Hárs-hegy loop with two lookout towers

Itinerary :

• From Szépjuhászné, follow the S trail to reach a large forest junction via the Kaán Károly lookout tower.
• From there, take a detour on the S▲ trail to the Makovecz lookout tower.
• Returning to the junction, the Z↺ trail leads back to our starting point.

Description of the route :

We start from the Szépjuhászné parking lot following the S trail (also accessible from the Children's Railway station of the same name) towards Nagy-Hárs-hegy.

Near the summit, before reaching the Kaán Károly lookout tower on the mountain top, there is a charming viewpoint with benches, tables, and a fire pit; it practically invites stopping, observing, and the panorama is not the last reward here: you can gaze upon the gentle ridges of the Pilis.

Just 50 meters away, the Kaán Károly lookout tower rises at the summit of Nagy-Hárs-hegy (454 m). But what is known about its namesake? He lived in the first half of the 20th century and worked as a forestry engineer. He was a state secretary of agriculture, credited with reorganizing national forestry management, the afforestation program of the Great Hungarian Plain, and the birth of modern state nature protection. Besides the lookout tower, his name is preserved by a spring in the Apát-kúti valley and a lodge on the side of Szent György Hill. The four-story wooden tower on a natural stone base was renovated in 2016: the roof, structural elements, railings were replaced, and the stairs were refinished and repainted.

From its top level, on clear days, there is a beautiful panoramic view of the surrounding area. Northeast lies the Csúcs Hill – Hármashatár Hill group, east the Apáthy Rock – Látó Hill ridge. Southeast shows the cone of Kis-Hárs-hegy, behind which sprawls the capital city skyline. Northwest presents Nagy-Kopasz, Nagy-szénás, and Fekete-fej hills. Farther away, the houses of Nagykovácsi and Solymár also appear.

A few steps from the lookout, we reach the wooden bridge over the small ravine above the Bátori cave. The cave entrance opens on the southeast side of Nagy-Hárs-hegy summit at 440 meters above sea level, but its door is closed to curious eyes. Due to its dangers, it can only be visited with special permission. It was named after László Bátori, a Pauline monk living in the 15th century, who moved from the order's main monastery at Budaszentlőrinc to this cave on Nagy-Hárs-hegy and lived there as a hermit for nearly 20 years. Tradition says he wrote his Hungarian explanations of the Holy Scriptures and stories about the saints here, for which the church later beatified him. There is another legend connected to the cave, spread by word of mouth, suggesting a secret underground passage linking the cave with the nearby Pauline monastery. However, the tunnel was never found during the exploration of either the cave or the monastery. A memorial plaque was placed at the cave entrance in 2014.

A wide, sloping, slightly rocky path leads from the cave to the Hárs-hegy saddle. Here we turn onto the S▲ trail, which after a few hundred meters leads to the Makovecz Imre lookout tower on Kis-Hárs-hegy (362 m). The wooden tower, more than 6 meters tall, draws attention not so much with its height but with its unique shape. The round structure's vertical axis is a concrete-set steel pipe, with a double spiral staircase leading up to a small terrace at the top. The original was built in 1977 based on designs by Imre Makovecz, who was the chief engineer of the forestry company at the time. The tower's stairs were originally railway sleepers, which were replaced with acacia logs during reconstruction from 2006 to 2008. Since 2012, it has borne its designer's name. The small lookout had become somewhat unstable and was refurbished and reinforced again in summer 2018. Although the movement can still be felt at the top, strong winds and anyone afraid of heights are advised to avoid it. If you do climb up, you can see the northern part of Buda and have a view over downtown Budapest towards Castle Hill and the Citadel. Northwest, on the top of Nagy-Hárs-hegy, you can spot the nearby Kaán Károly lookout tower where you came from, and further northeast the Hármashatár Hill with its characteristic towers.

From the forest clearing around the lookout tower, we return on the S▲ trail to the hill base, where we turn left onto the Z↺ and the path marking the Mária route, which leads back to the Szépjuhászné parking lot. Since we are here, we also walk to the nearby ruins of the Pauline monastery of Budaszentlőrinc. The ruin area, surrounded by bare trees and a few evergreen shrubs and bushes, does not show its most attractive face in early spring, and some ground maintenance would not hurt the surroundings, but the ruins remain dignified and peaceful even this way. A pleasant walk among the 700-year-old Pauline monastery's ancient wall remnants proved a great conclusion.

The 4.5 km Hárs-hegy mini route, with its negligible elevation gain, can be turned into a perfect spring welcoming hike: not exhausting but full of sights and easily walkable even with small children. Along the route, there are several places with benches and tables, offering excellent spots for family and friendly picnics. If you did not arrive by car, you can also travel back by Children's Railway, making it a perfect family program.