The essence of the Visegrád Mountains

Itinerary

• From Dobogókő, start along the K↺ trail until you reach a forest junction after the end of the asphalt road!
• From the junction, descend along the P▲ trail to the Kiraly-kúti hut.
• From there, continue following the P▲ trail to the Prédikálószék.
• From Prédikálószék, take the P▲ trail down to the Szőke-forrás valley.
• In Szőke-forrás valley, follow the asphalt road to the left or the parallel winding Z trail under the trees.
• Turn right onto the Z trail and continue along the Rám gorge.
• After the Rám gorge, return to Dobogókő on the S trail.

Detailed description of the tour

From Dobogókő to the Király stream

At Dobogókő, the first steps lead to the observation terrace: a unique view of the forested hills surrounding the Danube Bend, and the system of radially descending valleys and ridges of the Visegrád Mountains. The view opens from a natural rock terrace formed from volcanic debris fused by heat, which has been exposed due to its hard, resistant nature.

After admiring the panorama often visited by large crowds, head east along the K↺ trail! Soon you reach the ski slope meadow, offering a narrow view of the next section, the ridge of Prédikálószék. After passing the TV transmitter building behind us, we enter the forest. On a bumpy path we descend through the visibly damaged forest from the late 2014 ice storm. The trail underfoot (P▲) sometimes turns into a bulldozer road; we descend gently, except for a steep last slope before Király valley. We step onto the asphalt and turn right, soon arriving beside the Király-kúti hut. In front of the neat building, an information board and benches await the tired hiker. The path turns left here, continuing down to the stream. We pass by the seasonal spring of Király-kút, where the path approaches the stream via a steep serpentine. The experience is ravine-like; climbing the opposite bank is tricky, requiring hands and feet on the slippery, wall-like path section.

From Király stream to Prédikálószék

Shortly we reach asphalt. We walk a few meters to the right, then the P▲ trail on the left pierces through the trees. A long and exhausting climb begins. In the beautiful oak forest, we occasionally push through dense thicket until after about half an hour we reach the ridge. Here we turn left onto the bulldozer road, staying on our trail. On the right, we catch glimpses of the Danube Bend and the Szent Mihály hill massif. We continue on a moderate climb until we reach a forestry road junction. We continue straight here (towards the left branch), but at the second opportunity we take the bulldozer road and turn right off the trail! At the end of this short detour, an unforgettable panorama greets us: from the terrace of the Hubertus gamekeeper’s house concrete block, the Danube's mirror immediately appears. Walking to the railing, we essentially stand above the Danube Bend, with views of Börzsöny behind Szent Mihály hill, the Visegrád castle, and the settlements along the river.

Returning to the trail, only two smaller climbs remain; the appearance of giant beeches hints at nearing the summit. The 639-meter-high Prédikálószék is the highest point of the Danube Bend’s immediate surroundings, offering the most complete panorama. From the timbered lookout, we can watch the Danube Bend head-on, the rocky, deeply cut face of Szent Mihály hill (far below), and to the right the Visegrád Mountains. The valley system dominated by a radial water network derived from volcanic structure is well visible: long rows of ridges run behind each other, with deep steep valleys all flowing towards the Danube. In the background, the Börzsöny range rises above 900 meters to Csóványos, and to the right, the mined limestone block of Naszály is also recognizable.

On the ridge of Vadálló-kövek

Continuing, we enter a beautifully beech forest. We don’t enjoy the natural-looking forest view for long, but instead the experience soon becomes even more astonishing: we emerge beside the hair-raisingly steep rock ridge of Vadálló-kövek. From this volcanic formation, huge debris avalanches once tumbled into the depths, where they fused into resistant rock at the base and valleys of the then mountain range and were later buried. Erosion later wore down the volcanic structure, exposing the hard andesite blocks from the softer environment. Today the rocky ridge stands guard at a dizzying height above the Szőke-forrás valley. The gravelly-stony, steep, slippery path requires attention—take care of your steps! Serious injuries can happen if not careful or without proper equipment.

The difficulty isn’t only due to terrain: this is probably the country’s wildest path section, with fantastic panoramas surrounding us while we pass huge named rock giants, filling our view with forested Visegrád hills and distant Börzsöny.

Reentering the forest, we proceed on a steep, unpleasantly knobby trail. Sometimes a climbing chain would be justified here, especially after rain. Without it, we endure knee-straining descents until the narrow middle ridge between two stream valleys. Descending to the end, we arrive at the Holy Cross chapel, beside which a stable spring and pleasant rest area await.

In the rocky gorge of Rám-szakadék

Crossing the bridge, we turn left and follow the Z signs on the concrete road. We cover roughly a quarter of an hour on this calm stretch, then must turn right at signs and rest areas. Crossing the stream begins the conquest of one of the country’s unique natural wonders, the Rám gorge. Although everywhere it’s described as a difficult and dangerous route, actually it just requires slightly more caution and appropriate footwear than usual. In the narrowing gorge, we soon reach the stream bank, where handrails assist progress and ladders overcome the largest waterfalls. We really walk in a fairy-tale world: dark, sometimes moss-covered rock walls show volcanic explosion scatterings. Water has carved and sawed the narrow passage in dacite tuff, continuing its work today. The swirling stream created small rapids and pools in places. The experience is both monumental and adventurous, especially if visited after rainy seasons or snowmelt, when the water rushes thunderously through the narrow gorge.

Return to Dobogókő

Leaving the gorge, we arrive by stairs at our next rest area. From here, we climb steeply back to Dobogókő on the S trail. (Here it’s worth taking a short detour to the Rám-rock: turning left, we reach the Z◼ trail up to the Z▲ junction. Although we stand directly above our surroundings on the cliff, higher mountain regions around us rise significantly. Because of this contrast and lack of settlements, we can feel isolated in a vast mountain area. We can see the already visited Vadálló-kövek ridge on the side of Prédikálószék, and on the right spot Dobogókő’s rock lookout among the trees.)

The tour ends with a long, steep, exhausting climb. After nearly 2 km, we reach the junction of the P trail, arriving at Dobogókő’s long mountain ridge, the highest area of the range. The hiking trail visits the Rezső lookout’s railing-secured panorama terrace, offering a similar view to Dobogókő but in much calmer conditions—fewer tourists come here.

Only about 1 kilometer remains to the Dobogókő and Pomáz-bound bus stop in the beautiful, old beech forest at the peak. Gradually more built elements occupy the forest, and besides the general goulash-soup scent, the silhouette of the tourist house also appears. Returning to Dobogókő, we complete the most beautiful circular route in the Visegrád Mountains, closing the country’s wildest hiking trail.