Round trip from Szentendre through Dömörkapu to Pap meadow

Itinerary

• From Szentendre we start on the green bicycle route, which initially runs parallel to the pedestrian S◼ sign
• On the green bicycle route, we reach Dömörkapu, then arrive at Pilisszentlászló, from where our path continues to the Pap-meadow
• After the József spring we change to the red bicycle sign, which leads us to Tahitótfalu
• At first, we ride on an unmarked path southward, then on the EUROVELO-6 bicycle path we pedal back to our starting point

Detailed description of the route

From the direction of the HÉV station, the easiest way to cross the main road 11 is through the underpass. After riding a few hundred meters on Kossuth Lajos street, among cozy shops and cafés, we reach the bank of the Bükkös stream, where we join the S◼ and green bicycle signs. Turning left, we quickly get a square start, helped by a short but rather bumpy cobblestone section. Again, we pass under road 11, then a very pleasant twisting awaits us along the southern bank of the stream. We cross to the northern side at Izbég Primary School, where extra caution is required for several reasons. After leaving the bridge, we sharply turn left along the stream, and the following section is more technical than previous ones with tree roots sometimes complicating our way. One wrong move and we can find ourselves in the cemetery... Well, the terrain is not that dangerous, it’s just that on our right side, behind a broken fence, the Izbég cemetery really lies. Next comes another bridge which we simply have to cross over the stream. Even at higher water levels there's no danger; experienced cyclists can also bypass through the cemetery.

We reach quiet garden city streets where we can catch our breath after the previous excitement, then we continue along the Szentlászló road near a rare sports facility. There are not many baseball fields in Hungary, but now we can pedal past one. We only need to cycle a few hundred meters on this busier section before turning left following the Lajos spring-Dömörkapu direction.

Dömörkapu, which is always open

Riding on worn asphalt, we reach the forest line where if we hear a bang, there is no need to immediately reach for a spare tube. The Izbég shooting range borders our path, and in the case of sharp shooting, the sound accompanies us for a long time. Meanwhile, we reach Dömörkapu, tasting the unique atmosphere of the place. The gem of the valley is the waterfall, which we find near the barrier.

From here, we continue on an asphalt forestry road parallel to the stream. Shortly after a forest rest area on the left side, we turn right at a Y-junction and continue our climb towards Pilisszentlászló. At the end of the persistent climb, we find ourselves at the Kis Rigó Restaurant, where it is worth taking a break during opening hours, and at the corner of the restaurant's fence we can refill our bottles from the blue well. It’s worth admiring for a moment the fairy-tale location of Pilisszentlászló and the hills surrounding the small mountain village.

Head to Pap meadow!

After our rest, we can start climbing again, and a few minutes after leaving the village, a small parking lot marks the exit of the Pap meadow forestry road. Again, we can pedal on closed forestry asphalt. Practically, from the first kilometers, we climb continuously, which is not annoyingly steep but persistent and can tire you. Then comes a nicer section where from our winding forest path we can spot a clearing on the right, and from here we say goodbye to climbing, heading downhill. From here to the starting point, the continuous downhill will help our progress. After a fast slide, we find ourselves at Pap meadow, which, in terms of forestry roads, is a kind of "Deák Ferenc square." Forestry roads starting from Visegrád, Szentendre, and Pilisszentlászló cross here, and that's before mentioning the other hiking trails.

On real terrain!

We leave the mentioned junction northwards on the asphalt, then immediately turn right following the sign along the dozer road. With this „off-roading” we tune in to the most „mountain bike” section of the route, as about 1 km later we turn left onto the K+ sign, where it’s worth holding tight to the handlebars because a serious downhill begins. The road itself cannot be called technical, but one must pay attention to the ruts created by forestry machinery, because they can easily trick a cyclist!

We try to enjoy the next section of our path as much as possible, since we climbed so far to be able to ride deep in the forest. The undisturbed tranquility and the view of the surrounding hills erase every fatigue. During the descent, besides the terrain, you only need to be careful not to miss the signs (K+ and green bike signs). After spotting a forest house, a few pedal strokes later, we arrive at a spring where we can sit down for a few minutes to rest or refill our bottles. From here, our next direction change is very close.

From the beginning, we followed the green bike sign, which we now change to red, continuing the route to the right on it. We pedal along a carefully laid gravel road. The landscape increasingly opens up during the descent, and an impressive panorama unfolds on the left. Carefree rolling, we zigzag on sometimes delightfully small, sometimes larger gravel, gradually losing the elevation gained so far. When the residential houses appear, we realize our forest visit has ended. Civilization greets us again in Tahi. Fortunately, after reaching road 11, we only have to travel a few meters there. At the first opportunity, we turn towards the Danube!

Riverside cooldown

Riding along Dunasor, we pass under the Tildy bridge, which alone provides road connection to Szentendre Island. From here, continuing parallel to the Danube on smaller paths and streets, we reach the Nyulas stream, where attention is needed as a few sudden turns and bumps bring us to the local waterworks fence. Next to the closed area, we keep right, parallel to the fence. From here, following the beaten path, we cycle parallel to the main road 11. The mainly single-lane road widens over time, and we reach the edge of Leányfalu. Following the bike path, in the shadow of the resorts, we can pedal straight into Szentendre, where arriving at the promenade, we can already feel that our route is really ending soon. At the southern end of the promenade, on the opposite bank of the Bükkös stream, we see the familiar green bike sign, which we turn onto and just need to roll back along Kossuth Lajos street to the station.