Circular route in the backyard of the Mátra

Itinerary

• From Terpes, follow the Z trail to the far side of the second stream bridge.
• At the junction, turn right onto the Z+ trail, which you follow to the junction before the lake.
• On the eastern shore of the Búzás-völgyi Lake, follow the Z↺ trail (turning left at the junction) to the junction just before the far end of the lake.
• Turn left onto the Z trail, following it to the ridge.
• On the ridge, turn right to the broad forestry road following the K+ trail, on which there is an out-and-back detour to a viewpoint.
• Returning, follow the Z trail again (turning right), which leads back through Szajla to Terpes.

Detailed description of the route

Along the Tarna

Leaving Terpes along the Z trail, we immediately reach the lands along the Tarna, which we fortunately cross on asphalt. The village was originally located here until it was washed away by the river’s flood in the late 19th century and rebuilt at its current site. We cross the Tarna, then its cut-off, silted branch, and immediately after that step onto a muddy, field-edge dirt road — now following the Z+ trail. Beneath the hills, along the edge of a planted pine forest, we gain occasional views of the highest peaks of the Vajdavár region, the group rising opposite on Ökör Hill, and across the river valley, the wooded pastures decorating the rolling hills.

After crossing a stream, the path bends left and turns toward Kisfüzes through a narrower valley. Along the way, a sign draws attention to the site of the Pusztatemplom (Deserted Church): here stood the village before the Turkish invasion, so it is no surprise that the stones of a 13th-century church were excavated on site. The hiking trail soon reaches Kisfüzes, where we turn left onto the street. The small, orderly Palóc valley village still bears the so-called hadas settlement structure: relatives built their houses side by side, and the long shared yards formed streets.

Near the Trianon memorial, a covered tourist rest area was created, but after a junction, we pass the village's real attraction, the tourist center completed in 2023 (Barka event gate). Next to the building containing accommodation and event spaces, a playground is also located, and on the hillside, following a winding trail equipped with interactive information boards, it is worth climbing for the view from above. One direction looks toward Kisfüzes; the other toward the opposite hills shaped by landslides with curved hollows.

In the land of abandoned hills and disappeared settlements

Returning to the hiking trail, we leave the village beside a horse pasture with a slightly Scandinavian atmosphere due to its birch trees, and enter the forest below a winding hillside, where the longest and steepest ascent, the most difficult part of the tour, begins. On a flat roof next to a ridge section lay the remains of a medieval wooden fort from which nothing remains today, and for a long time, maps incorrectly marked it south of here. Ahead at a road bend is a rain shelter and rest area. Leaving it behind, the trail first follows a deep path, then a narrow ridge. The clay and sandstone surface of the mountain group is vividly shaped by erosion, so narrow ridges and steep slopes are typical. Soon the path makes a sharp right turn, and on the edge of a pine group, we reach the forested but partly still visible Vámház meadow, or Vámkapu (where benches and tables are found). As indicated on a nearby sign, shepherds used to drive their herds here, and outlaws (including Márton Vidróczki) often frequented the area, as there was lively trade between the two neighboring counties.

After a few tight bends, the trail rises beside a pine forest, then, crossing over the ridge, starts a gradual descent. We reach Kürt-puszta through a clearing, where once stood the settlement of Kürt, later a farmstead. At the far end of the clearing, we join a fence and proceed along a long forest section to a junction where we turn left, descending into the Búzás valley. At the end of the narrow, closed meadow of Epres-fenék, we turn left and cross the Búzás stream. The valley's landscape management was very diverse: it was used for grazing, mast feeding, and crop cultivation; its bordering forests were managed, and at the bottom of the meadows, farms stood. In the Ő-Lucernás valley head’s dammed remains, the remains of an old reservoir can be found.

Lakeside idyll with Mátra painting

Bypassing the pasture, at the forest edge we reach a wider forestry road leading toward the reservoir. A sign indicates the junction; here we continue left along the Z↺ trail, which features the most beautiful section of the route. We exit onto the shore of the Búzás-völgyi Lake, created in 1972 by damming the Búzás stream, and follow a wide dirt road along it. Shady resting places are found in several spots along the path, and the lakeside idyll is enriched by the view of the Mátra rising sharply behind the hills: the eastern ridge of the mountain range with the enormous Kékes massif viewed from here, further on the Galya Peak frames the landscape. At the end of the long winding section, but still before the lake valley dam, we turn left and join a forestry road. Following it, we turn left and start climbing gently, following the Z trail.

Soon reaching the hilltop, we turn right onto the K+ trail, which with a 5-10 minute detour leads to the next hilltop viewpoint: from here there is a view of the lake’s mirror-like surface, the Recsk resort, and the Mátra beyond the rolling hills. In the opposite direction, there is a splendid view of the Tarna valley and the barely known mountain range rising behind it, the Vajdavár region with its highest block in the middle, Ökör Hill.

Back beside the Tarna

We return to the Z trail, descend to the right straight toward the peaks of the Vajdavár region, onto the Tarna plain. Entering the tiny Szajla among meadows, the pine-covered hill on our right is said in local legend to hide the grave of Attila, king of the Huns. In the early 20th century, there was even scientific intent to investigate this naturally occurring but artificially shaped hilltop; the necessary funding was secured, but World War II prevented the research. The legend of Darnó Hill rising south of the village also enriches the Attila legend: according to it, King Darnó lured Attila's wife Ildikó with treasures.

Walking under the church hill and past the cemetery, we leave the village, and the connecting road winds along the edge of the Tarna valley toward Terpes. Crossing the bridge, we return to our starting point by the now familiar path.