Explore the Buda Hills on the Zugliget Chairlift

Last weekend my roommate, Justin, and I decided to leave the busyness of downtown Budapest and explore the Buda Hills. Justin and I live in downtown Budapest, right near the Basilica. We’ve been to Buda a fair amount of times, but had yet to explore the hills. So, looking for somewhere with a view, we made our way over to János Hill. Here’s how to get there from Deák Ferenc tér

•     Take the M2 to Széll Kálmán Tér
•        Leave the station and make your way to the bus stop on Csaba utca
•        Take the 102 bus for 10 stops, and you’ll find yourself at the base of János Hill.

The trip shouldn’t take longer than a half hour or so, and it’s well worth it.

Located in District XII, János Hill is home to the Zugliget Chairlift. This 1 kilometer long chairlift takes you to the top of the hill in a matter of minutes, providing a scenic route up to the top. Taking the chairlift won’t break the bank, either. A single adult ticket is 1000 forint, and for children 3-18 it’s 600 forint. Round-trip tickets are 1400 forint and 800 forint, respectively.

At the top of the chairlift is a small restaurant, so don’t be afraid to go all out on your hikes – rest assured, hot dogs are just a trail away. (A sidenote: I saw what I am confident was the world’s smallest dog a this restaurant. Now, I’m sure this dog isn’t a staple of János Hill, but then again I’ve only been there once. You’ll have to see for yourself and get back to me).

Wanting to experience the outdoors but not at the expense of breaking a sweat, Justin and I opted for the round-trip tickets. We rode to the top and went straight to Erzsebet Tower. Built in 1911, Erzsebet Tower provides a panoramic view of Budapest. We chose a clear day, so we were able to see downtown Pest in full view. After taking in the view, we hiked around the trails. János Hill has a winding network of trails on the hill. We picked a beautiful day for hiking, so there were families, runners,

 

While we were all for hiking a bit, we got more than we bargained for. We soon lost track of time wandering around. By the time we went back to the chairlift to begin our descent, we had missed the closing time by ten minutes. So, a warning: if you, like Justin and I, want to experience the outdoors while still remaining sweat-free, plan accordingly. The lift closes at different times depending on the month, so you could wind up having to walk down.

Rather than select one of the winding trails that gently traversed the hill, Justin and I went straight down the lift line. This, in theory, sounds perfectly fine. However, I wouldn’t recommend it. The trail was steep, thin, and muddy. Not exactly the best combination for two quasi-hikers who planned on taking the chairlift down. After twenty minutes or so, we made our way to the bottom and headed home, surviving the hike, even if it meant breaking a bit of a sweat.

Image sources:

http://budapesttimes.hu/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Cogwheel04.jpg

http://www.roamhungary.com/photos/lookout_towers/budapest--the_elizabeth_lookout_tower_on_janos_hill/