Mogyoród's "most royal" route: the barefoot path and the Saint László nature trail

Itinerary

Along the trail route, we follow the special ZT markings throughout – occasionally the tourist markings also assist with orientation.

• From the northernmost point of the trail, the barefoot path, we start southwards on Csíkvölgy road.
• We turn right onto Fóti road, then shortly after turn right again onto Rózsa street, where the building of the Saint László Memorial and Visitor Center is already visible (Z◼ marking).
• We walk back along Rózsa street, cross Fóti road, then cross the Saint Mihály pedestrian bridge and climb up Kiss Ernő road (accompanied by the Z▲ marking).
• We turn right onto Somlói road, which leads with a sharp right turn through the wine cellar row.
• At the T-junction, we turn left onto Dózsa György road (Z marking), and walk to the Saint Michael Archangel Church.
• Next to the church, we turn left onto Templom street, which climbs upwards beside the community house.
• At the intersection of Templom road and Somlói road, we turn right and continue along Hangulat street (Z▲ marking), which crosses over the motorway on an overpass.
• The Z▲ marking turns left, but we continue straight on Hangulat street.
• After passing the last house, we turn right onto the dirt road leading to the Natural Energy Station.
• Continuing on the path, we walk southwest, then southeast, and finally northeast, bypassing a field.
• On the branching Z+ marking, we reach the southern end of the trail, the Saint László lookout chapel.

Details of the hike

Off with your shoes – or foot massage on the barefoot path

After climbing the gentle slope of Csíkvölgy road, descending on sandy ground through a pine forest scented with resin, we enter the valley of the Mogyoród stream. Although the built section of the barefoot path starts a few steps after the sign, following a steep descent, we can already take off our shoes here to experience the soft, yielding ground. On the 150-meter section, we can walk over 14 different surfaces, from wood bark to small and larger stones, pine cones, bricks, bark, and sand – and in summer, not only can we walk barefoot along the bridge spanning the stream, but we can also wade through the cooling bed and even squish in the soft mud on the banks.

Barefoot walking not only informs us about the many properties of the surface underfoot (noting which is harder/softer, colder/warmer, less pleasant/more pleasant, solid/yielding), but it also stimulates the reflex zones of our feet, thus invigorating circulation and refreshing the whole body. The basic idea of barefoot paths can be credited to a German priest, Sebastian Kneipp, who realized that the alternating stimuli on the skin have a beneficial effect on circulation and the autonomic nervous system, thus having positive effects for both physical and mental fatigue. Kneipp paths can also be found in wellness centers and spas where cold water pools and walking barefoot over various surfaces (usually smaller or larger stones) is typical.

The stream bed hosting the barefoot path is fed by many springs. In the pine-covered Csíkvölgy, several valuable plant communities and protected species have found a home, which can be identified by signs along the bed. The most special among them is the protected orchid species called egg-yolk frog orchid.

In the footsteps of Saint László

Putting shoes back on, we head south along Csíkvölgy street descending into the center of the settlement. Turning right onto Fóti road, we cross the stream bed previously encountered, then turning right onto Rózsa street (Z◼ marking), we spot the building of the Saint László Memorial and Visitor Center a few meters away.

The 2022 opened exhibition invites you on a historical and cultural journey. The focus is on our King Saint László, who played an important role both in the establishment and history of the settlement. On March 14, 1074, he and his brother, Prince Géza, won a battle against King Solomon, supported by the German emperor, near Mogyoród, ending feudal dependency. To commemorate the victory, László settled Benedictine monks and founded a monastery (the current monastery hill is named after this location).

Besides the local history exhibition, the building also presents the natural and tourism values of the area. Children can enjoy a historical-themed puzzle and coloring; from the gift shop, we can literally take home royal memories.

Returning from the building along Rózsa street, we reach Mogyoród’s main square. It is worth looking at a bronze statue at the square’s left corner, surrounded by a fountain since 2006. The dancing couple representing the city’s cultural traditions is the work of Lajos Józsa from Debrecen. Then we cross the Mogyoród stream on a pedestrian bridge named after Saint Michael. It is as worth seeing the four carved pictures at the bridgeheads about the lives of saints as the two bus stops nearby, built in the style of the pedestrian bridge.

Once upon a monastery…

We climb up a narrow concrete strip of Kiss Ernő road between houses; for a time, the Z▲ trail sign accompanies us. At the Y-junction, we head left. Upon reaching the hilltop, a triangular-shaped green patch welcomes us. The name Klostromdomb only hints that once a monastery stood here – its exciting, eventful history is told on signs set up at the site.

After the death of King Béla I (the Champion) in 1064, the young King Solomon governed in alliance with Géza and László, his two cousins and sons of King Andrew I. Over time, conflicts arose between the two princes and the ruler, so both sides armed themselves. After minor clashes, in March 1074, the decisive battle took place on the hills near Mogyoród; the cousins’ cooperation and tactful strategy after Géza's recent defeat successfully defeated the royal army. The fleeing ruler was dethroned, and Géza (I.) took over governance until 1077; upon his death, László succeeded him. In Mogyoród, he pledged to build a church and a monastery here as thanks if the royal army was defeated. The founding document of the church testifies to this – it is also the first written mention referring to Mogyoród.

Unfortunately, nothing remains today from the church and monastery buildings; only the Klostromdomb name suggests it, and local legends preserve the memory that two buildings once stood here. In the current wooded Saint László square shaped like a triangle, we find a stone monument, a wooden statue of Saint László’s head, and a cross. Beneath the surface, the loess, clayey, sandy Mogyoród soil hides sandstone and clay slate.

From the square, we continue along Kiss Ernő road with Z▲ signs, then turn sharply right at the first opportunity onto narrow Somlói road. After a few steps downhill, we find ourselves among the tidy buildings of the Mogyoród wine cellar row. In the colorful procession of the houses, there are simple buildings built from carved stone and modern, renovated cellars.

Wine tasting and tomatoes

On the sunny, gently rolling hills of Mogyoród, on volcanic tufa’s ideal soil, grapes have been cultivated for several hundred years – no wonder that the settlement’s coat of arms features not only the namesake hazelnut but also grapes. The usually equipped wine cellars are dug into the hillside, mostly along Somlói road and Dózsa György road. It is possible that grapes were already cultivated here in the 11th century, although written sources only mention this in the later decades of the Middle Ages. It is certain that the Swabians living in Mogyoród had a rich viticultural tradition. Local winegrowers returned the residue of pressed grapes during harvest to the soil at the vines, so the valuable wine yeast cells in it, along with the dust, were already on the grape berries the next year, helping produce excellent quality wines at harvest.

A local winemaking competition, as well as harvest parade and ball, can make discovering the wine cellar row, protected locally since 2009, even more meaningful. Although not part of the trail, it is worth walking into the dead-end alley (Pincesor road) opening to the right from the wine cellar row, where interesting buildings also line up. The best known are Szilágyi Winery and Babicz cellar.

An interesting fact is that besides viticulture, Mogyoród tomatoes were once as famous as Makó onions, Cece melons, or Szeged paprika. The bright red, sweet, juicy fruits grown in the sandy soil were also glorified in scientific literature on vegetable growing. The seedlings were watered only at planting so that the plant's roots penetrated deeply into the loose soil to absorb moisture, making the tomato hardy and resilient, nearly care-free. Unfortunately, with the spread of canneries (as the outstanding quality of the product was not particularly valued since they were ground up), demand for tomatoes disappeared.

A building that lasts a century

We continue descending Somlói road, then turn left onto the busy Dózsa György road – here, the Z markings accompany us for a while. On the sidewalk among residential houses, passing the kindergarten, mayor's office, municipality, shops, and pubs, we join the everyday life of the settlement. The correct direction is indicated by our destination, the white church tower clearly visible from afar.

Saint Michael Archangel Roman Catholic Church was built between 1747 and 1749 by Bishop Károly Althann; for masonry, stones from the medieval monastery and ancient church were reused. When the Baroque building was completed, in front of the main altar, an 18th-century wooden angel statue depicting Saint Michael, artistically carved by Károly Bebó, was placed. In 1909, the church was expanded with a transept and transformed into the Secession style. The last major renovation was in 1957, and in 1968, the building and liturgical space were redesigned.

Next to the church is a protected Baroque calvary. The adjoining chapel was built in 1770 in honor of the removal from the cross. Opposite the church stands a Rococo statue of Saint John Nepomuk, which is also protected. In front of the building complex is a beautifully maintained flowered square.

We continue up Templom street, narrow and single-lane asphalted. After a minute’s walk, the brown fence of the community house and the nearby well with a wheel appear. The collection can be visited by prior appointment. Since 1995, the exhibition has told stories of old times with furniture, clothing, utensils, and black-and-white photos about the diverse, beautiful simplicity of peasant life. In the authentically furnished, classic, long farmhouse, we can see what the kitchen and room where the family spent their days were once like, and also get a taste of the folk costume of Mogyoród. In the yard, we can discover a wheel well and a beehive oven, alongside tools used around the homestead.

If you need a little energy…

Continuing along the house fence, heading along a small street toward the increasing sound of rustling, at the intersection of Templom street and Somlói street, we meet the Z▲ marking again, which leads right over a blue-railed bridge that spans the busy lanes of the M3 motorway. After crossing the overpass, the Z▲ marking invites us to turn left, but we continue straight along Hangulat street. On a slow uphill stretch between weekend houses, noisy with barking dogs, asphalt gradually wears away under our feet. To the left, buildings fade; a mixed forest greens along the road. After passing the last house, across the extensively undulating fields, atop Somlyó hill (Gyertyános) we catch sight of the Saint László lookout and chapel, the last and seemingly distant station of our thematic route. The dirt road turning right leads us past a windmill building, pointing toward the Natural Energy Station.

In the building complex combined with a covered resting place, water intake facilities, and a playground made of natural materials, primarily renewable energy sources are presented not only theoretically but also practically, as the wind turbine and solar panels here supply electricity to the whole complex. Plans include grinding grain in a wind-powered mill and baking bread in a solar oven in the near future.

The exhibit talks about the planet’s depleting fossil and renewable energy sources. Besides the already well-known solar panels, wind turbines, and hydropower, visitors can learn about biomass, energy forests, and geothermal energy. We find out what our planet would be like without human-induced global warming and gain knowledge about natural climate change. Children can expend excess energy on the spacious playground, testing their balance, dexterity, and logic.

Splashes, engine roars, panorama

We continue on the path next to the mill toward the southwest. On our left stretches a vast field; on the right, from spring to autumn, we may notice strange sounds after the right-angle bend. The thematic route almost passes within arm’s reach of the edge of the over 11-hectare Aquaréna area, Hungary’s largest aquapark with one and a half kilometers of slides over and under the ground, experience pools, jacuzzis, various sports courts, restaurants, bars, and countless programs – after exploring the trail, one can continue adventuring here.

Leaving behind the whistle signals that start the sliders, shortly before the next right-angle bend, we come very close to Gödöllő’s other attraction, the Hungaroring, where speed lovers have been enthralled since 1986. Besides the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix, visitors can even drive around the track themselves in a driving experience, and there is an off-road, go-kart, and driving skills course built here as well.

Turning into a straight segment, the landscape again captivates us. Ahead, hills draw enormous, gentle waves on the surface; to the right, we approach closer to the unusually shaped lookout that sharply stands out from its surroundings. At the third corner of the agricultural sign, we turn right onto a narrow path (Z+ marking), which climbs the steep hillside aiming for the lookout.

The special winged lookout standing atop the 315-meter-high Gyertyános (or Mogyoród Somlyó) began its story in 1997 as a result of a huge community effort and was built according to the plans of Imre Makovecz. Later, its condition deteriorated but was renovated in 2022. At the bottom, beneath the tower’s base, a chapel was created – decorated with a wood-carved statue of Saint László in the small hall beneath the stairs.

Climbing to the upper level, from the gentle slopes of the Gödöllő Hills and the bird’s-eye view of the village, notable sights of the capital (e.g., the Buda Castle, Gellért Hill) are visible, and you can even see as far as the Mátra mountains. It is worth bringing binoculars to delve into the panorama’s details. The lookout’s energy demand is supplied by solar panels powering the lighting and the webcam that guards the tower’s condition. At the base of the building, benches and built fire pits are available.

From the route’s end, aiming for the Natural Energy Station, then along Hangulat street and the motorway overpass, it is worth returning (although with a small detour, we can choose the Z▲ marking as well, winding among summer houses and along the motorway’s edge). After the M3 bridge, we can discover Mogyoród or return along the familiar route to the starting point.