses of the Dorog Basin.

The descent to Tokod is short and quick. Turning left on the K marking and starting back, the path soon forks. Again, choose the left direction, an overgrown path. The Blue Trail proceeds for a long section in the dense forest, then emerges onto the open slope above Tokod. To the left are the shady limestone steps of Hegyes-kő, opposite the distant panorama we also admired from above accompanies us as we reach the rows of houses. From a short side street, after a bend we reach the Church Valley stream, then the Heroes’ Square, from where we can leave Tokod by bus.