Wheelchair Hiking in the Apátkúti Valley

Itinerary:

• Go straight on Rév street following the P sign. The name of the road changes to Mátyás király street.
• At a sharp turn, leave the previous road and follow the P tourist sign parallel to the stream.
• In the Apátkúti valley, continue on a solid-surfaced road to the Kaán spring, then return on the same path.

Detailed description of the route:

The wheelchair hiker arriving by bus will gladly notice that after the accessible bus, terrain conditions are still easy to overcome. The industrial atmosphere of the ferry dock with the magnificent Danube and the charming buildings hidden in the foothills of Börzsöny on the opposite bank all set the mood for the hiker. Passing under the main road by an accessible ramp, start the journey on Rév street’s pleasant main street winding among the village houses.

Passing the orderly church and cemetery complex, the constantly ascending, winding main road changes into longer straight sections. On the right side appears the brook-like groove of the Apátkúti stream. The varying quality, often narrow sidewalk – cobblestone first, then increasingly displaying the variety of domestic paving materials – with irregular breaks is more of an obstacle than an aid, so it is advisable to walk on the road as a pedestrian, paying attention to traffic.

After about one and a half kilometers, the dear houses of Visegrád disappear on the right, and beyond the stream increasing numbers of holiday buildings appear. After a longer straight section, the village environment ends, and where the road bends steeply up with a large U-turn into the hillside of Visegrád Castle, we continue straight. The larger parking shaded by trees here is the starting point for those arriving by car.

The road now leads in the Apátkúti valley and remains solid surfaced. The valley of the stream and road gradually narrows, revealing mixed forest on both sides with alder, ash, locust trees, and later beech trees. Together with the rising terrain, travel along a road decorated with smaller and larger bends. We pass along an artificial pond fed by the Apátkúti stream, which has a rest area with benches and tables. In the fishing pond of the Pilis Park Forest Visegrád Forestry, large fish enjoy the cool water – fishing is only allowed with a permit, but daily tickets can be purchased at the Ördögmalom restaurant. The pond is not walkable around, but it is accessible on the left bank without obstacles, a recommended resting spot especially for bus arrivals in the forest-surrounded area.

We continue on the paved road; the stream gently babbles beside us, and the road slope and rich vegetation indicate we are now in a true forest environment. In spring and summer, the blooming trees and bushes’ scent and breathtaking beauty blend with intense bird songs. Be cautious, though, as slight vehicle traffic may occur in both directions!

After some larger bends, we arrive at the Ördögmalom waterfall. The stream here passes through a short section of andesite tufa, arriving steeply through a "slide" into a smaller natural pool. Its name might come from the larger rains, the spring noise when it roars down with big sounds, rolling sediment trapped between rocks.

In the gorge of this beautifully forested environment, the otherwise playful stream flows deep below, cutting through the hard andesite with a series of deep cavities and roaring spots. Although there is no waterfall later on, you can still encounter the stream and its environment’s struggles. The well-built, relatively easily accessible natural environment furnished with benches and tables can be admired, though wheelchair users can only see the stream from above due to terrain conditions.

The humid coolness of the forest accompanies us for a long time; the lively stream now flows or gushes steadily on our left side. The valley suddenly widens; crossing the stream to the left over a wide bridge, the cool forest playground and the Bertényi Miklós Botanical Garden with its long natural meadow, the Telgárthy meadow, invite us. On this gentle slope, there are several easily accessible fire pits, an all-year-open restaurant, and a less accessible but reachable toilet for disabled people with a little assistance. This is a good place for a longer rest.

Continuing on our hike, we leave the artificially created trout ponds used for fish farming (the fish caught here can be cooked at the recently closed Ördögmalom restaurant!), then a few hundred meters up, on the left, a small indentation opens opposite the Stefánia bridge. We can approach the rock valley called Kőfolyás with our escort's help; it is worth admiring the almost circular small courtyard surrounded by vertical cliffs. The decoration of the cliffs and the humid climate are both breathtaking and calming at the same time.

Slowly we reach the end of our hike; the landscape’s character does not change significantly. About a kilometer from Kőfolyás, we reach a junction, turn right, and after a few hundred meters on high-quality gravel soil, arrive at the abundant Kaán spring, whose clean, fresh water is the deserved reward. The spring, named after forest engineer Káan Károly – one of the creators of the first domestic nature protection act in 1935 – is a delicacy for those fasting and gentle water cure users due to its low mineral content. The built spring fits nicely into the forest environment; although the water source is not directly accessible by wheelchair, a drip trough leads from it down to the road. This is not a water collection point, but our escort can easily serve us with the life-giving water.

With this, we have reached the end of our route; from here, via the mentioned stations, we can "drift" back on the already covered path. Being a rich, beautiful hike, it is worth admiring the newly discovered sights again, and the wheelchair escort can also take a well-deserved rest.