Herceghalom to Budapest

29 km road cycling route307 m climbing2 h 03 minGPX

Herceghalom, Hungary · Road

A hilly 29 km road cycling route from Herceghalom to Budapest through Páty, Tiefenweg and Szilvamag, with 307 m of climbing over the Alvég climb. Most of it (17.4 km) is on main roads without a cycle lane, 10.7 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more.

Retraced from the map Ridden by Marcus on Saturday 19th September 2015; the recording was lost, so the line is the road between the day's towns, drawn from OpenStreetMap (the rider logged 35 km that day).

Download GPXMap

At a glance

Best for: Short, climbing-heavy rides for confident riders at ease in traffic
Distance: 28.8 km; Point to point
Elevation gain: 307 m; 11 m per km
Riding time: 2 h 03 min; moving time, estimated
Difficulty: Easy
Bike: Road bike; from the mapped surface
Surface: Paved; 98% paved · 1% unpaved · 1% no data
Traffic: Mostly main roads; 17.4 km on main roads without a cycle lane · 10.7 km where the limit is 80 km/h or more · 5.2 km on cycle paths or lanes
Food & water: Regular; 282 cafés and restaurants · 51 shops · 50 water points · 4 petrol stations · 23 public toilets · 31 bike shops
Best months: Jun to Sep; Herceghalom climate, 10 years
Navigation: GPX download; free, no sign-in
Start → finish: Herceghalom → Budapest

Town Hall. - Fő Street, Budakeszi, Pest County, Hungary. — Photo: Globetrotter19 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Elevation profile

Total ascent: 307 m
Distance: 29 km

What it was like to ride

Marcus’s notes

The final stretch. 35km to Budapest. Woke up feeling pretty awful… at least I did. I’m putting it down to dehydration rather than the one beer before bed but there may be those that are not surprised. Not even a visit to the hotel spa in the morning could lift the headache. When we rolled off at around 11am it was not with great enthusiasm. We set a course for Budapest thinking it would be a nice and easy 30km or so roll into town. As we were nowhere near the river, we didn’t have much idea about the terrain or the roads. We decided to trust Google Maps one last time and set a walking route [so as to avoid motorways]. Almost immediately we were back on the very busy route 1 trying to ignore the high speed truckers streaming by a few feet to the left.

With a pounding headache I pulled off into a lay-by with about 6km done. We wanted off the main road so we were pleased to see Maps telling us to take a left after 50 metres or so. That took us directly into a field. There was a barely visible track so we followed it for about 200 metres until we hit a fence, which had a motorway on the other side. I had one of my “I need to lie down” moments and did so as Donny ditched the bike and walked down the track to see if there was a way across or under the motorway.

My head was not getting any better so I amused myself by placing a dead mouse on Donny’s pannier.

When we set off back in the direction from where we came we realised we may have misread the Maps instruction. On retracing our route we noticed what appeared to be a bridge over the motorway at the other end of the field. We pushed along the ruts, crossed the bridge, rode along more rutted track and eventually found a road. My banging headache had reduced the pace to a crawl so Donny suggested some sugar may help. We stopped at a bakery/cafe for a cake and a pepsi. I added a couple of paracetemol. Still feeling terrible we rolled on and immediately encountered a hill around 8km from Budakeszi. I ignored the pain and started a kick up the hill. With the blood pumping I started to feel better. Within about 15 minutes I was alive again and strangely starting to enjoy the climbs. There was a really fast section into Budakeszi and I almost wanted to turn around and do it again. You are high on sugar, said Donny.

Not long after we came to the pleasing side of a sign that put us 2km from Budapest. That would be 2km to go from a total of around 2050km to that point. What it didn’t tell us was that we were at the bottom of one of the biggest climbs of the last 3 weeks. It just kept going up, probably for about 3-4km. At the top I found the lord.

The wonderful news was that the next 5km into Budapest was one glorious downhill. We rolled easily into town and aimed for the river. There we tracked along towards the parliament buildings, watching tourists on cruise boats, and nodding to a group of cyclists we’d seen 5 or 6 days earlier in a previous country. We arrived at our hotel with 35km on the clock, feeling satisfied, fit, and a little tired. It has been the ride of our lives – literally and metaphorically. 2060km in total through 6 countries. Yes, we got lost more than a few times, we rode in the dark a little too much for our liking, and we dealt with some pretty tough terrain and less than perfect weather. All in all, am amazing experience that won’t be forgotten. Will we do it again? I have a feeling there is another chapter to be written.

Route description

Herceghalom
Pátykm 9
Tiefenwegkm 16
Alvég climbkm 17
Szilvamagkm 18
Jánoshegykm 22
Szépilonakm 24
Törökvészkm 24
Országútkm 27
Budapestkm 29

Starting in Herceghalom at 125m elevation, the route heads towards Páty at 9.2 km, reaching the first climb from 9 km over 3.7 km with 107m gain at an average 2.9%. After Páty it passes near Pince-hegy (222m) and Mézes-hegy (341m).

Between 16.8 km and 19.9 km the second climb rises 136m over 3.1 km at an average 4.5%, peaking near Kis-Kopasz (356m) and Kálváriadomb (285m). Following the peak at 359m the route descends over 4.1 km down into Budapest's urban area by km 28.7. The road surface is mostly paved (98%), with just 1% gravel or unpaved.

Road types include 61% main roads (17.4 km all without cycle lanes), some quiet streets, cycle lanes and paths. The longest named roads are 6.5 km on 1102 and 3.9 km respectively on road 1 and Budakeszi út. Food, drink and shop options lie mainly after 6 km, including cafés and supermarkets near Budakeszi and cafés in central Budapest. There is no café, shop or water for 6.1 km after the start.

Why ride this route?

Climbs the Alvég climb (3.1 km at 4.5 %).
Tops out at 359 m, 19.9 km in.

Highlights

Climb from km 9 for 3.7 km gaining 107m
Peak near Kis-Kopasz at 356m
Longest descent 4.1 km dropping 204m
Cafés near km 8.4, 22.6 and 26.7

Along the route

Measured from the route line, the Copernicus elevation model and OpenStreetMap.

Places passed

Páty 9.2 km
Hidegvölgy 16.1 km
Tiefenweg 16.4 km
Alvég 16.5 km
Budakeszi 17.4 km
Szilvamag 17.7 km
Virágvölgy 18.5 km
Hárshegy 20.6 km
Jánoshegy 21.8 km
Kurucles 22.3 km
Szépilona 23.7 km
Virányos 23.7 km
Pasarét 24.1 km
Törökvész 24.3 km
Kissvábhegy 25.9 km
Rézmál 26.1 km
Országút 26.5 km

Climbs

Climbs in ride order: where each starts, what this ride climbs, and the full named ascent
Climb	Starts at	On this ride	Full ascent	Top on this ride
Unnamed climb	9 km	3.7 km · 107 m · 2.9 % · max 5.3 %	—	290 m
Alvég climb	16.8 km	3.1 km · 136 m · 4.5 % · max 6.4 %	3.1 km · 136 m · 4.5 %	359 m

High point 359 m at 19.9 km; low point 125 m. Passes beneath Pince-hegy, Mézes-hegy, Kis-Kopasz.

On this ride: the part this route climbs, cut from its own elevation profile. Full ascent: the whole named climb, measured the same way on every ride that uses it (its climb page).

Alvég climb · full ascent, starts at 16.8 km

3.1 km at 4.5% · 136 m

< 4%4 – 7%7 – 10%> 10%

Traffic, surface and gradient

Measured from OpenStreetMap along the track and the elevation profile.

This is not a cycle-track route: 60% is on main roads without a cycle lane, 10.7 km of it where the limit is 80 km/h or more. Riders should be comfortable sharing the road with faster traffic.

Roads: 61% main road · 11% quiet street · 11% road with cycle lane · 7% cycle path · 10% other roads and tracks
Main roads: 17.4 km on main roads without a cycle lane — likely busier
Fast roads: 10.7 km on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or more
Cycle paths: 5.2 km on cycle paths or roads with a cycle lane
Main roads used: 1102 (7 km), 1 (4 km), Budakeszi út (4 km)
Surface: Paved: 98% of the route is mapped as paved, 1% as unpaved.
Gradient: 28% climbing · 26% descending · 46% flat
Steep sections: 1.1 km over 5% · steepest 500 m averages 8.5% at 0 km
Longest descent: 4.1 km from 20.1 km, dropping 204 m

Food, water and services

Within a few hundred metres of the track, from OpenStreetMap. Opening hours change — treat this as where to look, not a promise.

No stretch is longer than 15 km without a café, shop or water. Along the route: 282 cafés and restaurants, 51 shops, 50 water points, 4 petrol stations, 23 public toilets and 31 bike shops.

Food, water and shops in ride order

0 kmBakery · 300 m off route
0.1 kmToilets · 50 m off route
0.1 kmHercegkút Benzinkút · petrol station · 60 m off route
8.4 kmC'est la vie kávézó · café · on the route
9.3 kmGreengrocer · 260 m off route
9.3 kmBike shop · 270 m off route
9.4 kmDrinking water · on the route
16.7 kmPríma · supermarket · 80 m off route
17.6 kmDrinking water · on the route
17.9 kmAngyal patika · pharmacy · on the route
18.3 kmKovász Tanya Pékség · bakery · on the route
22.6 kmLibegőhaz · café · 370 m off route
23.7 kmDrinking water · 90 m off route
24.4 kmShell Budagyöngye · petrol station · on the route
26.7 kmGaléria 12 Kávézó és Borbár · café · on the route
27 kmDrinking water · on the route
27.7 kmBudai Mérleg Gyógyszertár · pharmacy · on the route
28.1 kmSpar · supermarket · on the route

Need to bail out?

0.2 km — Herceghalom (station), 70 m off route
20.6 km — Szépjuhászné (station), 140 m off route
28.6 km — Clark Ádám tér (halt), 40 m off route

Whether bikes are carried depends on the service — check before relying on it.

Worth a stop

6.2 km — Sasfészek (attraction)
19.1 km — 375-ös gőzmozdony (attraction)
22.4 km — Bellevue lakópark piknikezőhely (picnic site)
28.6 km — Alagút, keleti bejárat (viewpoint)

Stay after this ride

Hotel Clark · hotel · 80 m from the finish
Hotel Carlton · hotel · 180 m from the finish
Lánchíd 19 Design Hotel · hotel · 180 m from the finish
Boutique Hotel Victoria Budapest **** · hotel · 400 m from the finish
Buda Castle Fashion Hotel · hotel · 830 m from the finish

Start and access

Starts at Herceghalom. Mapped within a short walk of the start and finish, from OpenStreetMap.

At the start

Trains and ferries: Herceghalom (290 m)

At the finish

Food and coffee: Double Shot (100 m), Cafe Brunch Budapest - Lánchid (100 m), Lánchíd Café Söröző (110 m)
Shops: Körforgalom Delikátesz (60 m)

Know before you go

17.4 km on main roads without cycle lanes
10.7 km on roads with speed limits 80 km/h or more
No café, shop or water for 6.1 km from 0.1 to 6.2 km

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.

9 photographs from the road

Photo: Benjamin Voros vorosbenisop · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Martin Kacetl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Globetrotter19 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Globetrotter19 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo: Gooruw · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Stage of

Rotterdam to Budapest

About this route

Ridden by: Marcus
Date ridden: Saturday 19th September 2015
Route line: Retraced from OpenStreetMap between the day’s towns - the GPS recording was lost.
Elevation: Recalculated from the Copernicus GLO-90 terrain model every 50 m, not the device’s barometer.
Roads, surface, services: Measured along the line from OpenStreetMap extracts.
Best months: Ten years of ERA5 weather for Herceghalom (Open-Meteo).
GPX: Generated from the route line: track points only, no timestamps or personal data.
Page added: Sunday 30th August 2026
Page last updated: Sunday 13th September 2026

See something wrong with this ride?