The classic Spartacus loop (with extras)

Itinerary

• From Pilisszentlászló we follow the Z trail along the Spartacus Trail all the way to the Jenő hut.
• Behind the Jenő hut we take an unmarked forest path, then a trail to make a detour to the Alsó-Pap-hegy lookout point. From there we return to the hut.
• From the hut, we descend into the Apát-kúti valley following the Z● trail.
• In the Szent László (lower section Apát-kúti) valley we follow the P trail upwards, which leads to the center of Pilisszentlászló.

Detailed description of the route

Balancing above the Lepence valley

In the center of Pilisszentlászló there is a shop and a restaurant, and it is rare on weekends not to see hikers passing through in either direction. We start our journey on the Z trail heading northwest and soon walk past the strikingly appearing Jánosíkova Krčma. It got its name from the village’s significant Slovak population, who arrived in the 18th century to the village that was destroyed during the Turkish era, mainly engaged in forestry. Previously there was a monastery of the Pauline monks nearby—this also gave the name to Apát-kúti stream.

Leaving the village from the football field, the entire basin opens up, then entering the forest we soon leave the worn dirt road. Instead, we turn right onto another grader road that bypasses the edge houses leading into the forming valley. Here we descend on a deep root-tangled path in old beech forest to a sign which directs attention that the Spartacus Trail starts to the right. Despite the warnings on the sign, there is nothing to worry about on the route, although crossing 1-2 exposed open sections may be uncomfortable for those afraid of heights.

At first, we cut through a dense young forest tightening around the trail, beyond which the path continues in a “proper” forest. We cross to the other side of a narrow ridge, beginning the section of the Spartacus hunting trail that runs mostly level, crossing the very steep side of Öreg-Pap-hegy. The path was created in the 1930s for hunting purposes and splits into several branches in the northern part. Its name likely originates from the 1960s when the Spartacus Hiking Association wanted to have the marked trail officially recognized. That didn't succeed at the time, and the hiking public has only been able to access it since 2015.

The narrow trail soon reaches the break of Szarvas-bérc, where the forest opens and we can see the surprisingly sharp contours of Ágas-hegy opposite and the hills rising above the Danube. Below, the strictly protected, long undisturbed forested Lepence valley meanders. From here we cross increasingly steep slopes, with the bedrock of the mountains breaking through the soil in places, then shortly turn into the dark, closed ravine of Szarvas-lyuk. After crossing the dry creek bed, we cross a landslide area where a short staircase carved into soil and rock eases progress.

A glance at the Danube Bend

We walk past a large andesite breccia tower composed of small and large stone mosaics—blocks of varying size fell during volcanic eruptions and fused with hot ash. The hard rock formation has since resisted erosion better than its environment and slowly protruded. After another bend comes the most beautiful section of the Spartacus Trail: the trail cutting across the bare rock face of the hillside opens spectacular views of the mountains surrounding the Danube Bend, the Szent Mihály hill rising beyond the river’s ribbon, the forested block of Ágas-hegy, and the ridge of Keserűs-hegy stretching above the far end of Lepence valley. The panorama is given a special atmosphere by the intact forest cover and the complete absence of settlements, making the mountain range seem larger and more serious than its actual size. Part of the view is the Spartacus’s iconic living symbol, a frequently photographed tree growing at right angles from a cliff crack.

The trail here is indeed exposed and becomes slippery, so paying attention to steps is necessary. Winding through descending ridges and stony water erosion channels, the trail’s popular long section ends in an old windblown beech forest. At a saddle point, where forest roads meet, there is a resting place and a covered terrace wooden building: the latter is the Jenő hut, which has operated as a four-season resting place since its renovation. It can be rented from the forestry only for daytime stays and barbecuing. In front of it, for decades it served as a heated, freely usable forest shelter for hikers, although recently it was in quite dilapidated condition. It was originally built as a hunting lodge when the trail was created, and according to legend, it was named after Miklós Horthy’s brother, the then governor. The passionate hunter and sportsman Jenő Horthy also hunted with the period’s best-known experts, including Zsigmond Széchenyi and Kálmán Kittenberger.

Behind the hut, next to the toilet, an unmarked forest path begins. It is worth following it straight until about 300 meters later when a clearly visible trail branches off to the left. This leads in one minute's walk to the bare rock break of Alsó-Pap-hegy, from which there is a splendid view over the forested Lepence valley area and the Danube-bending ridges around Prédikálószék, as well as the formerly traversed side of Öreg-Pap-hegy. The panorama is one of the best in the mountain range, where the gentle Carpathian character of the Northern Medium Mountains is also fully expressed. At the summit, there is a stone fire pit and a memorial post commemorating a forester.

Through the valley wilderness

At the junction opposite the hut, we turn right onto the Z● trail and briefly walk on an abandoned forest road with glimpses of the nearby Fellegvár in Visegrád through leaf gaps. Shortly after, we leave the road to the left for a path leading to the Spartacus valley branch. The wild, gradually descending path offers no view but winds through lush, natural forest into the Apát-kúti valley. We cross a side stream arriving from below, then ford the wider main branch. (The ford can become impassable after snowmelt or heavy rains.)

Before us lies the valley’s darkest and most spectacular section, where turning right we begin following the P trail. Due to the hard lava rock cordon, the stream has no chance to spread; hence, regardless of water volume, it has only a narrow corridor. The concentrated water’s increased force has sawed out walls over a few meters, from which running plants hang down, and the unsupported rocks rest in the creek bed. As we advance, dark and impressive andesite cliffs guard around the trail, leaving a rock ledge behind, and beyond it springs the Alpár spring. Here ends the wide road, originally the base track of a narrow-gauge railway built from Visegrád in the 1920s: the line was originally planned to reach Pilisszentlászló to transport wood and people from the difficult-to-access village. But at this point the steep, spring-wet slope slipped and washed away the embankment. Fortunately, otherwise, the picturesque, undeveloped narrow valley would not exist in today's form.

The cool, humid valley (initially represented by Öreg-Pap-hegy) is squeezed by the outer edge of the caldera arc and the chunk called the Table of Lords; at their feet the well-watered stream has sawed deeply. Two small wooden bridges assist crossing the wet, slippery sections, after which perhaps the most beautiful valley trail section of the hills around Budapest begins: the path repeatedly crosses the stream winding around sediment, with no car track disturbing the view. Dark beech forest covers the steep slopes, only interrupted higher up by a clear-cut board. Here the flow straightens according to terrain conditions, then where the forest narrows again, it meanders again. A resting place appears below, with a mossy rock sea covering the ground to the right, before we say goodbye to the stream crossing a wooden bridge. After a short forest walk, we return to Pilisszentlászló, following its street to reach the village center.