A drop of wilderness in the capital: educational trail in the Felsőrákosi meadows

Itinerary:

The educational trail, marked by separate signs, introduces visitors to Budapest's second largest protected area through 12 information boards. The trail can be followed with the help of the map on these boards.

• From Keresztúri út we walk straight along Túzok utca. Crossing the stream, the first board is immediately on the left (General overview of the area, local history).
• Starting on this side of the stream (turning left after the bridge), we walk about 100 meters and find the second board (Introduction to the Rákos stream) after leaving the forest, then turn right onto a smaller cart track in the meadow.
• Reaching the reed bed on the far side of the meadow and the third board (Introduction to the Felsőrákosi meadows Nature Conservation Area), we turn right and proceed straight to Lovasvölgyi street via the 4th (Animal life of the Felsőrákosi meadows) and 5th boards (Cultural history curiosities) along Reznek street.
• Here we turn left to make a detour to the 6th board (Mátyásföld Airport) at the corner of the Mátyásföld airfield, along the Lovasvölgyi street.
• Returning to the intersection of Reznek street and Lovasvölgyi street, we continue along Reznek street, passing the 7th board (Non-native species), then walk all the way to the bridge. Turning left here with a short detour, we find the 8th board (Plant life of the Felsőrákosi meadows); turning right leads our path further along the ditch to the stream.
• Passing the 9th (Bird life of the Felsőrákosi meadows) and 10th boards (Threatening factors to the Felsőrákosi meadows), we return to the Rákos stream, where we turn right.
• Along the dirt road beside the stream, passing the 11th (Forests along the stream) and 12th boards (Practical nature conservation in the Felsőrákosi meadows), we get back to Túzok utca, walking back to Keresztúri út.

Detailed description of the route

First of all, arrive at this extraordinary place!

Turning from the industrial zone of Keresztúri út onto Túzok utca, within a few steps we find ourselves in a completely different world. First we pass a nursery, then quickly find ourselves in a forest among huge willows stretching all the way to the stream. By the stream, city noise is almost completely absent, and the city itself barely visible: we have arrived at the historically well-known Rákos meadow, where time seems to have stood still, or at least slowed down greatly since there is little sign of human creation at first sight. The first board offers insight into the extraordinary history of the wider area. Rákos meadow has appeared in chronicles since the 13th century as the site for launching military campaigns and parliamentary meetings. Among others, our excellent geographer János Hunfalvy wrote that the king’s tent stood at what is now known as Királydomb during the parliamentary sessions (this area is marked by the map around Dorogi utca in the residential zone surrounding the Felsőrákosi meadows).

Kőbánya, still recognized as an industrial district and neighbor to the nature reserve, is also interesting from a natural geography perspective, because on the Pest side it is the only place near the surface where limestone, known from the Buda side, occurs, which was quarried here for centuries. Many apartment buildings in Pest were built from stones taken out of the approximately 30 km long tunnel system, not to mention iconic buildings such as the Hungarian Academy of Sciences headquarters. After quarrying ceased in the 1890s, winemaking, brick production, and beer brewing have used this extensive cellar system, where nowadays they sometimes even organize running races, and diving is possible in parts flooded after quarrying ceased. Kőbánya appeared on the capital's map as a residential area in the 1850s when it was parceled out and soon became a real working-class district.

A few steps away at the corner of the forest is the second board, which introduces the Rákos stream, the most significant watercourse on the left bank of the Danube in the capital. The comprehensive reconstruction of the stream in the capital has been part of development plans for decades, as it could create an excellent green corridor missing from the recreational green spaces on the Pest side. Construction of its impressive concrete bed and embankments began in the 1800s, completed only in the 1930s, aiming not only to regulate the previously fluctuating water regime but also to drain nearby swamps for the creation of arable land. The nationally protected ex-lege fens and softwood gallery forests in the Felsőrákosi meadows Nature Conservation Area still preserve some of the floodplain habitats from before the stream regulation, yet the dozens of mills once standing here have disappeared forever.

Turning right onto the cart track in the meadow is worth a stop to immerse yourself in the area's magic. Because of the forests and reeds along the stream, almost nothing can be seen of the surrounding city, though the Buda Hills appear in the distance. Despite occasionally hearing motors until this point, here you may already encounter, for example, the brown hawk-owl, while frogs and reed warblers buzz from the reed beds. The third board, located on the edge of a protected fen, introduces the capital's newest and second largest nature conservation area. Besides the fens considered the most important conservation values, there are reed beds, meadows, seasonal water coverage, and both natural and planted gallery forests in this surprisingly diverse place.

The best parts: cultural history and zoological curiosities

Turning right at the willow soon brings us to another patch of forest, across which we likely encounter one of Budapest's strangest intersections: two intersecting dirt roads, splendid meadows – and two new street name signs. Besides this unique spectacle, we can sharpen our knowledge here; at board number 4, we get a picture of the rich wildlife of the Felsőrákosi meadows, while the nearby board number 5 draws attention to cultural historical curiosities.

For example, we learn that Austrian biologist Richard Ebner first discovered the Hungarian snipe cricket, a nationally protected, native, remnant bush-cricket species, here along the Rákos stream in 1910. Interestingly, research on the species continued here for decades afterward, but it was only spotted again in 2003. Even from this perspective alone, preserving the Felsőrákosi meadows appears a nationwide task, not to mention how valuable such a green corridor is in a city lacking parks.

Among conservationists, the Felsőrákosi meadows are best known for the Rákosi viper. The discovery of the species is itself a cultural-historical curiosity, as our renowned biologist Ottó Hermann presented "crossed vipers" caught here in 1892 at the Royal Hungarian Natural Science Society congress. It was biologist Lajos Méhely who investigated these peculiar crossed vipers' history and discovered the Rákosi viper. Why this smaller, unique species was later named the meadow viper, although it does not live on fallow lands, will become clear to everyone on the excellent information boards on the trail.

The relative diversity of fauna is striking even during a short walk, especially just a few steps from the busy Keresztúri road and surrounding industrial sites: mallards and raptors circling above are almost guaranteed sightings, but deer, hedgehogs, European hares, red foxes, and even wild boars also live here, as well as significant city populations of protected pond turtles and hazel dormice. Besides board 4, another curiosity is visible to the naked eye: numerous small, square pits under the plane trees. These were formerly leech ponds where medical leeches, an important "medicine" of earlier times, were bred. Since the artificial ponds often fill with water in spring, they are now important amphibian habitats.

We continue straight along Reznek street, with the capital's nursery plantations on the right (board number 5 is by the fence), a fenced pasture on the left, and soon we reach the area’s "main road", Lovasvölgyi street. The atmosphere here is almost surreal: quiet clucking greets us beside grazing horses. The trail turns left on Lovasvölgyi street, taking a larger detour to the corner of Mátyásföld Airport, then returns here and continues straight ahead, describing a loop of roughly similar size and returning to the streambank at the starting point.

Walking up to the airport, we can observe that the Felsőrákosi meadows lie significantly lower compared to their surroundings, and secondly, we arrive at a unique point in the capital since this was once Budapest’s airport. In 1913, the government sought a location for the first capital airport; the initially identified site in Csepel was lost to war, so Mátyásföld was chosen. In 1918, the Vienna-Budapest route took off from here, and between 1922 and 1937, this was Budapest’s airport. Today, only model airplanes are seen on the spacious grassy area, which also serves as habitat for the strictly protected European ground squirrel.

Bird paradise in the heart of the city

Continuing along Reznek street, we quickly leave the cultivated gardens and find ourselves back in nature. On the right side, a protected fen lies a bit farther in, then we arrive at board 7, which presents invasive non-native species threatening the area. Upon reaching the bridge, our path turns right, following the wet ditch back to the streambank, but it is worth stepping a few steps left to board 8, which tells us about the unique plant diversity of the Felsőrákosi meadows, especially the strictly protected temperate zone orchid species linked to the fens that deserve special mention.

The biological diversity of the capital area and the importance of the Felsőrákosi meadows as a habitat in the city center are explained at board 9 regarding birdlife. Incredible as it seems, out of approximately 400 bird species in Hungary, 267 occur in the capital, and nearly 200 bird species have been observed on these meadows over recent decades by MME ornithologists. The brown hawk-owl nests here, several reed warbler species, and rare wanderers such as the black stork and white-tailed eagle have also been observed.

At the stream, board 10 presents the threats to the area, among which, besides illegal waste dumping, cable burning stands out—this site was one of the capital's centers for it. Fortunately, this often fire-causing illegal activity has significantly declined due to protective measures.

Turning right along the streambank, the beauty of the forest on the right side catches the eye and is featured on board 11. Although this landscape was never characterized by continuous forest, it is remarkable that nearly natural state poplar and willow gallery forests are present here. Planted sessile oak forests are also important, not only because it is a native species but because these plantations were established in connection with the former sandstorm suppression efforts initiated by István Széchenyi and Frigyes Podmaniczky through the Pest forest ring plantations. Although the original attempt failed due to the rapidly growing city's land demand, the city government tried again in the 1970s: several urban small forests were planted then (e.g., Farkaserdő, Páskom-liget, Cinkotai-kiserdő), and local afforestation took place here as well.

The final, 12th board emphasizes the importance of practical nature conservation, with no better example than the Felsőrákosi meadows: continuous bird ringing has helped identify species present here, including strictly protected animals such as the long-eared owl and great grey shrike. It also revealed a significant breeding population, for example, native reed warbler species also breed here. All this contributed to achieving protection status. The rich grasslands' proper mowing is supported by Főkert Nonprofit Ltd. and local farmers. We return along the streambank to Túzok utca, but don’t rush home—it’s worth combining the hike with a family picnic!

If a fulfilling family excursion means rediscovering and marveling at our immediate surroundings, then the Felsőrákosi meadows are the perfect place for a little exploration and wonder at what our beloved capital holds.