Nagymaros – Kisinóci Tourist Lodge (Day 36 of the OKT Hike)

If, while standing on the Nagymaros ferry, we thought we’d left the Visegrád Mountains behind us for good, you should know that the first part of our hike—conquering St. Michael’s Hill—is still part of it, since this “runaway hill” is geologically a fragment of the Visegrád Mountains.

You’ll find the Nagymaros stamp on the last pillar of the train station building facing Vác—so if you’re arriving by train from the capital, you’ll have to factor in some extra stairs. It’s a good warm-up, though, since once you leave the charming streets of Nagymaros—dotted with colorful houses—and enter the Templom Valley, the climb begins in earnest.

The valley takes its name from the Parish Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, and the street leading to the church continues into the valley. First mentioned in 1324 and originally built in the Gothic style, the church is the only medieval religious building in the Danube Bend that still stands today. It was later rebuilt in the Baroque style; even laypeople can easily spot traces of the various eras on the building’s walls: numerous windows of different shapes and sizes are visible there. The church faces east, specifically toward the sunrise on May 3, which is the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross.

On Diófa Street in Nagymaros, and then in Templom Valley, we descend 340 meters over a distance of just over 3 km to the Szent Mihály Pass. Templom Valley itself boasts the most beautiful and natural forest of the entire day’s route: in the narrow ravine, giant trees provide shade even from the fiercest summer sun, and the dense ash and beech forest shelters a wonderfully walkable hiking trail. Running parallel to the trail, a mostly dry stream bed also “accompanies us” toward the mountain’s summit.

The atmosphere of the hiking trail changes at the Swabian Saddle. The forest becomes much more open, and the trail transforms into the dusty, sloping, slippery, and difficult-to-navigate path characteristic of the upper third of St. Michael’s Mountain. This is the most difficult section of the hike, but with due care, it can be completed safely—it might even be worth bringing hiking poles here. The climb takes on a wild, romantic feel due to the fallen ash trees, of which there are, unfortunately, a great many here. The trees’ roots are attacked by a fungus, which compromises the ash trees’ stability to such an extent that they fall over easily. We do not recommend this route in strong winds; the danger is real.

The St. Michael’s Saddle is one of the mountain’s key hiking trail junctions. By turning onto the S-marked trail, you can visit the summit of Szent Mihály Hill, which is marked by a summit stone but offers no view, so this detour is recommended only for “collectors.” However, the trail marked K⩍, leading to Remete Cave, also branches off from the Blue Trail here. This is not a short and easy detour; only those who know what they’re getting into should head down to the cave! The path is extremely steep and slippery, and you’ll have to come back up it to continue on the OKT! However, there are two lookouts nearby that may be worth checking out: one is the spot called Kis Sándorné Lookout behind the peak, and the other is an unnamed spot located near the junction of the K⩍ and S+ trails. Both offer beautiful views toward Dömös of the Danube and the Visegrád Mountains, which provide a picturesque backdrop.

At the saddle, the Blue Trail turns right toward Hegyes-tető, another important peak of Szent Mihály Hill. The main peak is 485 m high, while this one is 482 m—so those who hike up only to this point won’t miss out on much. On the way to the Julianus Tower standing on Hegyes-tető, we also cross a small meadow where a relay tower and its support building are located.

Along our trail, we may notice a few water-absorbing pits surrounded by wooden fences. These are actually artificially excavated exploration shafts from the early 1950s and are part of a power plant project conceived 30 years before the plans for the infamous Bős–Nagymaros barrage. According to the plans at the time, the excess energy generated at night by a hydroelectric plant to be built at Nagymaros would have been used to pump water from the Danube into a reservoir with a capacity of several million cubic meters to be constructed on Szent Mihály Hill. During periods of energy shortages, the water’s potential energy would have been converted back into electricity. The plans fell apart after Stalin’s death in 1953.

After a short climb, we soon reach the summit of Hegyes-tető and the iconic lookout tower standing atop it, the Julianus Barát Tower. The circular, two-story stone tower was built by the Encián Tourist Association in 1938 and was named after a monk who researched our ancestors in Asia. The ground floor of the lookout tower also serves as a shelter from the rain, and the hiking trail “slips through” the arched passageway. A narrow spiral staircase leads up to the lookout; the first level can also be used as a shelter from the rain or a cozy resting spot, as it features benches around the perimeter and a round table in the center. Yet the upper level of the lookout tower is the highlight, where one of the best panoramic views in the entire country rewards anyone who makes the climb. The Danube wraps around St. Michael’s Hill in a 270-degree arc, so our view stretches from Vác through Visegrád to Helemba. Opposite us, the ridges of the Visegrád Mountains tower overhead, and we have a clear view of Visegrád Castle itself. In the opposite direction, the entire Börzsöny Range rises before us.

The stamp for the National Blue Trail is located on the sign next to the lookout. There are benches and tables on both sides of the tower.

Friar Julianus Tower – Törökmező Tourist Lodge

From the lookout tower, we continue along a steep, slippery trail. After a descent of about 100 meters, we reach the Világos-tér junction, from where a gentler forest path leads on toward Köves-mező.

Köves-mező still lies in the immediate vicinity of Nagymaros, only significantly higher up: from an elevation of 170 meters, we can look down one last time at the Danube and Visegrád Castle. At the slightly overgrown lookout point, there is a parking area and a rest stop; scattered throughout the clearing, we’ll find several tables, benches, and fire pits.

The K trail markers lead onward through the Csapás Meadows toward the heart of the Börzsöny Mountains. This ribbon-like chain of meadows, running north–south, was once a cattle drive route between Nagymaros and Zebegény. The meadow strip ends at a steep slope, where, in the shade of large trees, we arrive at a cozy rest area, the Déchy Mór Rest Area. At this simple rest area, we find a table and two benches, well-positioned to offer a view of the higher ridges of the Börzsöny—and Nagy-Hideg Hill also appears on the far right of the horizon.

From the sunlit meadow, we descend into the forest. The initially steep trail gives way to a forest road that runs mostly on level ground; after one and a half kilometers on this road, we arrive at Török-mező. The Turkish armies preparing for the siege of Visegrád gathered on the Börzsöny’s largest pasture; later, the occupying forces used it for grazing, and after them, the locals did as well. In the spring, an especially large number of spring snowflakes bloom here; perhaps that is when the field, blanketed in yellow and coming to life, is at its most beautiful.

On the far side of Török-mező, already in a wooded area, stands the Törökmezői tourist lodge, and the next stamp on the Blue Trail is located on the sign in front of it. A mini-zoo has also been set up next to the tourist lodge, but the site is also known for its adventure park. Around the lodge, we walk on a small plateau—a flat expanse—whose geological peculiarity is that it’s composed of limestone deposited during the marine transgression that followed the volcanic activity that formed the mountain range. The nearby springs also originate from this layer.

Törökmező Tourist Lodge – Kisinóc Tourist Lodge

The National Blue Trail heads back into the forest. Another downhill section follows, at the end of which we reach the Malom-völgyi Stream. Here, with a short detour, we can walk out to the picturesque Törökmező Fish Pond —created by damming the stream—by following the “Z” markers to the right. Over the next kilometer, which involves a slight climb, we make our way up through the trees to the level of the Békás Meadow. From this picturesque clearing, there are exciting views of both the Magas-Börzsöny and the Visegrád Mountains. Part of the area is used for arable farming, while another part serves as pasture and hayfield for the animals of a nearby farm.

From the edge of Békás Meadow, the Blue Trail continues through the forest again. After skirting Piroska Hill, our trail crosses the Kóspallag public road at the Máriánosztra junction. Here stands the “Kóspallag Gate” rest area, where you’ll find numerous tables and benches, as well as fire pits. A covered spring also feeds the Korompa Stream flowing through here, but without a spout, using it is rather inconvenient.

The rest area already signals the proximity of Kóspallag, which we reach from the south via the Nagy-Vaskapu junction. We must walk through the neat little village to the church, then continue straight ahead on Kálvária Street. Kóspallag is the youngest settlement in the Börzsöny Mountains; it was founded in the 18th century, during the reign of Maria Theresa, primarily by German-speaking and Slovak settlers. The stone cross in the village commemorates the Napoleonic Wars, as this was the site of the cemetery for the military hospital of the Márianosztra monastery.

On the northern edge of Kóspallag, after a climb of about 50 meters, we reach the Calvary, where a superb view rewards our efforts: the Visegrád Mountains reappear, and Visegrád Castle itself is visible as a tiny speck, while the houses of Kóspallag lie below us. On the other side of the Calvary, we descend into the picturesque valley of the Ló-hegyi Stream, skirting the Öreg Rock. After crossing the stream, we arrive at the Kisinóc Tourist Lodge. This is the oldest tourist lodge in the Börzsöny Mountains; it has been serving hikers for more than 85 years. The three-story, castle-like stone building also includes an additional wing suitable for hosting community events. Although there is a bus stop right in front of the lodge, buses only run here on weekends; on weekdays, you can catch a bus in Kóspallag, which is just under 2 kilometers away.

The Blue Trail stamp is located on the fence of the garden area.