Buda Hills: Children's Railway and Chairlift

The Buda Hills rise just west of the city, and their beech and oak forests are where Budapest goes to breathe. The most delightful way to explore them is a loop combining three quirky forms of transport, and the star is the Children's Railway, a narrow-gauge line that winds for about twelve kilometres through the woods from Széchenyi-hegy to Hűvösvölgy. Since 1948, it has been run by schoolchildren: pupils, trained in after-school courses, sell and check tickets, signal the trains, set the points and run the stations in smart uniforms, under the supervision of adult railway staff, who drive the locomotives. It is a unique institution, a relic of the communist era that has outlived the regime because children and parents love it, and today it is run by the national railway company MÁV. The full journey takes around forty to fifty minutes, with stops at stations including Normafa, Csillebérc and Jánoshegy. To reach the start, take a tram to Városmajor and then the cogwheel railway, line 60, which climbs about three hundred metres through the villas of the Buda hillside to Széchenyi-hegy; it is part of the city network and uses ordinary public transport tickets. The Children's Railway sells its own tickets: in 2026, an adult single costs about 1,000 HUF and a child single about half that, with a family day ticket, and children under six travel free; tickets are bought with cash on board, or by card at the terminus ticket offices. From Jánoshegy station, a walk leads to the upper station of the Zugliget chairlift, the Libegő, an open two-seater chairlift that glides slowly down over the treetops to Zugliget, with views over the city on the way; it has its own tickets, and the Budapest Card includes a ride.

Making the loop: a classic route is tram to Városmajor, cogwheel railway up to Széchenyi-hegy, Children's Railway to Jánoshegy or Normafa, a forest walk, and the chairlift down to Zugliget, from where bus 291 returns to the city. Alternatively, ride the railway all the way to Hűvösvölgy and take a tram back. Buy a two-ride ticket if you want to break the journey, for example at Normafa, where the Rétes Büfé is famous for its strudel and the open meadow is a favourite place for picnics, kite-flying and, in snowy winters, sledging. Allow half a day. The Children's Railway does not run on Mondays during the school term, and the chairlift has maintenance stops on some Mondays and longer closures twice a year, so check both timetables before you go.

One important change: the Elizabeth Lookout on János Hill, the highest point in Budapest and traditionally the climax of the loop, is closed for an extended renovation. The railway, chairlift and forest paths operate normally, and the lookouts on Hárs Hill are suggested as an alternative viewpoint, so plan your walk accordingly and check for a reopening before you go.

Know the trade-offs. The chairlift is open and exposed, so it is cold in winter and not for anyone afraid of heights; it runs shorter hours from November to January and can stop at short notice in bad weather. The railway's trains are small and fill up on sunny weekends and in school holidays. But for families, there is nothing else like it in Budapest, and for anyone who has seen enough churches and museums, a few hours in the hills are a perfect reset. Wear proper walking shoes, as the forest paths can be muddy after rain, and bring water and a snack, since cafés and kiosks along the route keep limited hours outside the summer season.