One day in the Danube Bend

From Budapest, the new type of double-decker trains will run from the renovated Nyugati Pályaudvar (Nyugati Railway Station) towards Szob. Thanks to the zonal schedule, the train Z70 arrives in Kismaros in 45 minutes. A few steps from here the departure station of the “Királyréti Erdei Vasút” (Királyréti Forest Railway) is located, from where you can start a romantic forest railway ride in the valley of the Török-patak (Török Creek). Arriving at Szokolya, you can admire one of the country's most beautifully situated, Árpád-era villages, surrounded by the characteristic mountain ranges of Börzsöny and the peaceful rolling pastures.

Getting to Királyrét, an easy walk along the Nagy-Vasfazék-patak (Nagy-Vasfazék Creek) will take you to the “Hiúz Ház Erdei Iskola és Látogatóközpont” (Lynx House Forest School and Visitor Centre). Established in the Duna Ipoly Nemzeti Park (Duna Ipoly National Park), it is a certified forest school, with varied hiking trails, educational paths, permanent and constantly renewed interactive exhibitions, and a certified forest school, which aims to bring younger generations back into a living relationship with nature. They offer a wide range of programmes and trained professionals to help the kids learn through play. If possible, get back to Kismaros hungry and have a well-deserved lunch at the legendary “Patak Vendéglő” (Creek ek Restaurant), located right next to the railway station.

Besides the peculiarities of traditional Hungarian cuisine, seasonal specials are offered every two weeks to satisfy the hunger guests, using local ingredients from the area whenever possible. If you are lucky enough to find a fillet of sea bream with paprika or dill sour cream and pickle sauce on the menu, you definitely have to give them a try. Do not get full and leave room for dessert, because you can hop on the Dunaroll electric scooters and take the cycle path through the fantastic scenery of the Dunamező to the “Sakura Cukrászda” (Sakura Confectionery) in Nagymaros.

Of course, it is impossible to try everything there, but whether you are a fan of classic, new wave or vegan sweets, you will get your blood sugar up just by looking at the sight of the magical, shimmering mousse, the 50 shades of chocolate frosting, the inimitable variety of creams and mousse combinations.

For a relaxing break, take a stroll down to one of Hungary's most panoramic Danube banks, which has a new playground thanks to the beach developments. Facing the Visegrádi fellegvár (Visegrád Citadel), with the Danube sands of Nagymaros underfoot, we can experience for a moment the refreshing lifestyle of the peacetime aristocracy. But do not stop there, because your scooter app is still counting and encouraging you to go on more excursions. So let us head to Zebegény. Scooting along the cycle path lined with plane trees and leaving Nagymaros, the southernmost corner of the Börzsöny, with its steep, rocky side and the Remete-barlang (Remete Cave), the Szent Mihály-hegy (Szent Mihály Hill), rises above you.

Glancing down at the grasses lining the riverbed, you can experience the results of the European beaver reintroduction programme. Arriving in picturesque Zebegény, do not forget to make a short detour to the street of the “Napraforgó házak” (Sunflower Houses), whose building was commissioned by Count Lászlóné Károlyi and Franciska Apponyi. With its striking blue façades, you are in the middle of a still life if you take a selfie here.

Not far from here, on Kossuth Lajos Street, we find the Zebegényi Rétesház (Zebegény Strudel House), where we can taste apple, apricot and cottage cheese, fruit rice, cabbage, sour cherry, sour cherry and poppy seed, plum and cottage cheese strudels, among others. We recommend preparing some of them for the return trip, too; as we have reached the end of our journey: we can hop on the train in Zebegény and speed back to Budapest.

A tip from Hello Hungary: If you want to admire the magical towns of the Danube Bend from a different perspective – or if you have less time available – it is worth trying water transport. MAHART PassNave boat services run from Szentendre to Visegrád and from Visegrád to Esztergom, stopping at Nagymaros and Zebegény, among other places. The Citadel, the banks of the Danube in Nagymaros, and the steep slopes of Visegrád Castle can be seen from a unique perspective from the slowly flowing river. Cruising is not only a comfortable and enjoyable form of travel: it also gives you the opportunity to visit the iconic towns of the Danube Bend in a single day, stopping wherever you like. To book family tickets and for secret tips, visit the MAHART PassNave website!