On the stream bank, hunter’s trail

Itinerary:

• We start the hike on the path marked with Z+ opposite the entrance of the botanical garden.
• Turn left onto the Z mark and follow the Spartacus trail all the way up to the center of Pilisszentlászló.
• Turn into Honvéd Street and walk 100 meters along the K marks.
• Turn left onto the P mark, and following the Apát-kúti stream, descend back to the Botanical Garden.

Detailed description of the hike

Scout and gladiator

We start from the bridge forming the entrance of the Bertényi Miklós Botanical Garden on the Z+ mark into the side of Mátyás Hill. After 200 meters, our path joins the Z mark, on which we turn left to follow the Spartacus trail’s route.

The "single-man" path was originally made in the 1930s as a stalking trail used for hunts. It typically maintains elevation and meanders in several branches along the sides of the mountains between the Lepence and the Apát-kúti stream. After its creation, it was a long-closed route for tourists for many decades.

Its name probably originates from the 1960s, when the Spartacus Hiking Association’s walkers wished to register it as a marked hiking route. Although they did not succeed back then, the route has been associated with the name of the gladiator who instigated a slave revolt, an example figure of the era. Official reclassification had to wait until 2015; the historic route is now one of the youngest hiking paths of the Visegrád Mountains. Two branches still serve hunting purposes, but the marked 5-kilometer section has become very popular within a few years. Its special features are the bold but with no significant elevation differences path, the attached splendid viewpoints, the geological points of interest, and the beautiful forests of the area.

On the way to the Jenő hut

Starting on the former single-man-wide scout path, initially through dense young growth, occasionally alongside old heritage trees, we hike. On this section, we pass over Telgárthy Meadow and its surroundings, which attract significant crowds on weekends; for a while, we can still hear the noise of the hikers from the valley. But as we ascend and distance ourselves from the bottom of the Apát-kúti valley, the natural sounds of the forest gradually take over.

We cross a bridge over a water erosion, then shortly after join a forestry road within a few dozen steps, to then continue again on the winding trail along the side of Nagy-Bükk. The edge of our path has been reinforced in several places with logs against water erosion. The construction was original, since clearing and maintaining as passable as possible is an important aspect for such stalking paths so that game can be approached silently.

We cross an open grassy patch, then arrive at a large crossroads under Lower Pap Hill by walking on a wider road again. Under magnificent beech trees, a fairytale log house, the Jenő hut, welcomes us. The building was originally constructed as a hunting lodge when the trail was established; according to folklore, its name comes from Miklós Horthy’s brother. The passionate hunter and sportsman Jenő Horthy hunted with the era’s best writers, including Zsigmond Széchenyi and Kálmán Kittenberger. The hut served forest walkers for decades, constantly open as a heated forest shelter, but its condition visibly deteriorated. It was renovated in the early 2020s and has since been a year-round rest stop, designed for daytime use and barbecuing (with corresponding equipment). The key can be obtained in advance from the forestry office.

The hut is now permanently open for tourists and forest walkers. Inside, bivouacking is possible, and it also provides good shelter from rain; we can rest on benches next to the house. If we take an approximately 400-meter westward, unmarked path as a detour, a memorial post offers a panorama of the Lepence valley and its surroundings.

Viewpoints and rock formations

Continuing on the Z marks, the most scenic and dramatic section of the Spartacus trail follows, bypassing Old Pap Hill. We swap the wide road back for a narrow trail, marching through beautiful beech woods on the steep mountainside.

We cross a deeply cut water erosion at a valley head covered with stone scree, then slalom with sharp turns on a descending ridge. Soon the landscape opens, and we reach Spartacus viewpoint on a rocky edged, exposed section. Below us deepens the gorge of Lepence stream; opposite is Ágas Hill, densely forested. From a small grassy clearing edged invitingly for sitting and admiring, we can also glimpse the western part of the Danube Bend with St. Michael’s Hill on the far bank, and behind it the ridges of the Southwest Börzsöny.

Due to soil erosion, we can closely study andesite breccia formed from ancient volcanic eruptions. The material of varying size rock blocks and fragments exploded from the vent and solidified as cemented masses. Passing beside fragmented moss-covered rock piles, we return to the shade of trees and arrive under a sizable rock tower. This erosion-formed formation is also breccia built of different-sized rock components.

We continue descending via stone-carved steps towards the largest bend of Spartacus. We step over stones in the swiftly deepening water erosion called Deer Hole, then walk at the foot of a cliff. Deer Ridge reveals another viewpoint: from here, a broader perspective includes the Börzsöny and the Danube Bend, and the crest of Keserűs Hill, supporting Prédikálószék, also rises from the forest landscape of Visegrád Mountains. Our route finally mellows, joining a wide cart track that marks the end of the Spartacus trail. Turning left, we continue on a stony root-woven path, climbing along a dry valley.

Pilisszentlászló

Exiting the forest, the climb ends, and we stroll along fences of houses and farms belonging to Pilisszentlászló’s outskirts. The landscape opens as we enter the village meadows and orchards. Facing us is St. László Hill, while looking back we can see the previously bypassed Old Pap Hill block.

Shortly, the houses of Pilisszentlászló appear, then after its soccer field’s stretch, we reach the asphalt of Béke Street and walk into the center. In this 18th-century mountain village settled by Slovaks, a mixed and liquor store also operates, providing an excellent opportunity for a refreshing rest. The pub office named after the legendary Upper Hungarian outlaw Jánosik lies just on our way. We pass through the small main square by the chapel with a tower and the statue of King St. László, then cross the bridge over the Apát-kúti stream. Turning left onto Honvéd Street, we follow the K marks for 100 meters, then at the next intersection turn left again onto the P mark, which will direct us to the end of our hike. We leave the settlement among neat houses and tidy homesteads.

Descent in Apát-kúti valley

In a young oak and hornbeam forest, we gently descend towards the ditch of Apát-kúti valley. The stream’s source is in the territory of Pilisszentlászló and joins the Danube at Visegrád. The nearly 10 km long and approximately 250 meter drop canyon’s upper section is called St. László valley, while the lower part in Visegrád is known as Malomkerti valley.

Shortly, we pass a group of buildings protected by long adobe walls: we are at the border of Hoboji Zen Temple. The community chose the very quiet and peaceful valley for building the first Zen sanctuary in Eastern Europe. Soon, we bypass a metal barrier blocking the road, then leave the hillside and start descending to the bottom of St. László valley along the babbling stream. Crossing a wooden bridge over the stream, we reach benches. Our path continues slightly up the valley side dotted with mossy andesite rocks. We follow the ditch's curve; for longer stretches, we walk on the top of high, steep banks. Below us, the stream bed has an idyllic resting place inviting to sit down. The path narrows to a trail because it can no longer fit wider than a single-person track; we descend again next to the stream. For a while, there is no bridge in the gorge; we step on stones and wooden branches to cross the fords. In the next section, we cross the river several times to and fro; between crossings, we walk in the rocky sides a bit above the stream. In the mid-section, the valley is wilder; the walk through the shadowy, mysterious forest part close to original natural condition is a real adventure hike.

Back to the botanical garden

After the confluence of a side branch, we switch to the right side of the stream, and the trail, somewhat elevated, turns into a cart road width. After the large rock block of the hillside, we reach the Alpár spring pool; opposite are the remains of the loading area of a former narrow-gauge railway. The stream cuts deep; we can nicely study the superimposed volcanic debris and layers, while two wooden bridges also help cross eroded road sections. We bypass a barrier before arriving at the well-developed resting place of Kaán spring. The name of the spring, with its long retaining wall and drip led by a trough to the road, comes from Károly Kaán, a forestry engineer who was one of the creators of the first domestic nature protection law in 1935.

We reach the paved road leading to Visegrád on a wide gravel road. We complete the remaining one and a half kilometers on an asphalt strip laid on the old narrow-gauge railway track built in the 1920s. We pass the abandoned Ördögbánya, once a quarry for andesite, then before the Stefánia bridge over the stream, allowing a peek into another mining yard. After a few minutes’ walk, the white, two-storied building of the Apát-kúti hunting lodge appears; closer, we can also see a trout pond. At the next bend, we reach the edge of Telgárthy meadow, a clearing equipped with rain shelters, fire pits, and benches attracting many hikers and picnickers on weekends. We cross the Apát-kúti stream on a concrete bridge for the last time and return to the entrance of the Bertényi Botanical Garden. If time and mood allow, it is worth visiting the arboretum.