Mogyorósbánya – Dorog (OKT Day 29 Hike)

In Mogyorósbánya, the memory of the former coal mining is commemorated among others by an enlarged replica of a carbide miner's lamp, a memorial stone, and a miner's statue in the small park in front of the community center. The blue trail stamp can be found on the signpost opposite the bus turnaround, at the corner of Fő street and Arany János street. From the bus stop, the K mark leaves the settlement via Temető street, soon climbing the forested side of Kő-hegy on a wide path.

After just over a kilometer, we reach a fork in the road. On our left, the K▲ mark leads to the rocky cliff of Kő-hegy, which offers, with a small detour of a few meters, a breathtaking bird's-eye view of the hilly, mountain-framed surroundings, as well as the next points of our route. The Kőszikla cliff viewpoint is unique in that unlike the other rocky outcrops in Gerecse, here we don’t see the common limestone formed in seawater, but a freshwater variant deposited in a thermal spring. Millions of years ago, in the ancestor of Gerecse, lime dissolved by rainwater that seeped deep underground precipitated through larger thermal springs, forming the material of today's Kő-hegy. Another curiosity is that climbers in Hungary can only climb on secured walls on this type of rock here.

The spectacular rock ledge is definitely worth a short detour: We can see Esztergom, the winding ribbon of the Danube forming the country's border, the plains of the Kisalföld beyond the border, and of course the characteristic conical hills rising to the east – among them the Nagy-Gete.

From Kő-hegy, we descend steeply on a narrow path with hairpin turns and views to the Tokod cellars. Alongside the wine-press houses, we continue on a gravel road, and after the roadside covered resting place, find the stamp a few meters further.

Tokod Cellars – Tokod

We soon cross the busy road to Bajna and follow the K mark on the connecting road leading to Tokod. We walk 350 meters on asphalt, then turn right into a wooded, bushy terrain, beginning to climb immediately toward the panoramic ridge of Kis-kő.

From this flatter but still prominently rising eagle rock, we can enjoy a 360-degree panorama. The gaze is not drawn to the distant heights of Gerecse or the ridges of the Pilis and Buda hills, but rather to the quarry scar yawning in the side of the 264-meter high hill and the rocky benches of the Hegyes-kő rising immediately before us. Here you can clearly observe the steep, terraced limestone cliffs characteristic of Gerecse, which look as if a giant plow had regularly furrowed them.

The K mark continues towards Hegyes-kő on a rocky grass path. First, we descend into the saddle between two summits, then climb on a rocky track up the ridge side with its spectacular rock formations and panorama. Our route bypasses the Hegyes-kő peak, no mark leads to it, but it is definitely worth climbing up the 200-meter well-marked path. From the steep north side clad with pine woods, we can again enjoy a wonderful panorama: below us are Tokod, the Danube, and in the distance, the Esztergom basilica, all framed by the Börzsöny mountain range at the back.

In geographical terms, the eagle rock is a typical structural form of ridge mountains: the area between two neighboring faults elevated or only the surroundings subsided, thus enclosing a convex summit. The peak is usually formed by bare rock surface, thus resisting surface-forming forces.

According to tradition, the village with a long history took its name from a warrior named Tokod, approached by the K mark descending the eastern, bushy side of Hegyes-kő. Finally, we reach the former mining settlement on open grassy terrain, reaching its center on the asphalt of Alkotmány street. We find the Tokod stamp near the St. Martin Church and the grocery, opposite the tobacco shop. Here we can stock up on everything, find accommodation, and also take a bus if we want to interrupt the hike.

Tokod – Nagy-Gete

After stamping, we leave Tokod eastwards along Szabadság street, soon beginning the ascent in the Sörház valley hollow, then our path turns left. First, we climb the 308-meter Öreg-kő, the western little brother of Nagy-Gete. Next comes the highest eagle rock of Eastern Gerecse, which is not only difficult thanks to the steep ascent but also to the rocky path.

The National Blue Trail offers many sweaty and memorable mountains, and Nagy-Gete is among them despite its modest height of 456 meters above sea level. Those coming from Dorog can conquer the panoramic peak with less effort, but from Tokod, the steep, rocky ascent marked “steep” on maps will really challenge you – the descent here is also difficult, especially in damp weather.

The mountain's slope is an imprint of Gerecse's blocky tectonic structure. On Nagy-Gete, there is a large 5.5-meter-high cross made of red pine, next to it a Blue Trail stamp, and nearby a panoramic clearing. From here, you can scan mainly west and south; the peak also offers views to the north. Below us rises the rocky ledge of Hegyes-kő above Tokod; behind it the limestone-towered front of Kő-hegy, and the cliff of the Öreg-kő cave in Bajót white. We see the 633 m high, elongated ridge of Nagy-Gerecse, and to the south, the characteristic slopes of Halyagos and Somlyó. If the atmosphere permits, the edge of Vértes can also be spotted.

A bunker was built on the peak during World War II, but more interestingly, Hungary's first organized ski race was held on its slopes in January 1908.

Nagy-Gete – Dorog

The K mark follows a scenic path on the ridge to the peak of the related Gete-hegy, 403 meters high. Here too, a cross has been placed on this natural viewing point, and the view is beautiful, including prominent heights of the Buda hills. In spring, these south-facing rocky grass slopes blossom spectacularly, enhancing the panorama, and the green fields below impress the viewer with their playful order.

On descent through the Uradalmi forest, the oak grove is gradually replaced by acacia and some pine patches, and the disturbance of the landscape becomes increasingly obvious. Approaching Dorog, more reminders of the region's industrial past appear. We pass the Miklós shaft, where a memorial stone and plaque recount the extensive size and significance of local coal mining. Due to the many industrial historical relics and the cityscape, Dorog and its surroundings still bring to mind brown coal mining for a long time, even though the last local mine closed in 2003. The nationally significant mining industry mainly shaped the economic and social landscape of the area in the 20th century, and its proud history continues to significantly influence the identity of the locals, who once numbered thousands of families employed and forming a strong community.

Along the spoil heap and following the former mining tunnel, we reach Dorog’s outskirts and the Tömédékakna Industrial Park. From the streets, we turn onto Panorama street, ascending above the city. Passing old gardens and newly built houses with panoramic views of the city, we reach the top of Kálvária hill, where the Aknatorony lookout offers an even more complete view of the surroundings.

Originally used by miners heading to the shafts, the tower above Dorog, built in the 1920s, served as a shaft tower for nearby mines and eventually operated the lifts of a Tokodaltáró mine. It was moved to its current location in 1981 (on the 200th anniversary of mining in Dorog) as a kind of monument and renovated in 2025, becoming a lookout tower. The 16 m high tower is covered by a lattice structure that somewhat restricts the view but provides a sense of security for the spatially disoriented. We can observe the city’s mountain-rich environment from the Buda Hills to Börzsöny; on clear days, the Selmec mountains of Slovakia also come into view. The tower is open day and night, with stair lighting activated by a button; visiting is prohibited during storms due to lightning risk.

The K mark descends into the city following the stations of the Calvary. Passing through streets, we touch the Reimann Mining History Mini-Museum near the old Reimann altar, where the area’s mining past is presented in an elegant display. Coal mining in the Dorog basin dates back to the end of the 18th century, initially in Csolnok, followed soon at other quality brown coal deposits in the area. By the end of the 19th century, the railway was completed, large-scale mining began, and the Dorog thermal power plant was built, while population grew. After WWII, nationalized Dorog mines accounted for 13-14% of the country's coal production, with many new shafts opening; the peak was in the 1960s. Most excavations losing profitability closed in 1992, leaving only one mine on Lencse hill until October 2003.

Finally, we reach the train station, where the stamp is found on the wall of the pedestrian underpass entrance.