An afternoon trip to the country, without leaving Budapest

Spring is in the air already, and what better way to spend an afternoon than playing hooky from work, school or life with a trip to the countryside - without actually leaving Budapest. This itinerary combines an easy 5km walk and hike up to the Hármashatár hegy to watch the sunset, before heading back down for a relaxing drink or meal at a local four-star villa.

Monika Jones, Bernadett Báll

(Top) Sunset view of János hegy. (Center) A hike out of the city gives you time to notice the detail work in Hungarian 19th century architecture, (bottom) finish the afternoon with a cappuccino (Ft 500, €2) at Uhu Villa, a luxury hotel with a top-notch restaurant.

Depart at 15:30, and it only takes a few stops on tram 56 to forget you are still in Budapest as the bustling Moszkva tér transforms into the green, craggy, rolling hills of the Budai hegyek. Here, the air feels cleaner and cooler.

Hármashatár hegy is 497 meters above sea level and is situated to the northwest of the city. It's named for the intersection of three 'frontiers,' Buda, Óbuda, Pesthidegkút, and there are zigzagging pathways around the bald cliffs that make up the natural border between Districts II and III. The mountain is a popular destination for hikers, bikers, climbers, and even hang-gliders as it boasts beautiful views and fresh air. Every weekend families head for the chair-lift on the highest hill in the "range," János hegy.

From tram 56, get off at Nagy híd and cross the bridge to either Széphalom utca or Páfrány út to enjoy the view of the rocky mountain while admiring the fairytale 19th century manors and derelict villas extending beneath the protected forest reserve of pine and birch trees.

Meander for less than 1km to reach Szalonka út, where you'll be met by a bungalow bar called Vadaskert Bar, which seems to serve Czech Budweiser, wine, spirits, and has a nice gallery with a balcony but is not open presently, though that could change.

Turn right onto Szalonka út and wind up the curvy wooded road until you reach Madár utca, a little hamlet-like neighborhood, and go through the trees on a rocky trail to the cliffs. Once on the mountain, the hike isn't strenuous and takes about 15 minutes at most.

At the summit there are small cliffs and red clay caves. Trails circle around and from the top it is possible to head straight back down into town though District III and into Óbuda.

Sit down, drink water, take in the view of Szalonka Valley while the sun sets over János hegy and watch planes departing from Ferihegy draw white lines across the pale blue sky. Bring your own blanket for a romantic picnic.

Start heading down by dusk as the there are no lamps lighting the path. On your way back to the tram, it's worth stopping by Uhu Villa, a four-star hotel and restaurant named after the sound an owl makes. Here, you can relax over a cappuccino (Ft 500, €2) and read the complimentary magazines and newspapers the well-decorated villa offers visitors and guests.

Uhu Villa was once on the top-33 restaurant list over at our sister-site chew.hu, but was taken off due to its remote location, but since you're already here, and it is just about dinner time, it might be worth going the distance on this journey, and staying for dinner and drinks.

Either way, you'll be back in the city before midnight as refreshed as if you really had gone out of town.

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