Why this ride
A 67 km one-way ride from near Budapest, about 1 h 22 of riding. The stops in between: Szentendre and Visegrad. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Hungary Danube Bend Route
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 67 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 1 h 22
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Hungary Danube Bend Route
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For about 21 km this is Hungary Danube Bend Route, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 21 km
- Named road
- Hungary Danube Bend Route
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Budapest
Budapest is two cities that were joined in 1873: hilly, historic Buda on the west bank of the Danube, and flat, lively Pest on the east. The river between them is wide and powerful, crossed by a string of bridges, of which the Chain Bridge, opened in 1849, is the oldest and most graceful. From the Buda side, the castle hill rises above the water with its palace and the spire of Matthias Church, and across the river the neo-Gothic Parliament building stretches along the bank, lit gold at night. It is one of the best-looking capitals in Europe, and it knows it.
Read the complete Budapest write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Budapest is where the day begins. Next is Szentendre.
2. Szentendre
Szentendre is the artists' town of the Danube Bend, a short ride north of Budapest, with narrow cobbled streets, baroque churches and a mass of little galleries and cafés. It has been a popular day out for people from the capital for generations, and the old centre fills with visitors on any warm weekend. But the town is small enough, and the houses colourful enough, that it keeps its charm, and the riverside promenade on the Danube is a pleasant place to rest.
Read the complete Szentendre write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Szentendre comes up about 21 km into the recorded legs. Next is Visegrad.
3. Visegrad
The Danube makes a sharp turn at Visegrád, squeezing between two ranges of hills in a narrow gorge before swinging south toward Budapest, and the town sits at the point of the bend, below a fortress that watches the whole thing. The citadel stands on a steep hill about three hundred and fifty metres above the river, and its walls look out over the water, the town and the forested slopes across the way. It is one of the best views in Hungary, and it has been used for strategic purposes for more than a thousand years.
Read the complete Visegrád write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 43 km into the recorded legs you reach Visegrad. Next is Esztergom.
4. Esztergom
Esztergom was Hungary's capital before Budapest was anything, and the Hungarians still talk about it with a sort of quiet pride. Stephen, the first Christian king, was born here around the year 975, and he was crowned in 1000 or 1001, so in a sense the nation begins on this bluff above the Danube. Kings lived in the castle on the hill until the thirteenth century, when a Mongol invasion pushed them south, and the town became the seat of the Catholic primate of Hungary, which it remains.
Read the complete Esztergom write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Esztergom closes the day.
Leg by leg
Budapest to Szentendre
Budapest → Szentendre is 21 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Szentendre to Visegrad
Szentendre → Visegrad is 22 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Visegrad to Esztergom
Visegrad → Esztergom is 24 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.