On the northern ridges of the High Börzsöny

Itinerary

• We start from Királyháza on the asphalt road marked with K◼ heading north.
• After the last building, we turn left on the P marking.
• On the P● marking, we make a detour to the Tűzköves spring.
• Returning to the P marking, we climb to the Csóványos via Nagy-Mána.
• From the main peak, we return along the P marking to the Sasfészek-bérc trail junction.
• We turn left onto the P◼ marking and walk to Rakottyás-bérc.
• On the P⩍ marking, we take a short detour to the József Archduke Memorial.
• We walk to a viewpoint of Rakottyás-bérc along the P▲ marking.
• Returning to the P◼ markings, we descend to Királyháza.
• We reach the starting point on the K◼ marking.

Route Description

The forest singer and the Olympic competitor

We leave the buildings of Királyháza behind on the asphalt road marked K◼ heading north towards Kemence. Soon we reach a junction where we turn left onto the P marking, and after 100 meters we make another left into the Rose Creek valley. Along the babbling watercourse, a railway existed until the 1970s leading deep into the forest; we now march on a wide wagon road built in its place, parallel to the andesite-stony riverbed. On this pleasant forest path, we notice a resting place, behind which in a rock-carved alcove by the creek we find a spring enclosure marked P●. During floods, the water covers the dripping fissure water's stone basin, but in calm times we can refill our water bottles with excellent water. A memorial plaque on the rock face shows that this is the Tűzköves spring of István Bársony, a Hungarian hunter and nature masterwriter. It was erected in 1910 by the local tenant Szokolyi Alajos, an ex-Olympian who was a diverse and well-known figure of the turn of the century. An information board provides more about these two men and narrates the origin story of the Tűzköves spring.

From the valley to the ridge

Continuing along the Rose Creek, we climb the hillside, circumvent two fords, then the gorge splits and encloses a steeply descending ridge. Turning right here, we cross the watercourse over the remains of a small railway bridge pier, and enter the adjacent Rakottyás valley, where we cross another creek. From there, our path climbs to the ridge line, and we tackle the steep ascent to the Nagy-Mána-bérc. As we cross contour lines and the surrounding view unfolds, we realize the destruction caused to the forest by the ice damage in December 2014. The ice rain heavy on branches and trunks decimated large areas of the previously closed beech forest.

The first section of the steep mountain trail with sporting value is slippery and covered in stone debris; therefore, be careful where and how you step — you can even use trees as handholds. Beyond the most difficult part, over a rock, we reach a peculiar, bell tower-shaped carved memorial where a wind chime greets visitors. This structure commemorates the young Peter Tóth who tragically died during a hike.

Manna on Nagy-Mána

We continue through dense grassy oak woods, then ascend further beneath magnificent beeches, among which we see many older specimens. At times, we step over volcanic rocks, then a larger pile of rubble signals we are arriving beneath the peak of Nagy-Mána. Leaving the dense forest, we suddenly walk on barren rocky grasslands rewarded with a picturesque view. Ahead towers the dark green, rounded block of Csóványos; to the left, Pogányvár is covered with continuous, velvety forest, while deep below cuts the gorge of Rose Creek, whose upper section nearly bites into the main ridge line. Where the tree canopy allows, there is also a view of Rakottyás-bérc. The view is marked by scars from the 2014 ice damage; huge trunks lie like matchsticks on the hillside. The narrow ridge after the peak, which also marks the border of Nógrád and Pest counties, offers excellent rocky resting places. It is worth sitting on one of the andesite benches to enjoy the panorama and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the wonderful, little-disturbed wilderness. Look around the meadow too: depending on the season, rare and protected plant species can be discovered. As early summer color spots of the karst scrub forests, thickets, and groves, there bloom the turban lily, colorful iris on rocky grasslands, yellow rock rose, and alpine rose. Looking up at the sky, one can observe patrolling ravens, buzzards, or eagles. The area we cross holds much wildlife in the slopes of Csóványos: the clearings surrounded by dense forests and steep slopes provide good habitats for red deer. If really lucky, you can spot Hungary’s only large wildcat, the lynx. Although it lives in the area, even national park experts rarely see it, and mainly know of its presence from tracks, fur patterns, and camera trap recordings.

Sasfészek-bérc

After dipping a few meters, our path starts ascending again on the back of Sasfészek-bérc, where we cross ash forests overgrown with tall grass. Along the ridge section, we can observe lava benches and breccias of different sizes and fused from fine ash, testimonies of ancient volcanism. The narrow ridge crest is flanked by steeply falling valleys on both sides: the gorges of Rose and Rakottyás creeks. The downpouring precipitation waters carved this high Börzsöny giant volcano's northern cone, but similar erosional forms are characteristic in every direction starting from the main peak block. We leave the tourist path marked P◼ at the junction turning right, where we will continue our hike after visiting Csóványos, and we make a last push climbing the central volcanic rim to the saddle called Három-hányás. This is a segment of the eroded caldera rim of Börzsöny's highest ridge between Csóványos and Magosfa. Our previously typically steep path now flattens, and on gently ascending terrain we hike among beeches and ashes toward the nearby main peak. The exposed ridge path leads through a wind-torn forest: fierce storms and ice have broken branches, which cover the surface messily. We also cross rocky fields; scattered smaller and larger volcanic rocks fractured significantly due to frost weathering during ice ages. We walk past the highest source of the Börzsöny, the Upper Rose spring, which now only occasionally flows, and a few minutes later we stand at the highest point of the mountain range.

At the top of Börzsöny

Originally, a concrete cylinder of a geodetic measuring tower rose on the peak, renovated in 2014 and converted into a lookout. Climbing to the top, we enjoy one of the most beautiful panoramas of our country. The unobstructed 360-degree view is truly spectacular; in Budapest slang: nowhere in the Ring Road is there a view like this! The sight and feeling compensate for the effort of the previous levels. There is a great view of the range's central part, the High Börzsöny, one of the largest uninhabited mountain landscapes in Hungary with continuous forest cover. The ancient volcanic caldera rim is easily recognizable. From Miklós-tető to Magosfa, Csóványos, and Nagy-Hideg-hegy, the former rim stretched and now forms a segment of Börzsöny’s highest ridge, complemented by Vár-bérc – Hollókő side ridge; this is the western edge of the basin. The kettle-shaped depression is cut by Csarna Creek northwards, collecting waters from the draining side valleys. Compared to other domestic areas, the large forests and elevation differences, rocky ridges and inner deep creek valleys, along with the network of side ridges, turn the High Börzsöny into a wilder hiking terrain than average in Hungary. To the south, the sightline is framed by the Visegrád Hills, offering views of Dobogókő region and clearly showing the characteristic break of Vörös-kő. We can also glimpse a section of the Danube, with the Southern Börzsöny ranges and basins in the foreground. Closer are the Csóványos – Nagy-Hideg-hegy – Nagy-Inóc ridge sections. To the north in the distance, we see Ipolyság, Drégely Castle, and closer, Magosfa. On clear days, the Mátra appears, along with the volcanic mountains of the Slovakian Carpathians (e.g., Sitnya, Körmöci range, Polana) and also the Tatras. To the west, the flat floodplains where the Ipoly and Garam rivers flow into the Danube stretch to infinity. Identifying the sights is aided by labeled photo plaques, and many interesting facts about Csóványos and Börzsöny can be learned from displays placed at the lookout levels and base.

Returning from the tower, we can sit a bit at the built resting place. Westward from the lookout, we find volcanic rubble rocks from former volcanic activity. One of these hosts the Peace Memorial, with a moving and attention-grabbing story. In early September 1914, four young men went on a Börzsöny hike. By then, Europe was already engulfed in flames: World War I had begun. Here, on Csóványos, they pledged to climb the peak every ten years to express their longing for peace, emphasizing the futility of wars. This movement started the Peace Hikes, first organized by nature lovers of Újpest in 1924 and most recently celebrated in 2014 on the centennial occasion. The memorial column was erected in 1964 for the 50th anniversary. World War I snatched many members from various tourist organizations at the fronts. In the 1920s and ’30s, several associations also erected memorials for their fallen heroes.

Across to the other ridge

After spending enough time at the peak, we return along the P marking to the Sasfészek-bérc junction, where turning left, we follow the P◼ path. We return to Királyháza on another ridge descending from Csóványos, the Rakottyás-bérc. First above the head of the Rakottyás-patak source valley, we transverse horizontally in the ice-damaged ash-beech forest. It is sad to see uprooted trees, but at least among the still-standing, mostly arch-shaped trunks, we get a panorama towards the Ipoly direction, with the riverside village of Ipolyvisk clearly visible. The fallen, slowly decaying dead wood on the ground serves as habitat for many protected insect species and their larvae, such as the mountain longhorn beetle, the emblematic insect of the Duna-Ipoly National Park and the 2019 insect of the year. To the left of our path, huge towers mark that we are at the volcanic breccia rock formations called Viski stones. The impressive rock pyramids born from fire are the forerunners of the other volcanic formations we encounter on our way down. The steep rocky slopes are excellent habitats for mouflon, wild sheep introduced from Corsica and Sardinia. The males' spiral twisted, snail-like long horns are prized trophies for hunters.

Descending on Rakottyás

Crossing the torn forest, we join the ridge line of Rakottyás-bérc, where we start descending through continuous and undisturbed beech groves. At a junction, the P⩍ marking invites us into the wilderness, and we shouldn’t resist! On this path, we reach a monumental stone obelisk erected by Szokolyi Alajos, known from Tűzköves spring, in memory of King Matthias’ hunts here and Archduke József’s 1000th red deer stag. It is dizzying to think of the effort this passionate Habsburg noble exerted hunting across the Carpathians to achieve this count by the age of 37.

Further descending, we cross the gray boulder field fragmented during the ice age, then the branching P▲ marking invites us to a steep mountain clearing. From the open and rocky hillside, we have a view of the deep Rakottyás-patak valley, the opposite towering Sasfészek-bérc, and behind it the peaked cup of Pogányvár. The path loops back to the P◼ marking. Soon we leave the ridge position and find ourselves at the mushroom-shaped rocks of Rend-kövek by a steep descent. Erosion carved these towers built from differently hard—and therefore differently decaying—rubble and lava rocks into such unique shapes.

We continue on a wide wagon road back toward Királyháza through a forest changing to oak woods with grassy undergrowth. We bypass the Bangola-tető promontory from the west, then descend to the old mowing meadow called Queen’s pallag, where “Queen Beatrix and her ladies-in-waiting had fun while the royal husband hunted forest game”—a quote referring to Matthias Corvinus in the 1931 tour guide. We cross the edge of one more clearing and return to the Rose Creek valley, crossing a bridge over the water. On the far side, turning left, we trudge back to Királyháza on the now familiar path. The last meters to the starting point are done on the K◼ marking.