Cycling day trip from Esztergom to Budapest I. kerület

Roll out from Esztergom’s grand basilica and cruise the Danube’s right bank. The route hugs the river almost the whole way, mostly on signed bike paths (about 58% cycleway; 92% paved), with gentle ups and downs (~356 m total climb). You’ll weave through Pilismarót and Dömös into the Danube Bend, with Visegrád’s hilltop citadel looking down—worth a quick detour if you fancy a view. Continue via Leányfalu to Szentendre, the artsy baroque town that’s perfect for a coffee and chimney cake.

From here, the riverside path pulls you into Óbuda and along the Buda embankment, finishing beneath Castle Hill at Clark Ádám tér by the Chain Bridge. It’s about 94 km in total—an easy-to-navigate long day thanks to flat riverside terrain and smooth surfaces; expect a couple of short gravel stretches.

Start fact: Esztergom was Hungary’s medieval capital and is home to the country’s largest church. Finish fact: Budapest’s Castle District (I. kerület) is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with Matthias Church and the fairy-tale Fisherman’s Bastion crowning the skyline.