The quiet side of the Visegrád Mountains

Itinerary

• From Pilismarót, we climb the Szakó-hegy along the Z trail to the Szakó-nyereg.
• Keeping a straight direction, we take a detour on the P trail to the Tost Rocks, then return to the junction.
• We turn left on the Z+ trail, which we follow to the Burnt Linden.
• We turn right onto the P trail, which leads through the Hirsch Ridge down to the valley.
• We switch to the right branching P● signs before the Aranka Spring and follow this to the Miklós Deák valley lakes.
• From the lakes, the P trail leads back to Pilismarót.

Detailed description of the hike

Ad Herculem

The Z trail starts our journey, with our back to the Danube and facing the mountains. To the left rises the small hill surrounded by the settlement, on which the Romans built a fortress. Ad Herculem – according to a nearby milestone, it was named so because a thermal spring was discovered in the area, probably healing (“giving strength,” hence the name Hercules). There is no trace of it today (although there is one in nearby Esztergom), but Pilismarót became an important site among those searching for the "city of Attila" in the mountain range. Kézai Simon's chronicle says that "Ősbuda" (which corresponds geographically to Óbuda) was built on the Roman city of Herculia, supplemented by Anonymus's chronicle stating it was near a thermal spring. In any case, Pilismarót's name preserves the memory of the Moravians who settled here during the Migration Period.

Between the devil’s spokes

We walk out of the houses and at the edge of the village turn left, leaving another branch of our circular route as we enter the mouth of Malom Valley. The valley is long paved with asphalt, where in the early 20th century a narrow-gauge train transported wood. At daylight, the rails stretched up to the end of Disznós-ditch, enabling trains to carry wood from the Dobogókő plateau and its surroundings down to the Danube bank (from where it continued by boat towards the capital). Along a tributary ditch, the Z trail calls to the left, starting a steep climb. Crossing a stone field, through young and then middle-aged forest, we inch along a thin mountain ridge path on the side of the Devil’s Spoke. The mosaic forest, mostly hornbeam-oak woodland, covers the ridge further on the Hosszú Hill as well. The path's little use is evident, so keep an eye on the signs.

We cross a forestry exploration road (a clear-cut opens a view to the left), and on the other side, on an extremely steep path, we attack the small, characteristic pyramid of Szakó Hill. Among the old trees, some beeches indicate the cool breath of the mountain’s central, prominent area, while andesite blocks on the ground are volcanic in origin. Once we’ve climbed the summit, it’s worth looking out from the sharply dropping eastern edge, because thanks to a clear-cut patch, we can see the mountain range’s center. The landscape is dominated by the jagged side of Keserűs Hill, balancing on its shoulder are the Vadálló Rocks, ending with the pointed Predikálószék. A vast, vividly waving forest landscape unfolds before us, and although the Danube barely shows, the rugged back of Naszály is clearly visible. (Apparently, on Szakó Hill stood the Szákvár fort as part of an Árpád-era defense line; little is known about it, and the forest has devoured its ruins.)

Rocks and shelters

From the peaceful, little-known mountain we swiftly descend to Szakó-nyereg, where we temporarily switch signs: following the P icons we head to one of our route’s enduring points. A few meters from the junction, a modest, harsh rock group splits the slope: the crest of the Tost Rocks. The slanting block forces the tourist path to turn back like a gloomy sentry, breaking with stairs and a rugged trail to the ridge. From above, in the absence of foliage, there is partial view over Malom Valley (strongly limited in summer), but it is not worth walking on the dangerous rock edge. The small switchback and resting spot were built in the 1910s as an early work of the Hungarian Tourist Association, when the unchanged red trail, Téry path, was transformed into a promenade. At the base of the rock is the Ilona resting place (named after Rezső Tirts’s royal forest counselor’s wife, important in the area’s tourism exploration), its bench framed by a railing, behind which rises the relief of Saint Bernát embedded in the wall’s rough surface. The relief depicting the patron saint of climbers and wanderers is the only Saint Bernát relief in the country. Its placement and origin are uncertain, but the most likely claim by the Tourist Journal is that it was made in 1942 during the renovation of the Téry path by the local branch of the Hungarian Tourist Association, the Dobogókő Family. At that time, it was considered the most beautiful spot offering a view on the tourist path.

We trudge back to the saddle, where this time we turn left on the Z+ trail. It winds under large beeches and mixed woodland, descending among small mounds. We bypass the spring named after forest master Sándor Hoffmann, framed by a natural stone wall, occupied in the 1870s. Further down stands a large hunting lodge among several other buildings. The original Hoffmann cabin was a small, neat log building for housing forest workers. However, its role soon changed: in summer 1890, it was handed over to the Hungarian Tourist Association to serve nature visitors. Later, a stable and forestry lodge were built beside it, and with the small railway (1920s) and the road construction (1960s), large-scale logging began, dimming the tourism function for decades. Worker accommodation and loading operated at the site. The dilapidated buildings were rebuilt according to Imre Makovecz’s plans in the ’80s, making the Hoffman cabin accessible by car. At the beginning of the 21st century, the complex was renovated again, with one building now operating as a hunting lodge.

Secluded views

Following the trail, we cross the stony-bed Malom Creek, and on the far side, we climb amid broken stands. Deep ravines have cut into the loess on the valley’s western side, often dry – the trail skirts these unpleasantly steep sections. At the end of a short ascent, we turn right at the Burnt Linden junction and follow the P signs. The last climb of our hike is a sweaty challenge: a steep, slippery, sun-exposed path up Felső-Ecset Hill. As a consolation, we can look out over Pilisszentlélek Valley, bordered by the wooded Black Hill block. Opposite, the razor-thin limestone ridge of Fekete-kő rises from the almost vertical wall of Pilis-tető.

Most of the Pilis panoramas are hidden by forest, and the trail turns right on the ridge side. Thanks to a clear-cut, we can look deep into the valley of Somos-ditch, which usually contains a small waterfall. Ahead, the forest closes in again, and we follow a path breaking through dense shrubs, ascending slightly. Behind a small rain shelter made of wood, at arm’s length, is the Hirsch Ridge cliff furnished with bench and table. An obelisk decorates the rock, built in memory of Hungary’s millennium and “in honor of forestry counselor István Hirsch.” The exposed breccia rock offers a large but little-known panorama: below extends the wide, forest-lined Malom Valley, leading the gaze right to Dobogókő ridge. There, it empties into the Disznós-ditch depression, while the Danube’s ribbon glistens in the opposite direction. Facing us are Szakó Hill and Hosszú Hill, our earlier destinations, with the slant roofline of Saint Michael Hill visible as well.

Down to the realm of waters

The panorama is worth the effort, but the hardest part is yet to come: the path descends from the mountain, forcing a slippery, rainy-weather barely navigable, ankle-twisting slope. The strenuous descent requiring caution is balanced by the atmosphere of the vibrant, dense forest. Down already on a dozer road near the Somos-ditch stream, we turn north to start the concluding valley march of our hike. The tourist trail winds in old and middle-aged softwood forest with scenic surroundings, passing behind pines bordering Hamvas-kő meadow. It’s worth peeking to the meadow: above it stretches a pleasantly located, gently undulating grassland in the slope’s embrace.

We turn right on the P● trail, continuing on a pleasant, beautiful path alongside the multifurcated creek. We touch the tiny Aranka Spring, claimed in the late 19th century and named after the forester’s wife. Walking in a closed forest following the mountain’s base, we are accompanied by an asphalt road, separated only by the lazily meandering creek. We visit the downhill edge of Szénégető Meadow, which a few old Oregon false cypresses planted long ago magically adorn with a distinctive atmosphere. Finally, we cross the watercourse and arrive again at the P trail reaching the Miklós Deák valley lakes string.

Lake idyll with cedars

The uniquely atmospheric, relatively little visited chain of 3 lakes is enriched with well-developed forest resting areas, and the picturesque environment extends far beyond the lake shores, stretching long down the valley bottom.

The streams flowing through the elongated valleys can cause serious flash floods if their watershed (the mountain range’s higher areas) receives heavy, sudden rainfall. The sediment accumulated over kilometers can cause huge damage in the lower villages, so these dammed lakes also have a protective role alongside their ecological and touristic functions. The first dam was built in the Millennium year at the end of the 19th century, and the first reservoir also supplied the irrigation system of a nearby nursery (seedlings planted to replace cut forests). Much later, in the second half of the 20th century, the next two lakes were built for fishing (with a fisher's hut on the shore). Their current form was gained after a renovation following destruction by a violent flood wave, and the bypass channel created for aquatic animals is a curiosity in the country.

As we descend further, the valley idyll lasts for a while longer: a narrow car road is bordered on one side by forest and on the other by old spruces and long meadow. The park was named after Gyula Wlassich, former minister of religion and public education, who frequently visited Pilismarót hunts and related festivities. The obelisk standing in the shade of trees, generally decorated with a wreath, is similar to the “brother” on Hirsch Ridge, also erected on the Millennium. Our hike nears its end: a two-kilometer walk along the valley’s promenade route brings us back to Pilismarót center.