Börzsöny peak attack - the Csóványos loop

Itinerary

• From the train station, we initially follow the PX mark along Béke Street to the edge of the village.
• From the forest asphalt road (királyházai út), we climb on the Z trail up to the junction near Csehvár.
• After the "Castles in Börzsöny" nature trail signboard, when the paths split, we switch back to the PX mark.
• We stay on the PX trail up to the Fultán Cross.
• We ascend Csóványos on the K trail.
• Remaining on the K marks, we reach the Nagy-Hideg-hegy.
• From the tourist house, we start descending on the K◼ trail (or parallel ski slope until it meets the hiking trail).
• Staying on the K◼ trail, we descend until the K+ signs appear, from where we continue straight on them.
• Until Királyrét, we do not change trails anymore and follow the K+ marks to our endpoint (or from the Cseresznyefa parking lot we can choose the parallel asphalt road as well).

Detailed description

Below the Börzsöny Mountains

We set out on the hike from Diósjenő train station on the PX trail. Above the rooftops rises the eastern ridge of Börzsöny, which despite its modest height hides the higher parts of the mountain range from us. The village's name comes from the Jenő tribe of the Hungarian conquest era; its inhabitants were known as skilled woodcarvers and produced carriage parts. Jenő was destroyed in the Mongol invasion, after which German settlers moved to the area.

Walking through the houses, we enter the forest and briefly follow the Kemence-Királyháza forestry road running west-east across the mountain range. We leave the asphalt path on the left and climb through a sunny oak forest alongside signs of a forestry educational trail. We cross an unpaved rocky road called the "Military Road" built before World War II with the involvement of thousands. It continues northward in the Kemence asphalt road and was significant as it made the Börzsöny passable towards the Felvidék region.

On the other side, we start a strenuous, steep climb on the Z trail, tackling the toughest challenge of our hike. We conquer the eastern ridge of Börzsöny, which rose due to tectonic movements following volcanic activity. A huge rock mass moved vertically along a north-south fault, creating a sharp, steep scarp characterizing the mountain's edge towards Cserhát. This elevation is most perceptible from the Kámor cliff and defines the Börzsöny's water system: the Kemence stream, originating on Csóványos' eastern side, is forced westward by the obstacle and collects many tributaries along its long (26 km) course, becoming one of the highest yield streams of the mountain range.

Towards the mountain interior

We tackle the unexpectedly tough side trail of Csehvár, rewarded by increasingly natural, sheltered forest. The ditch named Dugóhúzó (corkscrew) is oddly named since pulling a cork is a short and joyful act, but climbing this path is surprisingly unpleasant. The humid, warm microclimate valley is bushy and buzzing with insects, and in the final section, a wooden staircase assists progress on the sometimes muddy trail.

At 500 meters elevation, we reach the mountain top and turn right. (A detour is possible in the opposite direction to Csehvár, which was once a great observation point but today offers only faint earthworks and glimpses of view through the foliage.) Shortly after, we leave the Z mark and turn onto the red trail (PX). The left turn and the section up to Fultán Cross are poorly marked but easily followed due to the wide forest road. We bypass a tributary valley of the Kemence stream from the south and continue with a much gentler climb through young forest. The first more striking spot is the pleasant clearing of Verebes Meadow, shaded by pine trees, with a picnic table and the memorial pole of former forest engineer Géza Sándor.

It is worth refreshing here, as a long path still lies ahead. Around 600 meters, the mountain's character changes dramatically: we enter groves of tall pines and beeches, walking in a wonderfully beautiful, calm forest where moving quietly may reveal deer running ahead. Look at the red pines: they are not native here in the low mountains. Their presence is due to the German and Prussian settlers owning Diósjenő's forest in the 18th century. Timber was popular and sold individually; the stand still regenerates itself. However, climate change exerts increasing pressure on this non-native species, threatened by little precipitation, prolonged drought, lack of snow cover, and heatwaves, so it may not survive long in Börzsöny.

Later, the mark and the wheel track diverge but run parallel, so either can be chosen. The mountainside is inhabited by dense, dark beech forests; after rain, the creek can be heard roaring from the valley bottom. (Be careful not to get lost among the branching bulldozer roads!) After nearly two kilometers of forest walk, the landscape changes again as we emerge on the spacious clearing of Fultán Cross (rest area). The stone monument is a bearer of good news: Csóványos is not far now.

The cross commemorates forest ranger János Fultán (also Foltán), who waited for tree thieves on the meadow during a stormy night in the 19th century. Their encounter ended tragically as the "forest guard" was mortally wounded in a fight. The monument was erected in 1890 when many from Diósjenő hiked up the mountain to express not only their sympathy but also their outrage.

On the slopes of Csóványos

We tackle Csóványos' side on the K trail. The path is bordered by growing undergrowth in a clear-cut area, with some views towards the Danube Bend. The sight of the Visegrád Mountains and Szokolya Basin is only a mood-setting preview of the panorama awaiting at the summit. We turn onto one of the mountain's most distinctive trail sections, the ridge of Three Lindens (already around 800 meters high). On the right are tall old beech forests with characteristic dark forest floor, and on the left, the yellowed grass sways in the deep chapter of the Szén stream valley.

At the ridge's end, we again enter the vast beech forest of High Börzsöny and start the last really strenuous climb, Fultán Cut, now on Csóványos’ side. This is not quite the previous forest: hornbeam is missing, and even denser, darker canopy covers the area, adapted to the high mountain montane beech forest conditions. Lifting our heads, we soon spot the silhouette of the lookout tower among the foliage.

Csóványos, 938 + 22 meters

As the coverage suggests, a geodetic observation tower stood on the 938-meter Csóványos, rebuilt by the forestry into a modern lookout in 2014. Each floor features a Börzsöny exhibition with colorful, interesting charts and images, while labeled panels on the rail help orientation.

It is soothing to rest on the lookout’s top level and admire the Börzsöny wilderness from nearly 1000 meters up. Although Csóványos’ panorama may not be among the country’s most beautiful viewpoints, it is definitely special. We stand in the middle of extensive forest landscapes, kilometers away from the nearest inhabited areas. Around us, a deeply furrowed mountain world, the narrow valley system of High Börzsöny’s caldera basin with western ridge and Holló-kő range in the background. The erosion worked through the remains of a former giant volcano about 1500 meters tall, but the ring-shaped ridges still recall its original form. The depression surrounded by Magosfa - Csóványos - Nagy-Hideg-hegy - Magyar-hegy - Jancsi-hegy is only broken by the Csarna stream, which begins just below us.

The other side of the Danube comes into view, the volcanic hills of the Visegrád Mountains, and on clear days we can even spot the Mátra ridge northeastwards. Among the Börzsöny mountains, the ski slope highlights our next destination, the bare peak of Nagy-Hideg-hegy. On very clear days towards the north, the Karpati ranges of the Felvidék undulate: the main peak of the Selmec Mountains, Szitnya, is almost always visible, and sometimes the volcanoes of the Körmöc and Polyána ranges, considered "siblings" of Börzsöny in origin, appear. Exceptional cases reveal the giant grassy backs of the Great and Low Tatras or even the rocky crown of the High Tatras.

Among stones born in fire

The next section is dominated by rock sights. Standing on one, since 1964, the Peace Monument's natural stone pillar with relief of two raised fingers has stood on Csóványos. Shortly after the outbreak of WWI in September 1914, four men on a Börzsöny hike pledged here that every 10 years they would return to remind people of the senselessness of wars. The first Peace hike was organized by Újpest nature lovers in 1924, and the movement continues to this day.

We target Nagy-Hideg-hegy on the K trail and tackle one of Börzsöny’s most characteristic ridgeline paths along the caldera edge. Next to steep cliff drops, a mottled rock tower guards: the Korona-kő consists of hot debris that rolled down ancient volcanic slopes, baking and cementing on the lower slope. As you might guess: the highest part of today's mountain was the volcano's base about 14-15 million years ago; erosion has since dismantled the built structure. The rock bears a memorial plaque of Lajosné Torma (Vilma) put up by the Budai Spartacus hikers.

The wind usually becomes a companion here due to air masses spilling over the ridge. Soon we arrive at the Szabó-kövek rock shelf, from which turning back gives a captivating view towards Csóványos, and we note a significant altitude loss since leaving the peak. We walk on hard lava rock, which surfaced as glowing molten rock, its resistance carved it out above the surrounding terrain. The andesite body contains a hole probably man-made; legends say the notorious Nógrád outlaw Sisa Pista also hid here.

Protected by battered hornbeam-beech forest, we pass breccia rocks formed by explosive volcanic debris cemented and then exposed by erosion. At one point, there is a right detour to Hangyás-bérc, from where we can peek at the rocky patches on the Holló-kő ridge.

We ride a roller coaster under ever older trees until we reach the base of Nagy-Hideg-hegy. The junction called Rakodó is decorated with a cross erected in memory of Saint Stephen – traditionally, felled wood was loaded here on Romanian sleds, wooden structures that allowed transport of valuable goods by human power year-round to the valleys. Today Börzsöny is known for its dense, near-natural forests, but a century-old photo of the summit region shows ruthless exploitation, resulting in the once unimaginable scale of deforested, bare slopes.

On Nagy-Hideg-hegy

The next climb is the final strenuous ascent; from here on it is mostly just walking. It is worth leaving the trail mark to turn onto a forestry road crossing the top of the northeast ski slope. The opening of the pasture offers great panoramas of Hangyás-bérc and the imposing Csóványos-Magosfa block behind it.

Arriving at the peak, we see the tourist house building, and looking around, we can admire the landscape stretching from Gerecse through the Visegrád Hills to Naszály. Nagy-Hideg-hegy, with its tourist house and grassy, treeless top, offers a somewhat alpine experience and scenery, although significantly below the tree line and with a meadow resulting from human intervention. The solid stone building has been a refuge for hikers since the 1940s, an island in the ocean of mountains. Its ski slopes attest to its outstanding snow retention, and in summer, they invite rest.

Along the stream to the gate of Börzsöny

Around the house there is a needlessly complicated and dense network of hiking trails, where only an expert can immediately find the right path without mistakes. Just below the building starts the K◼ trail, but it can also be accessed descending the side ski run. Lower down, we cross the Nagy-Hideg-hegy service road twice, and after crossing the Nagy-Vasfazék stream, the K+ trail arrives, guiding us to Királyrét. The shady valley head hides from view the intimidating cavern of the Inóci quarry. Its andesite was quarried from the 1920s for over two decades, transported down by a cableway and ropeway to the little railway’s loading station.

After another service road crossing, we descend a steep, root-covered slope to a small bridge over Nagy-Vasfazék stream. The stream's name refers to long-gone glass manufacturing in Börzsöny, which used beech-ash lye boiled in iron cauldrons. We can still spot under the trees an old forestry railway embankment and loading station (part of the Királyrét line) before reaching the Cseresznyefa parking lot. Here we can choose: both concrete and hiking road lead to Királyrét. Among the parallel options, the asphalt forces monotonous walking, while the K+ route follows the stream on a pleasant path, partly along the former railway track.

Occasionally, we cross watercourses spreading the stone material of the mountains behind us, and at the end of the green corridor, filled with unforgettable landscapes of High Börzsöny, we arrive at Királyrét, the tour’s end. In the small mountain settlement, we can visit the Hiúz house (visitor center), and for departure, we can choose the little railway rattling to Kismaros as a messenger of the landscape's history.