Along glass factories, csevicés, marshes

 Itinerary

• From the bus stop, head west towards the center of the village following the P+ mark, passing by the Károlyi Castle.
• At the end of the settlement, turn right into the forest following the S mark.
• Shortly after the Klarissza-csevice, head southeast on the P+ mark and follow it up to the main road.
• At the Hidasi forester's guesthouse, reach the main road No. 24, where follow the P mark back to Parádsasvár.
• You will find the bus stop on Parádsasvár Street by turning right, following the P+ mark at the bend.

Detailed description of the hike

From Parádsasvár to Parádfürdőhutá

From the edge of Parádsasvár, following the P+ mark, head towards the village center along Kossuth Street next to the neorenaissance style castle hotel, which was designed and built by György Károlyi between 1876-82 with Miklós Ybl for his wife, Karolina Zichy. The building was named Sasvár by the countess. It was nationalized after the Council Republic, and the family was able to return only for two years at the end of World War II. Afterwards, it operated as a children's holiday resort and since December 1998 it has welcomed guests as a castle hotel.

Turning right in front of the quaint drinking hall of the spa and mineral water factory built in 1827, we go onto Rákóczi Street. The alkali-hydrogen carbonate, sulfurous, carbonated, and calcium-containing medicinal water here has been used for more than 200 years to treat digestive diseases. The first mention of the Parádfürdő medicinal water comes from Mátyás Bél, who wrote about the sulfurous sour water here in 1735. Ferenc Markhot, the former chief medical officer of Heves County, published a detailed description of it in 1763, recommending it as a digestive aid, and Pál Kitaibel conducted the first chemical analysis in 1798.

At the end of the bend, turn right into the forest following the S mark, and start the route through young hornbeam-oak forest over Széchenyi Hill towards the asphalt road of Fényespuszta, then crossing the Parádi Tarná and the main road No. 24, start climbing steeply upwards a few meters, after which walk parallel to the main road for a short while on the sandy, gravelly formation covered by beech forest of the Zagyvapálfalva Formation. Soon, begin another ascent up to a winding forestry access road, where in a beautiful oak forest without peduncles, walk on the southwestern side of Castle Hill preserving traces of the Hallstatt culture, then pass through wind-beech and resin-scented mixed black pine forest on the marked route. To the right, below us lies the Köszörű Valley Reservoir, an artificial lake created between 1966 and 1968 by damming local streams, which supplies drinking water to the surrounding settlements.

At the edge of Tariska Meadow, at a dirt road crossing, a large oak without peduncles on the left provides shade. We cross the next road as well and heading left, descend into the mysterious small gorge carved between rocks by the Kétbükk stream, where the terrain flattens at the foot. Crossing the stream, we reach Parádfürdőhutá, named after the long-time glass production here.

From Parádfürdőhutá to the Trout Lake

The glassworks predecessor of the Parádasvár factory was founded by Francis II Rákóczi in 1708 in Parádfürdőhutá around Méhészkert. Quartz sand and large amounts of wood ash were needed for glass production, made from the wood ashes of the surrounding forests. Since forests had greatly diminished in Western Europe by then, Hungary exported large quantities of wood ash. After clearing a forest, the glassworks were relocated approximately every 20-30 years because transporting large amounts of wood required for melting on carts was more expensive than moving the factory. Therefore, in 1767 the glassworks moved to today’s Parádsasvár, where from 1804 bottles for carbonated spring water bottling and decorated bath glasses with patterns characteristic of the spa place were produced, which were popular not only for drinking cures but also as gifts from the Reform era on. Glass blowing is practiced nowadays only at the Parádasvár glass manufactory.

Arriving at the intersection, rest comfortably on the bench under the scenic bell tower. A short walk leads to the Klarissza spring, also called the csevice here, named by Mihály Károlyi after his grandmother, Countess Clarisse Kornis. The water’s exceptionally high iron sulfate content makes it effective in treating iron deficiency anemia. It is particularly refreshing and thirst-quenching. Because of its lithium content, it is also used for exhaustion and nervous weakness. Since the well-known spring has a flow of only 1.9 liters per minute, it is often necessary to wait in line to obtain water.

Similar carbonated sour waters were once attributed to post-volcanic activities; however, the currently accepted scientific theory states that the Miocene volcanic rocks of the Mátra lie over much older rocks (e.g., Triassic limestones) and hydrocarbons responsible for their formation begin to break down at high temperatures. This is the so-called thermal dissociation, during which carbon dioxide is released. The upward flowing gas dissolves into underground waters, which emerge as carbonated sour waters at the surface. Their rotten egg smell is caused by hydrogen sulfide gas, which originates from the decomposition of sulfur in the rocks.

From the spring, follow a steep path towards the previously mentioned Méhészkert, where we switch to the P+ trail small path. Head southeast, then cross the Som Hill stream at the former Cifra bridge. After a longer ascent, cross the forestry access road named Hurok Road next to a game fence, then when meeting it again about 1 km further, turn right onto it.

Trout Lake and Kőris Marsh

The trail turns left at Trout Lake. Fish have not lived in the formerly fresh water basin for years, but the strictly protected alpine newts and spotted salamanders still use it as a prime breeding ground.

After the lake, take the well-marked contour trail northwest to the Kőris Marsh, which is actually a spring fen. The formerly named Green Lake basin was formed by a large landslide, probably after the end of the last glacial period (Würm) of the Cenozoic era about 33.5 million years ago (Dryas-III), in a warming phase starting about 10,000 years ago. As its former name shows, its sedimentation rate was rapid, and from an original lake a marsh and then a spring fen developed. Its most important botanical treasure is mountain fescue, a rare, tall grass with only a few known habitats in Hungary. According to folk observation, marshes, or similar places which were formerly called 'moszka' here, 'buzz' before weather changes, audible well in the Parád Basin. This is explained by the wind often getting 'trapped' under the Sombokor slope, producing a whistling sound. South of the marsh is the former starting point of the Kékes-Parád downhill ski slope, once connected by a skiing trail across the forest reserve to the northern ski slope.

 Back to Parádsasvár

Pass a pine grove then, after another small marsh patch in a beech forest, slowly leave the forest. Soon an atmospheric view opens north towards Haluskás and Som Hill. At the Hidasi forester’s hunting lodge, reach the No. 24 main road and turn northwest onto the P trail. This section back to Parádsasvár is also called the Vörösmarty tourist trail in memory of the poet’s 1829 excursion here. At the Mátra Saddle, continue on the main road, then cross a wide gravel road a bit down to the right, and descend through peduncle-free oak forest along the Gyalogút ridge to the edge of a clear-cut. The ridge's name reflects its importance before the main road was built for locals. Turn left here and along a sloping path parallel to the Vércverés stream, pass alongside the castle hotel fence and reach Parádsasvár, where turning right, follow the P+ trail to return in a few steps to the bus stop.