Szent Mihály Hill – maxed out

Itinerary

• From the Nagymaros-Visegrád railway station, we follow the K signs to the Hegyes-tető, then descend back to the Szent Mihály saddle.
• From the Szent Mihály saddle to the Rigo Hill saddle, the S signs lead the way.
• From the Rigo Hill saddle, we make a detour on the S⩍ sign to the Gánti rest area.
• We continue our route back on the S sign until the SΩ junction.
• From the junction we follow the SΩ signs to the Remete Cave.
• From the Remete Cave, the KΩ signs lead up to the side of Szent Mihály Hill.
• On the side of Szent Mihály Hill, we turn left onto the S+ sign and follow it to the Zebegény Kút Valley.
• In the Kút Valley, we turn right onto the S● path and follow it to the S sign on the ridge of Remetekereszt-bérc.
• We follow the S sign to the trail junction before Világos Square.
• From Világos Square, we turn left onto the K sign.
• From the K sign, we make a short detour to the Büdös Lake on the ZT sign.
• Returning to the junction, we follow the K signs to the Köves-mező.
• From the Köves-mező, the Z▲ leads to the Gubacsi ridge, then on to a parking lot.
• From the parking lot, we follow the P signs back to the Nagymaros-Visegrád railway station.

Detailed description of the hike

In a forest of windows

We start the hike from the K signs at the Nagymaros-Visegrád railway station. We cross Szent Imre Prince Square, next to the Nagymaros parish church. It's worth exploring: the building was constructed at the end of the 13th century and expanded several times in subsequent centuries, allowing us to examine layers built on top of each other in the walls. On the church's south side, for example, we can see seven window frames preserved from different periods, and on the north wall in the shade of the chestnut trees, several bricked-up openings can be found – one of these was an entrance that broke through an earlier window. Moreover, a stone from the Roman era was incorporated into this wall, now visible on the ground level in the center. The bell tower is also noteworthy; originally it was one story higher but was reduced during an 18th-century renovation, with the lower parts of its original windows now covered by the clock plates of the tower. Naturally, we can also look inside the church.

The K sign winds through narrow streets paved with basalt blocks until reaching the wider Diófa Street – on the left is a ditch channeling water from the Church Valley, and on the right are rows of family houses. We ascend gently but continuously through the street stretching between hillsides. The cobblestone changes to asphalt, then to concrete slabs, and soon turns into a dirt road. The valley narrows, and on the right side, hollow spaces and cellars have been carved into the towering cliffs in several places. At one of the edge houses in Nagymaros, a two-story rose arbor attracts attention, then we leave the settlement and at the sign marking the start of the national park, a left turn directs us into the Church Valley.

Up to the saddle

On our left, a deep ditch caused by occasional water erosion accompanies our path, with landslide traces above it in several places: after rainy periods, the soaked soil without vegetation loosens easily and gravity causes chunks of it to slide down onto the steep valley floor. As we climb, beech trees appear in the cooler microclimate forest patch and soon take over from other tree species. The slope softens, the forest spreads, we cross the erosion ditch and climb to the Swabian Pass, leaving the Church Valley behind. From the saddle, we continue ascending along a ridge running down from Hegyes-tető, then soon leave it and turn left onto a level path through a shallow-soiled, dry hillside oak scrub favored by sessile oaks. A reinforced carved wooden piece informs us that this section of our hike is also called the Balu trail. We cover more than half a kilometer here until reaching the Szent Mihály saddle.

From the saddle, we turn right onto the connecting S sign. Ascending towards Hegyes-tető, we pass a fenced geological research mine and then bypass two hollow dead trees, which serve as habitats for many fungi and insect species. We reach the Ürmös Meadow on a comfortably descending wide cart road; on the left stands the red and white steel frame of the transmitter tower erected in the 1970s. We cross the grassland and soon arrive at Hegyes-tető, at the Julianus barát lookout tower.

The bastion-like tower offers one of the most complete panoramas of the Danube Bend. The river almost encircles Szent Mihály Hill on three sides; beyond it lies Visegrád, the Prédikáló Rock towering above Dömös, and the Slovak part of the Little Hungarian Plain. The area was an experimental site for nature walkers between the two world wars: the Hungarian Tourist Association rented the forests from the crown estate and tasked the Encián Tourists movement with maintenance. They built resting places named after famous Hungarian travelers (only a few remain, e.g., the Déchy Mór rest), including a lookout named after a monk who searched for Hungarians along the Volga.

Panoramic path above the Danube

We return to the Szent Mihály saddle and then start ascending Szent Mihály Hill on the straight S route. Soon we reach the 484 m high moss-covered rocky summit without a view. Passing over it, we immediately descend steeply, passing the Miklós Lili rest – the recently renovated bench was erected by the Encián Tourists in memory of their member who died in 1939. It is unpleasant to move on the fragmented, rocky mountainside and sharp edges of protruding rocks, but soon we can rest in the southern saddle of Szent Mihály Hill. An unmarked path opposite leads to a clearing on the slope with a view to the west.

We leave the saddle to the left on the S sign. The winding descending path is named Kittenberger Kálmán Road on the maps. The famous Africa-explorer naturalist spent the last phase of his life here in Nagymaros until his death in 1958. We pass a nature trail board and then take a detour to the Gánti rest on the S⩍ sign branching right. At the panoramic lookout, there is a memorial plaque to Dr. Tibor Gánti, a chemical engineer and naturalist who, like Kittenberger, lived and died in Nagymaros in 2009. From the bare meadow, we see the Danube and the surroundings of Prédikáló Rock.

From the rest area, we return on the S⩍ sign to the S sign and follow it (the already known route) to the SΩ sign junction. Here we turn left and follow a very narrow transverse path along the hillside for 2 kilometers. The forest around us is in a natural state, so many fallen trees lie on the ground. Most have been cleared from the path, but in one or two places, forced detours challenging to the ankle ligaments must be made on the loose, steep slope. Our path crosses a stone field: these former lava flows solidified over time but mostly fragmented during the ice age. We cross the ridge of Ördög Hill and soon reach the 300 m high peak itself, offering a magnificent view of the Danube Bend. It is interesting to observe how the forest changes when transitioning from the east to the south side of the hill.

Times gone by

The transverse path soon reaches a flattened, sparsely wooded grassy ridge; we take a few steps there, then turn sharply right and descend. Opposite looms the huge cliff wall of the quarry above Remete Valley. Don't be misled by the color: like most of Börzsöny, Szent Mihály Hill is built of andesite, and quarrying took place here too. (The rock mass is part of the former volcano of the Visegrád Hills, separated only by the Danube.) The path leads back under the interlocking crowns, then the quarry fence turns left so that we pass the heavily graffitied concrete remnants of the former cableway arch brake house connecting the mine with the Danube. From here, it is only a few hundred meters to the splendid terrace of the Remete Cave.

Standing on the natural terrace about 100 meters above the Danube but only a few tens of meters away in a straight line, the river seemingly bends below us. The opposite Visegrád Hills appear huge due to their proximity and steep slopes, especially one of its highest massifs, the Prédikáló Rock. In the background of Dömös, the valley of the Malom Creek deepens, behind which rises the ridge of Dobogó-kő.

The rock cavities of Remete Cave were formed by the Danube that "sawed off" Szent Mihály Hill from the Visegrád Hills. The river carved increasingly deeper into the Visegrád Gorge as the Little Hungarian Plain subsided. The caves suitable for human settlement were repeatedly used and expanded throughout history, acquiring their current form. We can see traces of anthropogenic intervention at the end of the lookout terrace in the form of a low stone wall – remains of a Roman watchtower – and inside the main cave, a niche carved as a sanctuary.

In the western hemisphere

From the cave, we continue on the steep KΩ climb. The initially rocky trail turns into a level path, widening into a trail, then soon another ascent begins – on the way stands a bifurcated tree with a rock wedged in its fork. We reach the S+ ridge path coming from Szent Mihály Hill, turn left, and after a few steps reach the Dobozi ridge, where we can enjoy another panorama. The views on the hill's west side are quite similar: the block carved by the Danube, shaped by landslides, practically falls off towards the river, so the natural terraces offer views very close to the waterline but much higher. The plain of Pilismarót and the Visegrád Hills, descending to the west, are defining elements of the landscape.

The S+ sign soon descends into a valley and becomes a waving path. We pass two benches, then spot a small clearing on the left – the last and westernmost lookout on the rim of Szent Mihály Hill, the Naphegy rest with rain shelter, fireplace, information board, and a beautiful view of the Danube. The density of panorama points in the area is small, but this one offers richer development and a broader view: from here, we can look into the "mouth" of the Danube Bend.

The S+ sign reaches a cart road cutting deeply into the adjacent yellow loess wall. The volcanic rock-based Börzsöny mountain feet were covered in the Pleistocene geological period during the drier phases of the "Ice Age" by wind-transported fine-grained loess soil. Our path turns towards the railway tracks at the first houses of Zebegény. We leave a larger pine forest and pass a hollow loess wall which, under undisturbed conditions, could house bee-eaters. After a right turn, we cross the intermittent flow of Ernő Creek and reach a junction at the memorial cross erected for Ferenc Bényi Sr., the former hunting companion of Kálmán Kittenberger: the S+ sign leads straight into Zebegény center; we turn right onto the S● sign into Kút Valley. After 700 meters, the path takes a sharp left turn, reaching Ernő spring, where water can be collected, along with rest benches and a fireplace.

Crossing the tongue

After leaving the spring, the S● sign serpentine ascends. One or two fallen trees hinder progress, but we soon reach the valley rim, where a trail junction and educational board greet us – to the right, from a rocky grassy clearing, there is a stunning view of the Danube's meander forcing the river to bend at the central part of the "land tongue." The S● sign leaves the S↺ sign of the Zebegény nature trail and climbs further towards the ridge of Remetekereszt-bérc. At a huge tree, the slope softens, and we reach the S sign cart road, turning right. A less distinctive section follows: we climb the Remetekereszt-bérc and then descend to turn left at the K sign near Világos Square. When crossing power lines for the second time, a few steps along the faded ZT signs of the Törökmező nature trail lead to Büdös Lake, where an educational board informs about the importance of rare surface waters in the mountain range.

The K sign descends comfortably, then cuts through a pine forest patch and leads to Köves-mező. There is a nice view towards Visegrád, and several resting benches indicate this is a popular excursion spot for locals. The K sign continues along a long, sparsely wooded meadow – whose artificially shaped form follows the former cattle drive road – running parallel to a paved road, then soon again enters the forest on the branching Z▲ path. Turning left at a junction along the sign, we arrive at the side ridge of Gubacsi ridge. Descending from here, we reach a clearing on the steep edge of the hilltop, crowning our hike with a beautiful wide panorama.

The Z▲ sign leads to a parking lot, where we turn right onto the P sign. Along our path, the number of wooden cabins, alpine-roofed holiday homes, and villas increases – we are approaching Nagymaros. Our path bends below the eastern hillside, where traffic noise penetrates. For a moment, the Visegrád Castle appears again, then through the settlement edges and interlocking streets, we reach Rákóczi Ferenc Street. We cover about 2 kilometers here until arriving back at the Nagymaros-Visegrád railway station.