Humps on the Back of Buda

Itinerary

• We explore Ördög-orom from Márton Áron Square along the Z▲ trail, then climb up to the Children's Railway terminus.
• From the Children's Railway station building we follow the Z trail through Normafa to the end of Anna Meadow.
• Before the St. Anna Chapel, we turn left onto the K↺ trail, which we follow to the Chairlift station.
• From the Chairlift, the P trail leads up to János Hill.
• From the Elizabeth Lookout, we follow the P trail for a few meters until we leave the concrete behind.
• We turn right onto the PΩ trail, which leads to the János Hill Pass Cave. From there we follow the ZΩ trails.
• From the cave, we turn right and follow the Z▲ trail, which leads to our route's endpoint, passing the Fairy Rock.

Detailed description of the route

The Forgotten Ridge Path

We set off from Márton Áron Square along the Z▲ trail into the Buda Hills – although even the first steps tread their surface, the city hides the heights from us. Until the end of the 19th century, where the streets and cemetery now are, there were still orchards and vineyards, their fate sealed by the phylloxera. The hiking path leads to the entrance of Farkas Valley, where we turn onto a zigzag educational trail climbing to Ördög-orom. This is one of the capital's lesser-known yet especially scenic hiking trails: a small ridge secured by a railing, narrowing in places, offering splendid views of the forest cover of neighboring Széchenyi Hill and from Sas Hill to Gellért Hill, the lowest hills of Budapest alike – occasionally glimpsing the Tétényi Plateau on the other side. Besides the panoramas, the rocky ground, exposure from the elevation, and isolation from the city create an atmospheric experience.

Old quarry yards bite into the narrow rocky ridge side: harder rocks settled into the crumbled, medieval dolomite, filling the gaps of the gravelly dolomite. Later silica-bearing thermal waters flowing from the depths permeated and cemented their fractured bands hard. As a result, a diverse rock material remained in terms of composition and durability: silica binder bands rose above the eroding softer dolomite gravel, forming small protrusions or towers in places. The jagged rock of Ördög-szószék thus protruded from its environment. During quarrying, the softer sandstone layers were used as building material, while the hard conglomerate was transported as millstones and grindstones. (As the name suggests, Ördög-szószék naturally has its own legend: a hermit once exposed a strange priest holding an unusual sermon every night on the rock: it was the devil himself, who burst into flames and vanished upon being revealed.)

Although not visible from above, a few iron doors can be discovered at the base of the rocks from Edvi Illés street below, which are entrances to a World War II shelter carved into the rock mass. Some theories suggest it was built as a paid private bunker at the behest of the owner of the elegant Ördög-orom tavern opposite. The tavern, which was then hard to reach except on foot starting from Márton Áron Square (hence its advertisements stating "At the 59 tram terminus"), operated for a long time but its history echoes the history of restaurants and hospitality culture in the Buda Hills. In the early 20th century, it was an important mountain base for groups hiking the area. Its star faded after World War II, and although plans for connecting it via the Children's Railway and chairlift arose in the early 1970s, the tavern and its services gradually declined and eventually became an entertainment venue. The building was abandoned in the built-up environment and burnt down in the 1990s.

Heading toward Hegyhát Park!

The panoramic ridge eventually merges into streets and descends between houses to the bottom of Farkas Valley – where a narrow bridge crosses the creek. It is also worth exploring the valley turning left: its naturally appearing forest and atmospheric path serve as a remnant of the pre-development mountainous landscape. Our route does not change markings and sets off on the slope of Széchenyi Hill. We walk along the valley floor past the fenced cave of the Farkas Valley water sink, which is still sometimes active today, channeling rainwater flowing here underground. Our path turns right on the hillside, visiting the small building of the Úti Madonna Chapel, which dates back to the late 19th century and, despite multiple destructions during its troubled history, decorates the path in excellent condition today. We wind up the hilltop, where from the clearing next to the TV tower we can glimpse the Danube flowing southward. We circle the tower and follow the tracks from the Children's Railway terminus.

The next section of the route (Z trail) creates a connection between Hűvösvölgy and Széchenyi Hill – in fact, it was close to not becoming so. The children's railway construction starting in spring 1948 was originally planned for Margaret Island, but when extending accessibility to the Buda Hills was decided, Zugliget was first designated as the lower terminus. Due to the large elevation difference, the current alignment was chosen as the winner, contributed to also by the location of the Csillebérc children's camp and the cog railway. At Normafa station, we leave the rails and reach the meadows of Normafa from Eötvös street.

Walk above the city

One highlight of our tour is Normafa, the capital's most popular lookout, uniting the atmosphere of parks and mountain resorts. From the top of the grassy slope, the iconic panorama of the city and country opens: opposite, the forested sides of the Buda Hills roll, beside the mighty block of Pilis Peak, the highest summits of Börzsöny also peek out. Behind Hármashatár Hill, the twin peaks of Szanda in Cserhát are visible, and the back of the Mátra mountains gleams to the northeast. A significant element of the view is the city as seen from above, with rooftops gradually merging into the greenery covering the hills. The panorama gains a unique atmosphere as the constant noise of the city's bustling life meets the motionless quiet of the forested mountain ridge. A metal relief map helps identify major points. The site’s name was inherited from the former centuries-old ancient tree “Viharbükk” (Storm Beech), which reminded actress Róza Klein Schodelné of the set of Bellini's opera Norma. Therefore, a member of the National Theatre troupe sang the Norma aria beneath it, setting this new name in motion, which soon caught on to the surrounding meadow as well.

The Z trail continues under the beeches along the splendid clearing of Anna Meadow. From the overgrown pasture of one of the former ski slopes, we can glimpse the city, and a few rusty structures still recall the old ski activity. Normafa long hosted a lively winter sports life, with ski jumps, ski slopes, and sled runs utilizing the ideal terrain from the 1920s. Although sledders are still often seen here, and skiers appear after heavy snowfalls, most slopes (and jumps) have long been gone. At the end of the sloping clearing, we turn left onto the K↺ trail, and a small, white-walled building appears amid the huge old beeches with thick trunks. The original St. Anna Chapel was built in the 1820s and was regularly a pilgrimage destination. It was demolished after World War II but rebuilt in the early 1990s with the support of the faithful.

We do not change trail here and ascend along a promenade to the upper edge of the meadow, where the hiking path turns right (we can also choose the less stimulating asphalt walk). Refreshingly natural forest scenery inhabits the narrow strip beside the asphalt road on the edge of the ridge, with huge beeches and their saplings competing for light (as shown by the educational trail boards). The area around János Hill has been spared from clear-cutting and drastic forestry interventions for decades, and despite the crowds flowing on the roads, nature is increasingly restoring itself, demonstrated by the reappearance of the wildcat, very sensitive to disturbance, from this forest block in the 2010s. The protection of the surrounding area has a long history: the forest on the opposite side of Jánoshegyi Road was already purchased by Budapest from Budakeszi in the last decade of the 19th century with the aim to protect it from logging.

Around János Hill

We reach the Chairlift station along the promenade, where buffets offer chances to refresh. To our right is a viewing terrace from which we can glimpse Budapest and its hills through the foliage, giving a taste of what it might have been like to admire the city from the panorama terrace of the former János Hill restaurant pavilion during a meal. The building was erected at the end of the 19th century and quickly became popular: in the early 20th century, it hosted the aristocracy and bourgeoisie of the era; even the last Hungarian king, Charles IV, visited, and skiers and hikers frequently dropped by. However, the restaurant burned down in World War II, and the chairlift upper station is now located there.

The P trail leads steeply up wooded stairs (or the adjacent asphalt route offering a gentler ascent) to the summit at 527 meters, the capital's highest point. The building alone is a sight to behold: slender yet robust, it rises like a “lighthouse tower” and has been an identifiable icon of the Buda Hills since 1910. While the origin of the hill's name is unclear, the upper levels of the building, named after Queen Elisabeth, offer a worthy panorama relating to its appearance and significance. Not only Budapest but the mountains of half the country can be seen. On exceptionally clear days, the mountains can be admired from Bükk to Bakony and Balaton Uplands, and peaks in northern Slovakia. The view is grand and overwhelming, the vast city accompanied by countless hills rolling, with the capital’s wonderful location fully before our eyes.

Leaving the lookout via the spacious terrace along the P trail, we step off the paved road and turn right onto the PΩ signs. In the steep side of János Hill's dome, a switchback trail zigzags down to the asphalt road. Next to it is the short dolomite gallery of the János Hill Pass Cave, naturally formed (as attested by the steam vents visible on the ceiling near the upper entrance), though probably widened by human hands. In previous centuries, it may have been explored while searching for various ores; even pick marks can still be found in its middle section.

We follow the ZΩ trail on the concrete to the right until the Z▲ path calls to the left, downward. Our atmospheric route winds steeply down switchbacks and finally bends right; for quite some time, we follow the slope level. Around us, the long-abandoned, naturally shattered, impenetrable forest conceals the view. The city's hum and the roar of motorcycles constantly remind us where we are, but nature suggests something entirely different. Soon, we emerge onto asphalt; the chairlift seats glide silently overhead. Shortly after, on the right, we notice the yard of the Fairy Hill quarry, offering a resting place – the walls were quarried for crumbly dolomite in the early 20th century. At the bend, the trail turns left and approaches the tour's most impressive natural spectacle, the huge, snow-white spire of Fairy Rock, via steps. The climb avoids the sheer rock face, but staying on the stairs, it is worth making a small detour; the view from nearby is also admirable.

The Fairy Throne

Stepping onto the side terrace of Fairy Rock, we are struck by a breathtaking panorama, and it immediately becomes clear why it was marked as “Beautiful View” in the 19th-century field baptism. The rock throne decorates a terrifying depth. Opposite, the forested side of Hunyad-orom slopes toward Zugliget, and behind, the city houses are visible. To the left, the Hárs Hill and Hármashatár Hill groups appear, and in the opposite direction, the Normafa slope can be identified. Fairy Rock is a huge, hard dolomite block, fractured by structural movements and raised from its surroundings by waters that erode the environment. At its base, a quarry provides insight into the mountainous geological history, as gravelly dolomite was mined there for long. It is also observable that lime precipitated from the rising karst water cemented the crumbly rock hard. Climbing the rock chimney is dangerous and forbidden, but fortunately, the view can be enjoyed from the side as well.

The path on the exposed slope narrows with sparse trees and shrubs enclosing the trail, which winds gently downward. After a steeper descent, it joins another path, which we follow to the left (still without changing markings). We move deeper into dense forest, sometimes on a washed-out stepped path, finally stepping over roots along a narrow ridge beside a fence, reaching Zugligeti Street. Turning left on it, we leave the former tram terminus now functioning as a campsite. According to the old German name, Zugliget beneath the hills is the "corner of pigs," preserving the imprint of the pre-development landscape.

We continue along the road until at the foot of Hunyad-orom, we reach the lower chairlift terminus, just a few meters from the bus stop.