The sky’s the limit – scaling MAG47, Hungary’s highest climbing centre

As soon as MAG47 opened this spring, the Hungarian Sports Climbing Cup was held there. By now many of the obstacles for those wishing to come in to climb have been removed.

The two granaries here belonged to the Globus Cannery – they also left a few elements reminiscent of an industrial past – and had been unused for decades. When the climbers first entered the building, they were surprised to find the silos were still standing, full of seeds rotting in them for 20 years.

So a major renovation was needed to get the two buildings to their current condition. Bizarrely, Károly, managing director at MAG47, once came here for summer work as a student – and has since returned decades later. He is a keen amateur climber but prefers to work on the venue’s reputation while his companion, Laci, a professional climber, is responsible for the design of the climbing hall and the climbing paths. They vary every month to a greater or lesser extent.

The larger of the former granaries includes a climbing room of impressive dimensions. Its interior height was 15 metres, increased by another two metres by opening the. MAG47 is more than a sports climbing centre in the classic sense. Industrial climbers also come here to practise, and even hold courses and take exams here.


The athletes of the Hungarian Mountain and Climbing Association train at MAG47. Yoga classes can also be taken here. Therapeutic exercises help children with difficulties in attention deficiency or hyperactivity. But this kind of movement also has a beneficial effect on stationary, sedentary and rarely mobile adults.

Climbing is an Olympic sport this year, splits into three different disciplines. The best-known is lead climbing, as high as possible on a large sloping surface, which primarily requires endurance. The second is speed climbing, for which the world record was recently set by American Veddriq Leonardo, who climbed to the top of a 15-metre wall in 5.2 seconds. The third is bouldering, which got its name from the huge, stand-alone slabs of rock.

A boulder from America is very different from a smooth climb. It moves other muscles and requires a different kind of problem-solving than a smooth ascent. The course is not high, a maximum of four metres, and the task is not entirely to get from a lower point A to an upper point B. Boulderers are almost artists, they need a degree of dexterity – some tricks may be reminiscent of parkour – to complete climbing paths of varying difficulty on rocks (or walls that imitate them).

The popularity of the sport is also steeply rising. Its physiological effects are beneficial, and it allows you to switch off, while also strengthening discipline and inner focus, forcing the person to be in the moment, their thoughts honed. Due to the high degree of concentration, all unnecessary information is emptied from the human mind.

Indoor climbing is obviously safer than going out into nature and tackling a real rock. But wall climbing is safer when compared to, say, ice hockey or rollerblading. This is due to the enormous development of technique and the strict rules of the sport.

Age ranges vary from an adventurous four years old to sporty seniors. As for gender, whereas in the past 70% of climbers were men, today there are slightly more women climbers.

With 77 climbing routes in place, continuous development is also important in the case of the MAG47, plans including several features not yet available elsewhere in Hungary. For example, the 26-metre tower rising between the two former granaries is used to practise the descent. Stepping up to the top of the building is a serious achievement, descending it, even more so. There are currently all-day climbing courses on offer.

MAG47
District X. Maglódi út 47
Current opening hours: Mon-Fri 8am-10.30pm, Sat-Sun 9am-10.30pm
Tram 28/37 from Blaha Lujza tér/Népszínház utca to Kada utca/Maglódi út