Circular tour in the Galyák area, at the edge of the Mátra ridge

Itinerary

• We start from the parking lot (or the Tourist Centre) heading north on the K trail, beside the building towards the lookout tower. (Which can also be reached via an unmarked path starting from the parking lot.)
• We follow the K trail until the S trail branches off to the right.
• We walk almost up to the border of Mátraszentlászló on the S trail, but before that, at a memorial pole, we turn right onto the K▲ marked hiking trail.
• We continue on the K▲ signs to the Vörös-kő lookout.
• We descend into the village on the S trail.
• The K trail joins from the right, but later leaves the S trail to the right: here we continue on the K signs.
• The K trail guides us back to Galyatető.
• Before ascending again to Péter-hegyese, we turn left onto the P▲ signs.
• At a junction, we take a right turn again and return to the parking lot on the P trail.

Detailed description of the tour

Galyatető then and now

The first thing to find in Galyatető is the Tourist Centre building. The settlement presents a rather eclectic picture: although the constructions and developments started in the '60s, and due to eco-tourism with restaurants and accommodations it is well supplied, among the houses in the pleasant forest environment there are quite a few ruined or for-sale properties. Still, this makes for an excellent stop or starting point on a Mátra hike.

Although its current appearance might not suggest it, the High Mátra was not always widely known. Before the border changes after Trianon, the low-altitude Mátra was considered a remote, little-visited mountain range overshadowed by the "pine-forested wild" Carpathian rocky peaks and snowy areas. According to a 1909 hiking guide (Hanák, Stiller, Széky-Gyöngyös), tourists were so rare in the Slovak-populated shepherd villages that the locals occasionally gathered to celebrate their arrival with a ball. Allegedly, Kálmán Mikszáth asked his fellow parliamentarians if they knew where Galyatető was, but even the locals from Gyöngyös had no idea. After the 1920s, more attention was paid to the area, development commenced, and in the '60s company holiday resorts were consecutively built in the High Mátra.

The modern Tourist Centre is not without precedent: Galyatető's first building was a shelter built at the end of the 19th century. On its ruins, the Student Hostel was built in the 1920s, and next to it the now-abandoned ski infrastructure. The currently used building served as the construction office for the Grand Hotel and was later inhabited by the hotel staff. After some further turns, the complex was completed in 2014, where we can dine and also stay overnight.

Lookout on Péter-hegyese

The K trail starts next to the building towards the lookout - don’t forget to exchange a 200 HUF coin, as this is the only way to enter the tower! A short climb on the glade takes us under the shade of the huge beech forests to the elevated structure proudly promoting the Blue Trail. Its base was built in the '30s but required structural renovation and extension to reach the view because the forest had outgrown it. The lookout contains rentable bivouac rooms, and from its excitingly designed top, a fitting panorama unfolds.

From the flat summit plateau of Hungary’s second-highest mountain massif, the 960 m high Péter-hegyese, a full circular view delights us: to the south the Great Plain, while in other directions the forested hills and mountains of Northern Hungary ripple. In clear weather, the entire Northern Medium Mountain Range can be mapped from the Visegrád Hills to the Zemplén Mountains, and the Upper Hungary region is visible from the Great Fatra to the High Tatras. Nearby are the Karancs area, the Kékes massif with its eastern ridge, and the extensive plateau of the Bükk Highlands. From this dizzying height, the sudden northern drop of the Mátra is clearly outlined.

Tour on the northern side of the ridge

Following the K and S trails, we head west and immerse ourselves in the old wind-swept beech forest. We walk on a barely sloping, wide promenade under the canopy - neither orientation nor walking is difficult on this easy terrain. To the right the northern slope fades into darkness, on the left after a bend we reach the edge of the settlement. At a large wooden gate, we enter the forest again - this time crossing a pine forest. Despite the relatively cool, humid climate of the High Mátra, climate change has already sealed the fate of the fragrant coniferous forests. Even sadder news is that under current trends, the silvery beech forests are also at risk.

At a junction, the S trail turns right, then within a few meters after a short descent calls us left. We hike on the northern side of Lengyendi-Galya, wrapped in the dark forest of windy beech. A rocky protrusion forces the forest path to a bend, while on the far side an enormous clear-cut bites into the forest. From a short ascent, we have a view over the mountains; it is worth stopping by a large rock block and enjoying the nearby elephant-shaped view of Karancs. When we enter under the trees again, we skirt Piszkés-tető, but now on more open, bushy undergrowth terrain.

After another short climb, a wind-broken ravaged forest stretch follows, where fallen branches cover the ground like a carpet. The winds raised by the mountain break here over the ridge, and the downward suddenly accelerating airflow can tear trees apart thoroughly. Because of this, it is not easy to spot the gloomy rocks rising to the left and the mossy field of stones at their base. Soon we start treading a path and leave behind a young forest bent into a tunnel by the wind - a few pines also decorate the community.

On Vörös-kő

At a memorial pole, we could enter the village, but the K▲ sign leads us on a ridge path to the lookout near Vörös-kő. The tower built in 2005 overlooks the tops of the trees toward Karancs and the High Mátra villages, and in the opposite direction, we can examine the steep slope of the Galya-tető massif. The site owes its name to the iron oxide seepages in the andesite bedrock.

Mátraszentlászló and the migrating Slovaks

We descend to Mátraszentlászló on the S trail, turning onto its main street. Like other nearby villages, it was settled after the Turkish era mostly by Slovaks involved in glass production (its old name was Fiskalitáshuta). Cutting down trees around the Csörgő valley, families moved up to higher regions. Mátraszentlászló is mainly known for its ski resort but our tour leads in the opposite direction. The K trail joins here, we leave behind a few restaurants, and climb out of the village along the National Blue Trail. After passing a ski slope used as a pasture, we wind through sparse forest before reaching the grassy mound of the Piszkés meadow. The local families who moved up to the summits primarily lived from glassmaking and charcoal burning, but here in the higher areas, they also had the opportunity to keep animals and cultivate land. This abandoned pasture tells about that.

Pasture on the ridge

At one point, we can make a small detour right on a narrow path: from the lookout, the resting place offers views of the inner recesses of the Mátra and the distant Muzsla ridge - the Nyikom lookout can also be spotted. After a long but gentle ascent, we cross the asphalt strip of the Piszkés-tető observatory, then walk again under the old beeches mixed with pines. The S trail joins from the left, and we proceed on the previously traveled path in the opposite direction towards Galyatető.

The ski slopes of Péter-hegyese

Before reaching the lookout, let’s make a last, short, easy detour to the left on the P▲ signs! The levelled, abandoned forest exploration road encircles Péter-hegyese from the north through a thinned beech forest. Occasionally, the andesite building up the Mátra emerges from the soil, but much more exciting is the contrast perceptible between the nearly a few meters distant settlement bustle (moderate) in a straight line and the forest of the northern slope: complete silence and stillness reign in the wilderness, as if in a Carpathian forest far from everything. After circumventing a ridge, a ski lift, then an unsorted ski slope testify to the better days of Galyatető’s skiing life. Naturally, the mountain range was discovered by domestic hikers only after the Trianon border cut, and its development started then. After leaving a ruined service building, we reach a junction and follow the P signs right to arrive at our destination, Galyatető.