Popular Moonlight Gorge hiking trail near Budapest renewed – photos
The Pilisi Parkerdő Plc. has completed the restoration of the Holdvilág-árok (Moonlight Gorge) nature reserve and ecotourism trail, turning one of Hungary’s most visited ravines into a safer and more immersive experience for nature lovers, as announced at the trail’s official reopening ceremony on Wednesday.
Visitor safety ensured on Moonlight Gorge
Gábor Reinitz, CEO of Pilisi Parkerdő, explained that to ensure visitor safety, foresters restored 275 steps, constructed 11 new fords using local materials, installed three sediment traps to protect watercourses, and added new information boards, benches, and fire pits. Railings were also installed along the steepest sections to aid hikers.
Péter Zambó, State Secretary for Forests and Land Affairs, praised the project as an excellent example of how nature conservation, tourism development, and community value creation can be successfully combined.
Preserving the wild character of the area
He recalled starting his career with Pilisi Parkerdő and how the Holdvilág-árok was last extensively renovated in 1989 at considerable expense. Since then, no major refurbishment has taken place. This latest development preserves the wild character of the area while making the experience more accessible.
György Bacsa, trustee of the MOL-New Europe Foundation, emphasised the power of partnerships between private and public sectors to deliver sustainable solutions, safeguarding natural assets for future generations.
This upgrade, supported by the MOL-New Europe Foundation, follows the spring renovation of the Barátkút rest stop, where visitors have already enjoyed new benches, information boards, and an organised resting area.
Unique geological formations, sheer cliffs, diverse wildlife
Located near Pomáz, at the eastern gateway of the Pilis, the Moonlight Gorge (Holdvilág-árok) has attracted walkers with its unique geological formations, sheer cliffs, and diverse wildlife for decades.
Its most iconic feature is a 10-metre-high cliff, which adventurers can climb using the famous Meteor Ladder, installed in 1965 and now a symbol of the area.
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Pilisi Parkerdő Plc currently manages 65,000 hectares of forest around Budapest and welcomes around 30 million visitors annually.
Thanks to its proximity to the capital, these forests serve as popular recreational and sports destinations for locals. Interest in hiking surged further during the pandemic years, with the Prédikálószék lookout alone seeing 15,000 to 17,000 visitors in a single weekend.
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