Riding to Budapest

We rolled into Hungary without any real expectations or ideas about what to except. The country is mostly known for Budapest and the thermal baths and when googling you find an infinite amount of photos but none show you Hungary outside of Budapest. Luckily there is so much more to discover.

We entered at the most western point of the country, a remote location and it gave us a very tough day with lots of bad trails and forest paths. Trees that had been cut down or fallen over, sharp rocks and extremely steep trails. Not an ideal introduction to a new country but fortunately we soon found ourselves on what would turn out to be the ”feature of Hungary”: Fields.
Every cycling trail, even the official ones, eventually lead you to the edge of a green field and you just have to ride across it. An ultimate feeling of freedom, and it quickly became our favourite moment. Often when following our navigation across another seemingly endless field of green we would see herd of deer running away from us in the distance. A special sight that just adds to the magic of bikepacking in Hungary.

Dad his first Warmshowers

The long-distance cycling community has a few options for free accommodations whilst on the road. The warmshowers app is one of the better known. Whilst searching for a suitable place to sleep I made contact with a host who owned his own winery and was happy to let us stay in the attic. I’ve used warmshowers before but for dad it would be his first experience spending the night at a strangers house. We couldn’t have had a better place to stay. Our host was incredibly kind, the attic had a small kitchen, toilet and comfortable mattresses to sleep on and when he heard I had just gotten my WSET 2 he came back later that evening for a very extensive Hungarian wine tasting, paired with homemade bread and sausage.
It is also because of this host I would get my bag back in Budapest when I lost it in a rain storm.
Staying with him has been an unforgettable experience and I can’t recommend it enough to get on the bus and visit his winery when in Budapest. You will not regret it.

Aprókertek Pincészet

A small and organic winemaker near Budapest. Run by an extremely friendly owner and a cyclist himself. He loves telling about his wines and his tastings are a super nice way to learn more about the history of Hungary and local life. Although not yet well-known, his passion about wine really shines.

You can learn more by visiting his website: https://www.aprokertek.hu

Budapest to Slovakia

Cycling through Hungary and not visiting Budapest would be a missed opportunity. A city split in two by the Danube river and mostly know for its famous Thermal Baths and gorgeous architecture.
During a 150-year old Turkish Rule it developed an important spa culture and many historical spa-baths build in that period are still used today. Often these bath do still maintain separate male and female days and times so do check in advance when you are allowed to visit.

If you want less traditional, but still very impressive, you can also go to the Széchenyi bathhouse. Build in 1913, it has many thermal pools – both indoor and outdoor. With varying temperatures, sauna’s and the mystical healing nature of Budapest’s waters it is a must-visit for exhausted cyclists. You can buy an entrance ticket any time and it’ll give you access to the baths for a full day. We opted for the ”early-bird” ticket which gave us entry before 0900 for a discounted price. Once you’re in you can stay until the baths close. Another option we choose to get was access to our private changing rooms. A small, personal, changing room where you can leave all your belongings. It also really adds a feel of luxury to walk into your own room.

After a morning in the bath, sightseeing and getting my bag back it was time to wrap up our time in Hungary and move toward Slovakia. Excitement and nerves were growing because Slovakia is known for the mountains and high climbs. It would be the real test of dad his new bike but before it was time to conquer these giants Hungary had one final surprise for us.

Trail magic* and warm hospitality

Just before the border with Slovakia we found ourselves with no place to sleep. It was getting dark and the only option at that time was to ride another 30km. It was slowly getting dark and cold so it didn’t feel like a very appealing option to both of us.
As we were discussing what to do a man approached us and surprisingly he spoke English. After explaining our situation and explaining our options he casually mentioned he had the keys of his local church and we were welcome to stay the night there. A few calls with the pastor and suddenly we had build a little camp inside the church. Another lady from the church came to introduce herself and invited us for dinner at a friend’s house. With red wine, good company and local produced bread and cheese we finished our Hungarian section of the trip.

Hungary has surprised me in a positive way. The people are a little bit closed or wary of cyclists but when you need help they will do almost everything to get you going again. Cars aren’t used to people cycling on the road and dedicated cycle paths are basically non-existent but for off-roading you are in for a treat.

* Trail magic is what I call the random and often unexpected help whilst on the road. This could be a place to stay, a bottle of water when you ran out or simply a nice conversation at a crossing.