Between Bükkszentkereszt and Hollóstető

Itinerary:

• From the bus stop, we head west on the S marked trail.
• At the intersection, we turn left onto Dorongósi Street following the K mark.
• At the edge of Bükkszentkereszt, we turn right and follow the thematic trail 'blue bastion over blue crescent' marks in the footsteps of the Turks to the Lófő clearing, passing by the IV. Béla Memorial.
• At the Lófő clearing, we turn onto the red cycling route and hike up to the upper section of the Hór valley; with a small detour to the left, we reach the Dorongosi sinkhole cave.
• Following the P marks, we turn right and ascend to Hollóstető.
• On the S mark, we return to Bükkszentkereszt.

Tour Description:

Újhuta and Bükkszentkereszt

From the bus stop, we follow the S sign along Kossuth Lajos Street toward the edge of the settlement, heading west, then at the first intersection, we turn left on the asphalt of Dorongósi Street following the K mark. Between the houses, we get a good view of the valley basin surrounded by mountains where the village is located. The eastern part of Bükk was part of the Diósgyőr crown estate for centuries, and until 1940, the village was called Újhuta, referring to the occupation of the ancestors.

In the mid-18th century, Slovaks settled here who operated a glassworks among the mountains; the village gradually formed around this. After moving the factory deeper into Bükk, the main occupations became lime burning, charcoal burning, and logging. Mountain products were taken to markets on the plains and, on the way home—due to a lack of arable land—various foods and crops were brought from the lowlands. After the launch of iron production in the Garadna valley, and later the heavy industry in Diósgyőr, these factories became the main buyers. Many current residents have Slovak ancestry, and it is not uncommon for community members to have stored ovens and grain storages in the forest. The traces of the long-standing crafts can be found in many places in the wider environment of the village.

Thanks to its beneficial subalpine climate, tourism began to develop in the 1930s in Bükk's highest village, and even today, many choose the village for their rest because of its beautiful location.

Upon reaching the village edge, we can take a 200-meter detour to visit the so-called healing stones or Blessed Virgin’s stones, which are actually groups of karst rock outcrops. According to legend, the Virgin Mary rested here in former times, and the place was thus filled with miraculous energy that helps healing from various illnesses. It is certain that the peace of the small forest grove and the healthy mountain air have beneficial effects on the human body.

Heading right, we switch to the unique tourist trail in the footsteps of the Turks marked blue bastion over blue crescent. This thematic tour route meanders about 93 km through Bükk, mostly touching medieval Turkish military and trade routes, as well as many sites that played a role during the occupation period. Leaving the asphalt road, we arrive at a wide meadow with built resting places and a relief memorial stone of King Béla IV. According to the story, the escaping king and his escort from the lost Battle of Mohi were caught here by pursuing Tatars. In the clash, the Hungarian knights defended their ruler, allowing him to safely reach the Bélapátfalva monastery.

We cross the narrow elongated meadow of Mészárszék, while admiring the forested slope of Kő-galya opposite. The space opens up as we reach the Lófő clearing, a grassy area marked with dolines.

Across mountain pastures

In the surroundings of Bükkszentkereszt, among agricultural sectors, animal husbandry is typical since the mountainous terrain does not allow extensive farming. Due to forest protection, concentrated pastures were created near the village in the 19th century, forming a system of meadows and pastures with Lófő clearing as its largest element. Besides open grasslands, wooded pastures and pasture forests were also typical for acorn grazing (an ancient fattening method). Feeding livestock with tasty herbs, beech and oak acorn grazing were widespread until the mid-20th century. Therefore, herds and droves were driven here even from foot-hill villages.

Although nearly 200-year-old conditions are currently maintained by mowing and grazing, since the significant and regular livestock keeping ceased, afforestation and shrub growth have been observed; large areas are taken over by hazel, elderberry, and dogwood. The once 87-hectare Lófő today covers less than half of that, but the mosaically stretched meadows still reflect the character of the old expansive system. Nowadays, herb collectors also frequent the area, searching for herbariums popularized by the nationally known Bükk herbalist, Uncle Gyuri.

Crossing a part of Lófő, we descend to the narrow asphalt road dividing the clearing, where the green cycling sign also joins us. We wind among smaller and larger groups of trees and open grassy areas. If we turn left, we can observe dolines dissolved from the road and a deep sinkhole, as well as an intermittent spring used as a watering place.

Soon, at a junction crossing a gravel road, we stand and turn right to continue on the red cycling mark. Passing by beautiful wildflower meadows, we occasionally see huge old legacy trees that still fed the livestock driven here with their fruits. Slowly, we leave the former Lófő area and enter contiguous forest.

Memories of lime burning

Along the wide road, we see gradually filling-in pits: these are traces of the very important forest profession of lime burning over centuries. The origins of Bükk’s most extensive forest industry go back to the 13th century; lime from Bükk was already used at the Bélapátfalva Abbey and the construction of Diósgyőr castle. A significant part of Bükkszentkereszt’s population lived on this and related hauling in the 19th century. Their product, burnt lime, reached several counties and Bükk lime burners were sought-after.

Building, fueling, and supervising the lime kiln required great expertise. A circular pit was dug in the ground in a suitable spot and ultimately closed with a dome-shaped vault from above. Both the outer and inner parts were lined with lime stones of different sizes, carefully plastered together. After gathering, it had to be continuously heated for 3-4 days, consuming a significant amount of wood. Then it was left to cool for a full day, and after dismantling the structure, the burnt lime was taken out and transported.

Typically, about 2 hag-weights of limestone were needed for 1 hag-weight of burnt lime, using roughly 1.5 m³ of wood to maintain temperatures around 900°C in the firebox. During the process, people stayed in the forest for days, building huts for themselves, with either one going for food or women bringing out meals. Those who practiced this activity still fondly recall these days of retreat.

By Dorongos

After a patch of pine forest, we reach the guardhouse at the intersection. If we take a 500-meter detour to the left here, we can visit a clearing similar to Lófő, called Dorongos logging clearing. This former tapered pasture and meadow surrounded by forested hills is noteworthy not just for its anthropogenic past. The beautiful clearing is a sizeable karst depression extending between Kis- and Nagy-Bodzás and the Bükks-Mátra peaks. The turtle-like hollow dissolved in karst rock was once a flowing stream that disappeared underground, its bottom filled with clayey debris. The successive rows of dolines and the mouth of the Dorongosi sinkhole cave are dissolution forms; the latter now only occasionally drains water below. At the southern end of the meadow, we find a hunting lodge and next to it military graves commemorating WWII battles in Bükk.

From the guardhouse, we continue on asphalt through mixed forests with pines. Soon, the terrain opens again, crossing the long, narrow, grassy Bodzás meadow. We also see pines here, but their number decreases due to forestry gradually removing alien species less tolerant to climate change.

The upper part of Hór valley

Arriving at an intersection, we follow the direction of the P marks and turn right, then continue with a gentle ascent along the upper part of Hór valley, an important transport corridor until the mid-20th century. Bükk’s natural southern gateway is the 17 km long valley between Cserépfalu and Hollóstető, connecting the inner parts of the mountain range with the edge of the Great Plain. Unlike several similar Bükk passageways, this historically significant route was fortunately never asphalted but remained a forest stone road.

Under the overlapped canopy of forests on both sides, we march, occasionally discovering old lime-burners’ pits by the roadside. On the left, clear-cutting opens views to the sky, and a 130-meter detour to the right leads us to the Hollós-tető sinkhole cave. Also called the backflow by locals, these Bükk sinkholes channel waters of layered and fissure springs into the lower cave system. Many operate only intermittently, but this one is permanently active. It is fascinating to watch the trickling stream disappear into the sediment of the streambed.

Continuing to climb in the valley, we soon reach fences and buildings marking the border of Hollóstető. The mountain settlement established at the saddle between the Nagy-fennsík plateau, the Szinva, and Hór valley is an important junction. Here meets the paved road leading to Miskolc via Répáshuta and to Eger via Bükkszentkereszt and Diósgyőr.

From Hollóstető to Bükkszentkereszt

Above the meeting of roads, we find the Hollóstető Tourist House, where we can rest. Built in the 1930s, this shelter is connected to the development of Lillafüred, when a 2 km long bobsleigh track ran in Hollós valley, and golf courses awaited the noble audience here at the saddle. The campsite below the house has offered accommodation for nomadic hikers since the 1960s. Control over the saddle was also significant at the end of 1944, as evidenced by a military grave in the forest.

We continue our hike toward Bükkszentkereszt following the S marks along the country road, starting the last section. Leaving the houses, we turn left into the forest, descending to the large road junction at the head of the Hollós valley. After a spruce forest patch, the trail ascends, and under the magnificent beech trunks, we reach the top of the Száraz-Szinva valley. In former times, the cart road to Bükkszentkereszt led here. We turn into a power line clearing and climb a steeper ascent next to the poles reaching the village’s edge and then return to the starting point of our tour. If time and mood allow, it is worth recharging and resting at one of the eateries in the village center.