From volcanic rock ridge to Danube gravel

Itinerary

• In Pilisszentlászló we walk along Szentendrei street towards the village center.
• After the road splits, turn left following the K mark.
• At the end of Sikárosi meadow follow the P mark to the right.
• At Király-kút turn right onto the P▲ trail, ascending to Prédikálószék.
• Descend through the Vadálló-kövek to the Szentfa chapel.
• In the valley, turn right on the P mark to reach Dömös bus stop.

Detailed description of the hike

In the Bükkös Creek valley

At Pilisszentlászló, at the bend of the descending road (which is also a junction), turn left onto the path (K mark). Shortly after we reach a parking lot, cross it straight ahead, then enter the forest and begin descending. The path truly becomes beautiful as it soon moves alongside a stream-eroded ditch. We cross both the stream and a concrete road, and in less than half an hour we reach its junction, which is also the Bükkös-patak valley.

We continue on the Blue Trail – this time heading west, walking closely alongside the creek meandering around its own debris. At Kárpát spring, there is a charming but slightly neglected resting spot. Here you often meet others, but never a crowd that intrudes on the natural experience. The trail winds through a pleasant, rocky environment in a cool valley. Soon the Sikárosi forester’s lodge appears among the trees, and after crossing the stream for the last time, we arrive at the edge of the series of clearings.

At Sikáros

The Sikárosi meadow was once a partly inhabited area, spreading as a basin in the depths of the Visegrád Mountains. Around it are 500-meter-high mountains; the former pastures and hayfields now form a wide chain of clearings. The markings are not always easy to follow. It is worth cutting straight across the meadow rather than through the trees, and at the end we will definitely connect with the P trail. Slowly ascending through Király valley, after about 20 minutes we reach Király-kút spring. From here, turning sharply right, we undertake the only truly exhausting stretch of the hike, the slope of Akasztó-hill (P▲). This is basically the rear ridge of Prédikálószék farther from the Danube.

Towards Prédikálószék

The trail leads steeply but directly through scrub, and after about 20–25 minutes our difficulties end. At the summit, turn left; from here the bulldozer road gently rises, occasionally glimpsing the ribbon of the Danube through the trees. At the second junction, it is worth turning right; in 1–2 minutes you reach the fortress-like Hubertusz hunting lodge.

The house itself, seen from a distance, is not a jewel box, but as you step beside it its special features immediately become clear. In front of the concrete block is a long terrace with one of the country’s most spectacular fire pits: over the balcony railing at the end, the Danube Bend arches in stunning proximity below us! When not in use, it may be ideal for sleeping outside in a summer sleeping bag.

Returning to the trail, our final ascent begins, dominated by beech forest around us. Within minutes, the dark sail of the lookout tower appears among the trees. From its top level, the view is memorable: below us, the rocky side of Szent Mihály Hill curves around a semicircle of river, with the Börzsöny rising behind in a near-triangular shape. To the right, our view may get lost in the winding valley system of the Visegrád Mountains. On clear days, Mátra can also be seen faintly in the distance.

The towering Szent Mihály Hill opposite was once part of the volcanic mountains we are treading: according to some theories, after a major landslide, the incision of the Danube began, which is responsible for the formation of the breakthrough valley. We are walking on the western rim of the Keserűs Hill volcano caldera when we head towards the Vadálló-kövek.

Among the Vadálló-kövek

Crossing a sheltered-foothill forest, suddenly we reach the wild ridge: the undergrowth disappears, the landscape opens, and we basically stand at the edge of a cliff. The sharp rocky ridge is a remnant of volcanic activity that went extinct millions of years ago, with members that even have names (e.g., Big Stump, Attila’s Helmeted Head, Bunkó, etc.). The debris rolling down the volcano slopes welded together under heat at the bottom of those slopes, later rising with the uplift of mountain fragments. The resistant stone has weathered out of softer surroundings, forming a vertically rising rock ridge today. The panorama extends from Dobogó Rock to the Szob section of the Danube Bend. The trail itself is special, requiring care with steps on a rock surface made of various-sized and composed stone fragments.

The unforgettable section is followed by a tiring, knee-buckling forest descent; after rains it can be unpleasantly and dangerously slippery, and even in dry weather it would sometimes be helpful to have chains to hold onto. The ascent earned the fitting name “Soulbreaker.” After arriving at the Kaincz spring, we can refill our water and inspect the Szentfa chapel. Once a “miracle tree” stood here; according to legend, it was a place of apparition where two little girls grazing geese in the meadow saw an image of the Virgin Mary among the leaves while sitting under a beech tree. This small chapel commemorates that.

Arrival at Dömös

We set off towards the last one and a half kilometers to Dömös. Walking on asphalt, our route is accompanied by an andesite boulder-strewn stream, while the valley narrows increasingly until we reach the village’s outer houses. Opposite rises the rocky side of Szent Mihály Hill, gradually hidden by increasingly dense walls of houses as we approach the central bus stop.