When strolling along the picturesque Veszprém Valley, there is only one thing one longs for: to admire this landscape along with the bridge and the panorama of the Castle. An excellent way to do so is to walk up Gulya Hill above the valley. Contrary to its name, the Hill is more of a pleasant little plateau with winding paths and the Queen Gisela lookout tower in the middle.
That said, there is only one way to ascend Gulya Hill from the Veszprém Valley: the Rovaniemi Stairs, carved into the steep hillside and winding among the trees and bushes, right next to a playground.
These stairs are actually a forest staircase and their history does not go back very far. Nevertheless, they are an important symbol of Veszprém, representing the city’s traditional Finnish connections. It is no coincidence that the steps take their name of a northern Finnish city, Rovaniemi. This city, also known as the home of Santa Claus, has been Veszprém’s sister city for many decades now. The two cities have maintained these friendly ties ever since, regularly playing host to one another. This was no different in 2011, when Veszprém’s Finnish friends visited the Hungarian-Finnish Association. The locals were keen on showing their guests the romantic atmosphere of the Veszprém Valley, but they also wanted to visit the Gulya Hill and show off its magnificent view. But there was no straight path from the valley to the plateau, just a steep gully running along the banks.
Finally, the friends of the Hungarian-Finnish Association managed to slowly and carefully complete the trek, but they also came up with the idea to build a staircase here. This decision was also championed by the local forestry company and the town, allowing the staircase to be built. It was symbolically named after the town in Finland, as after all, the idea originated from the guests. In a way, the Rovaniemi Stairs represent a link connecting the valley and the heights, just as it connects two distant cities in Europe.
