Forest cycle path renovations in the Visegrád Hills and Pilis

According to a statement from the Ministry of Agriculture, state forest holdings are expanding the tourism network in a way that is integrated into forest management, in line with conservation and economic goals. Péter Zambó, minister of state for forests and land affairs at the Ministry of Agriculture, attended the inauguration of Pilis Bike, the renovated section of the Pilis Parkerdő Zrt. 

Pilisi Parkerdő Zrt. has designated 350 kilometers of forest cycle paths in the Buda and Visegrád Hills and in the Pilis area in recent years, according to the statement.

Pilis Bike is used by tens of thousands of people every year, and its routes are among the most visited forest cycle paths in the country. In partnership with the Active and Ecotourism Development Centre, Pilisi Parkerdő Zrt. renovated 45 kilometers of Pilis Bike, almost 15 percent of the route, in the summer and autumn of 2022. The majority of the 45 kilometers of forest cycle paths received new asphalt and crushed stone pavement, with more than 80,000 square meters of pavement affected by the renovation. In addition to the paving, drainage and reinforcement of the road base have been addressed in several places, the statement said.

In line with its mission, and in addition to its regular forest management activities, Pilisi Parkerdő Zrt has made a number of investments over the past decade to ensure that the forests around Budapest serve the recreation of the more than 3 million people living in the area and the tourists visiting it in the best and most sustainable way possible.

The investment of more than HUF 1 billion in the development of cycle paths, which will last for four months, is a response to new demand in forest tourism, the ministry said.