Budai-hegység / Climbing area

Geology

The Budai-hegység is geologically one of the most complex mountains in Hungary. Researches
have discovered more than thirty kinds of rocks here. The basis of the mountains is dolomite and limestone from the Triassic and later snow-white Dachstein lime stone and different marly deposits have been settled.
The four to five hundred metre high mountains are bordered by the Pilis in the north, the Zsámbéki basin in the west and the Budaörsi basin in the south.

The highest point of the Budai-hegység is Nagy-Kopasz, 560m.
You can find the highest point of Budapest in Budai-hegység called János-hegy 527m. Its stone base is dachstein limestone. You can find Erzsébet lookout tower that was built between 1908-1910 on the top of János-hegy.


Territory of the protected area in the Budai-hegység: 10 390 hectares, of which 1 603 hectares are under increased protection. There are many special plant-species that live only in Budai-hegység

Climbing places

There are a few useful places for climbing in the capital and nearby. Unfortunately there are forbidden to climb on some of them because of landscape protection.

Beside the natural rocks you can find some abandoned quarries for climbing.
(Francia-bánya, Kecske-hegy)

Climbing places:

Francia-bánya
This is the most favourite practicing place of climbers of Budapest. It is located at the feet of the northern side of Látó-hegy.
This 200m wide 5-6m high rock wall provides good bouldering possibility all year long.
Sárga-fal (Yellow wall) contains rope belayed 15m high overhanging routes in difficulty V-IX-.

Getting there:
From Fenyőgyöngye go down on the trail. After the banister turn right, and in 5 minutes there are the tree covered stones.


Kecske-hegy
Kecske-hegy is between the Francia-bánya and Oroszlán-sziklák. It was a quarry. Its overhanging limestone walls are protected from water and snow. So you can climb there all year long.
You can find there the next walls with these difficulties:

Áthajlások / Overhangs (18m) V-IX+
Nagy fal / Big wall (10-15m) V-X-
Kofa fal (10m) VI-IX-
Sör fal / Beer wall (7-9m) IV- - VIII-
Gyík fal / Lizard wall (7m) VII-VIII



Kő-hegy

The Kő-hegy is in Budaörs. There are few boulder rocks (4-7m) and a bigger rock with bolts. Officially it is forbidden to climb.

Getting there:
From the church of Budaörs on the red marked path 5 min to the rocks.

Kőkapu

Best place all around Budapest to practice overhangs and roof climbing. You can find many possibilities to climb only with arms. (VIII+ - X-)


Oroszlán-sziklák

You can find Oroszlánsziklák (Lion rocks) on the south side of Kecske-hegy. The difficulties of the routes on the 2-10m high walls are II-B1. The rocks are in a forest but the sun heats the wall almost all day long.




Remete-szurdok

Routes of gorge (Anchorite gorge) were very nice in difficulty V+ - VIII+ but these are closed because of landscape protection. Researchers found many palaentological findings in the caves of the gorge like skeletons of some palaentological species. There are many protected tenuous plants in the gorge as well.







Vadaskert

The sandstone towers of Vadaskert are at the Nyéki-hegy. You can find on these 5-6m high towers very easy slopes and very difficult overhangs as well.

Getting there:
From the last stop of N°56 tram (Hűvösvölgy) 10 minutes on the path beside Ördögárok.

Caves

The Budai mountains contain more than a hundred and fifty caves.
The most spectacular and free of access for visitors are Szemlőhegyi- and Pálvölgyi caves located in the inner-city area of Budapest.
Budapest is capital of caves! The total length of caves here is 44km.
There are 123 hot springs and thermal baths at the foot of the Budai hegység.

Other Sports

There are many chances for mountain bikers, downhillers, ski runners with built courts. It is very popular among trail runners. There are many small airfields for gliders, paragliders, hang gliders and small planes. There are many fans of geocaching in Hungary. They enjoys looking for the „hidden treasures”. Geocaching.hu website contains more than 2000 boxes. There are almost 300 in the capital – Budapest and nearby. This website provides exact and up-to-date information about the places, conditions, contents and finders of the boxes.

European Diploma Holding

"Since the end of the 19th century, the dolomite hills of the Szénás area in the Buda Hills have been considered among the most important natural areas of Hungary. The plant communities provide habitat for a number of endemic and relic species, among them the Dolomite flax (Linum dolomiticum), which is unique to the site.
The Council of Europe recognised its significance by awarding the European Diploma in 1995."

Szénás Hills

Links

utvonalterv.hu (english version)
Routing by car, by public transport, by bike and by on foot

turistautak.hu (english version)
Hiking trails, track logs, downloading into mapping GPS units

Images

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