Caving and fairy-tale panoramas on the Szinva nature trail

The ideal is to start the route from the junction at where the Csanyik stream flows into the Szinva. There is parking available here, and you can also get off the bus at the stop called Csanyikvölgy. It is easy to find your way, because where the narrow-gauge railway tracks cross the road, you can already see from afar the four-legged mushroom hut, on the side of which you will find the hiking trail markings. You can follow either the red square or the blue diagonal, which take us with a pleasant climb to the side of Bedő Albert Hill. (You can find the blue diagonal in several places in the Bükk where the nature trails are longer and more like hiking routes.) The ascent of 400 meters is almost unnoticeable because along the way the informative boards of the Szinva nature trail invite you to stop now and then. 

As soon as the uphill ends, follow the best strategy possible, which will surely reward you with wonderful viewpoints and fairy-tale panoramas: following the signs, always watch the winding path under your feet. Where it branches to the left, follow the worn path. You can marvel from countless angles and always in different landscapes. At some point, you can see Miskolc, Diósgyőr; at other times, you can view the valley of the Szinva stream and the surrounding hills; further on, the houses of Felsőhámor emerge among the trees, higher up the imposing building of the Castle Hotel also becomes part of the landscape – and in wetter periods, the roar of the waterfall can be heard, and the rushing water is visible. The many detours are worth it, you will be amazed! In one of the protrusions, you can discover the legendary Molnár Rock Cross, which can be reached with proper caution. People with vertigo should avoid this place in a wide arc!

After enjoying yourselves, the slanting blue mark and the red lead us to the Dolka Saddle, where the hiking trail branches. Following the red square, turn right and descend towards the valley on the tree-shaded path. After descending 600 meters, nearly at the bottom of the slope, you will find a sign on the left at the roadside indicating the Büdös-pest Cave. If you tackle the steep hillside and overcome the short, steep climb, you can then proceed on level ground to the wide entrance of the cave. Don’t worry about the name; it is not justified!

Returning to the path, we reach another intersection. Turn right on the red cross, and after a two-minute walk, you can already discover the huge, yawning cavity of the Kecske-lyuk, where you can walk more than a hundred meters into the mountain’s belly to get a glimpse into this marvelous underground world. 

Leaving the cave, turn right to return to the path where we arrived. At the known intersection, turn left again on the red square, pass again in front of the Büdös-pest sign, then climb back up to the Dolka Saddle. At the intersection, turn right on the red square, accompanied by the red and blue diagonal signs. 

After 400 meters, wave goodbye to the red, and turn left along the red square and the blue diagonal. After about 200 meters, you will reach the entrance of the Szeleta Abyss. Approach the cave opening carefully, as it is easy to fall in!

From here, with 5 minutes of descent, you reach the junction where you can turn off along the cave sign towards the Szeleta Cave. 

After exploring the cave, with a few hundred meters of almost flat walking, you can store the memories, then descend a steep slope to the main road connecting Lillafüred and Felsőhámor. You need to walk about 150 meters to the left, that is east, until you notice a small gap in the railing opposite. Crossing the road here, we turn into the valley among the houses of Felsőhámor, where we reach the Central Metallurgy Museum. This exhibition is very interesting and shows real tools and countless models. It is worth a visit if you manage to arrive during the sporadic opening hours. 

Turning right on the museum street, follow the blue cross signs, which guide us towards more sights. Crossing the bridge, you no longer need a map; just rely on your ears: the roar of the Lower Waterfall attracts visitors like a magnet. 

At the bottom of the cascade, you can discover the entrance of the Anna Cave. It has a unique atmosphere and the guided tour is special here. I am sure that if you participate, you will remember it for a long time. Don’t miss it! To get to the ticket office, pass right under the arch, then at the first opportunity turn left uphill. If you continue past the ticket office towards the waterfall, you can now observe the rushing water mass from above. 

If you return to the promenade and walk up the hill, you can discover the magnificent hanging garden of the Castle Hotel, then when you reach the roof, you can walk around the hotel and rest by the Hámori Lake shore. 

With a short detour towards Lillafüred, you will find the entrance of the St. Stephen Cave, which you can also visit as part of a guided tour.

If you get tired, walking towards Lillafüred along the road you will find the Lillafüred narrow-gauge railway, which can take you back to Miskolc, or you can visit the ancient blast furnace, the trout farm, or Lillafüred by traveling the other way.

If you decide to walk the remaining part of the route back on foot, many sights still await you. Instead of the two concreted streets of Felsőhámor, it is worth walking along the promenade built by the stream (I don’t understand why the hiking trail markings are not here), where we can listen to the gurgling of the crystal clear water stream in a fairy-tale environment. 

At the end of the settlement, where the promenade merges into the road, behind the bus stop you can see the almost sky-high developed rock climbing area. About 200 meters from here, towards Miskolc, on the right side of the road beyond the railing, is the Herman Ottó Cave, whose entrance is washed by the Szinva stream. 

Overall, you can reach the small mushroom hut, our starting point, with one and a half kilometers of asphalt walking. If we want to avoid walking along the edge of the asphalt strip or if we get tired, we can take the local bus number 15 from any roadside stop, which takes you back either to the mushroom hut where we started or all the way to Miskolc.