Why hike to Normafa or Harmáshatár-hegy when the city is full of hidden gems to explore? Ördög-orom, Ferenc Hill and Kamaraerdő tend to be left out of the top lists of popular excursion destinations even though they are more secluded yet rich in natural wonders and panoramas. And all are easy to reach by bus from central points in town.
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Kamaraerdő
Stretching across some 200 hectares of District XI is one of the largest forests in Budapest. A half-hour ride from Móricz Zsigmond körtér to the terminus of tram 41 will get you there, or bus 87 and 187 from the M4 metro terminus at Kelenföld by bus 87 (to Kamaraerdei Ifjúsági Park) or 187, but you can also cycle there without too much traffic. It’s worth getting acquainted with the forest on the detailed information board for this easy-to-follow study trail, four kilometres long. Allow for about two hours and ascent of about 100 metres. For adventurers, it is worth conquering the highest point of the forest, the 224-meter-high Vadász Hill, with a beautiful view of nearby Budaörs Airport, the Budaörs hills and the Sváb-hegy. Kamaraerdő (‘Chamber Forest’) contains domestic trees, mainly oaks, but foresters unfortunately also have to deal with the spread of invasive alien varieties. In early spring you can admire the bright yellow pheasant’s eye flowers, in early summer purple lady orchids. Badgers, foxes, deer and wild boars are also said to appear. In addition to the nature trail, several hiking trails cross the forest, the meeting point of which is spacious Nagyrét. More information boards, benches and campfire sites can be found here, and you can even stretch out your visit to an all-day affair by supplementing a forest walk with a picnic or, when quarantine measures are lifted, a barbecue. The 12-stop nature trail is connected to the three-kilometre hiking trail of the Tétény Plateau at the signboard there, so you can also combine the two.
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Ferenc Hill
Behind the luxury villas between Törökvész út and Zöldmáli út, you find the flat, six-and-a-half-hectare, forest-covered recreational retreat of Ferenc Hill. It is almost a miracle that the area has remained untouched, thanks to the fact that it was designated as protected in 1999. Its wildlife may not be as prolific and untouched as that of the surrounding forests, but this is an ideal choice for families with small children thanks to the walkability of the terrain and the large, easy-to-understand signs on the study trails here. The one called the Path of the Senses is only 400 metres away, and through the adventures of two fairy-tale figures, Mimó and Csipek, it introduces little ones to local wildlife of the place by using their senses. There is another study trail in the opposite direction, the Mirror, which teaches kids about the winding cave and creatures in the tummy of Ferenc Hill. The four-kilometre cave system was discovered when sewage pipes were being laid along Törökvész út, but unfortunately its door is carefully closed and you may visited with the permission from the Duna-Ipoly National Park, in the company of a guide. The hill can be roamed in about 30 minutes, and there’s a playground and barbecue area. You reach it by bus 29 from Kolosy tér in Óbuda to Csalit utca, or by bus 11/111 from Batthyány tér to Tömörkény utca.
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Ördög-orom
Up in District XII, Ördög-orom (‘Devil’s Ridge’) is a prominent rock formation located between Farkas-völgy and Irhás-árok. You reach it from the terminus of tram 59 at Márton Áron tér beside Farkasréti cemetery, where the green-triangle trail starts or by bus 8E, alighting at Eper utca. The area, 317 metres high, can also be accessed by a steep, slippery slope, facilitated by railings in places, but it is worth taking a couple of minutes to climb, because this section is especially beautiful. From the top of the gorge there’s a beautiful view of Széchenyi Hill, Gellért Hill, Sas Hill and Tétényi Plateau, and the houses and villas of the surrounding hillsides. This ten-hectare nature reserve was designated such in 1982. The forest is home to many protected plant and bird species, which can be found on the boards of the nature trail installed in 2016, along with the local history, geology of the area and the factors that threaten it.
