Börzsönyi Blue Trail, section 1: Diósjenő–Bernecebaráti

Itinerary

• Between Diósjenő and Bernecebaráti we follow the K mark all the way.

Detailed description of the route

Departure from Diósjenő

We start our hike from the Diósjenő railway station, where trains arrive from Vác hourly and from Balassagyarmat–Drégelypalánk every 1-2 hours. After stamping or noting the verification code on the post, we set off on the hike, the itinerary of which is simple: "follow the blue markers". However, reality is not so kind; many of the signs have been worn away by time, and there are sections hard to follow on the way to Bernecebaráti. Unlike the trails marked with S and Z, we leave Diósjenő relatively quickly on the K trail, turning right off the main street in the settlement center defined by a pub and a shop. It is worth stocking up on food at the shop, as there will be no opportunity until Bernecebaráti – water can still be collected 1 km further at the edge of Diósjenő, nowhere afterward.

At the village boundary, we pass a charming cellar street next to the All Saints church, then after a 1 km long forest section, we still see traces of civilization: a paved road, agricultural buildings, and a few houses. At one fence, we find the outflow of Zsibaki spring water, where we can fill up liquids for the journey. The following section alternates between groves and denser forests; thanks to a clear-cut area, we have a view to the south where the Naszály mountain can be identified above Vác.

At the northeastern foothills of Börzsöny

The second verification point of the route is at the resting place in the Kámori valley beside the usually easy-to-cross Görbe stream. The code can be read from a post nearby; there are benches, a fire pit, and a spacious rain shelter providing cover for larger groups and even for overnight stays.

From the resting place, it is 3 km to the Pénzásási tourist hut, where we start ascending: we gain about 135 m of elevation mostly unseen, as there are no sudden steep climbs. The trail is very varied, from single-track, nettle and prickly vine overgrown unfriendly paths to wide forestry roads. Landscapes change from dense forest to clearings, from locust groves to old oak woods. Sometimes there are also views where we can observe the characteristic cone of Karajsó and the towering Kámor beside us; the eagle-eyed can find the Kőember rock on a more exposed cliff on the left side.

The Pénzásási tourist hut, renovated in 2014, operates as a mountain hut after registration and is often rented by school groups for camps since it has enough beds for 32 people. The original building may have been built at the end of the 1930s for workers of the Wenckheim estate who owned and harvested the surrounding forests and mined limestone, in use until the 1950s. After years of decay, from 1968 it operated briefly as a tourist hostel, then became a workers’ hostel and warehouse until in the 1980s it was reestablished as the Szondy mountain hut named after the Drégely castle captain. From the late 1990s to 2013 it stood abandoned, after which it was renovated and has operated in its current form since.

The real highlight of the hike

From Pénzásás we must hike another 3 kilometers to reach Drégely Castle, standing exactly 444 m high, which is also the halfway point of the section to Bernecebaráti and an excellent place for a longer rest – the signpost pole at the saddle is the verification point. The castle itself is not on the Börzsönyi Blue trail route, but this short detour on the KL trail is definitely worth it, as we are in the northeastern tip of Börzsöny, the last volcanic cone from which you can see the Nógrád Basin, the Ipoly valley, the hills of Cserhát (up to the Mátra), and the highest peaks of Börzsöny. Beyond the panorama, the castle itself is interesting, in ruined but visitable condition. The most famous moment in Drégely Castle’s history is the 1552 siege by the Turks, where castle captain György Szondy died heroically against overwhelming odds. You can read more about Drégely Castle and Szondy’s heroic act in detail on Természetjáró.

On deserted, wild paths

In the next narrow hour, we cover a less interesting section of the Börzsöny blue, on a wide forest road, ascending slightly to the highest point of the section, found on the path that bypasses the Kőkapu peak by 500 meters. At the Kőkapu, we pass between some rocks which guard the trail as gates on both sides.

We now enter the wildest section of the route, continuing along the northernmost ridge of Börzsöny toward Dobogó Hill and Hármashatár. The trail is mostly a footpath or less: in dense summer vegetation it can be difficult to follow, especially through human-height nettles. Even if it’s hot, long trousers will repay themselves here! While it stings, pricks, and clings, we occasionally get views through the trees to the Ipoly valley, toward Hont and Ipolyság.

Near Hármashatár, you can see a sign indicating castle remains, but the ruins will hardly be identifiable to the lay eye. Our path even crosses the hardly visible ramparts of the Bronze Age earth fort on Jelenc Hill. From here, the landscape and soil change significantly: we walk in more open, groved forests, sometimes through meadows, and the soil is sedimentary and dusty. The K trail mostly leads on dirt roads, and although this has its charm, hikers will be glad for shady sections in the scorching sun. We soon reach the Ötholdas junction, where the recently connected Z trail turns left into the Bernece stream valley. (The verification point sign is on a post.) Nearby, a trail sign leads to a memorial site a few meters from the path into the forest. Here we find a wooden cross leaning on a tree, erected in memory of József Major, a forest worker who died from a lightning strike in 1961.

On dirt roads, through meadows

We stay on the ridge, walking one and a half kilometers on meadow dirt roads, from cut areas on the left we have views of the Magas-Börzsöny peaks – a unique sight in Börzsöny. Along the road, several wooden posts remind of old lands and mines, enhanced by pine trees coloring the otherwise monotonous forest. The route here is well followed, although one must pay attention to turn right on a narrow path leading to the Csitár cross.

At the Csitár cross, we find a shabby resting place surrounding the cross in a circle. We only recommend the use of the rotted, mossy benches to the daring. Near the cross, on a wooden board, the verification code is found. There will be no more codes until Bernecebaráti, so the remaining few kilometers can be walked without stopping.

The markings on this section are quite random; time and weather have also heavily damaged them, making navigation difficult. Thus the phone’s GPS and the Természetjáró app may come in handy. We arrive in oak-locust forest at Bernecebaráti; the path is densely overgrown in places with undergrowth but at least continuously descending: Bernecebaráti lies 145 meters lower than the 315-meter peak of Új-hegy, and we arrive under the gardens. Our section ends at the verification point sign on Széchenyi street, and the attractions of the village, merged from Bernecé and Baráti, await in the next section. The bus stop is found on the main street at the end of Széchenyi street, following the K+ mark. Here also operates the Ventúra pub, another verification point, just like the Öregerdő tourist hut further down.