Crossing the giant volcano peaks

Itinerary

• From Királyrét follow the K+ marker along the Nagy-Vasfazék stream.
• After the Inóci-kő quarry, follow the K◼ marker to Nagy-Hideg-hegy.
• After visiting the peak, descend on the K and K◼ markers to the second bend of the service road, where we turn right onto the P+ marker.
• Follow the P+ marker to Salgóvár, where we continue the hike on the P marker.
• The P marker leads across Holló-kő and then down a slope towards Kemence. From here follow the P◼ marked hiking trail to Perőcsény!

Detailed description of the hike

Királyrét - Nagy-Hideg-hegy

Our K+ marked trail starting from Királyrét initially follows the asphalt road, then leaves it to the left at the bend after the Hiúz house. We walk parallel to the Nagy-Vasfazék stream, only occasionally moving slightly away from it. We cross the stony bed several times, the fast-flowing stream paints an idyllic picture of the valley. At a brand-new resting place, an earth-built rain shelter has been created, which is excellent as a bivouac spot. Eventually, we return to the asphalt and cross the Cseresznyefa parking lot, a popular base for hikes to Nagy-Hideg-hegy - once the narrow-gauge railway reached here, and according to rumors, the trains may run here again in the future.

We follow the stream, then cross its wooden footbridge and start the long ascent: Nagy-Hideg-hegy does not give in easily. The K+ marker turns right at one point, but we continue uphill following the K◼ marker! The stream bed looks wilder, the water tumbles over large andesite boulders.

Finally, we reach below the ski slopes, and we complete the last meters, a tiring ascent, along the corridor of one of the ski lifts. Don’t miss the view from the grassy summit, which at 864 meters belongs to the main ridge of the mountain range. The panorama includes Naszály, the southward leaning Szentendre Island, and behind the house the heights of Gerecse. Few know the lookout towards Csóványos, a view revealing the impressive dimensions of the mountain range, which can be accessed from the service road crossing the top of the northern ski slope - worth visiting too!

Nagy-Hideg-hegy - Salgóvár

From the tourist house, start descending on the K marker. This follows the gravel pasture of the service road, from which we soon need to turn right onto the P+ marker. The narrow path slopes down and although encountering many small and large clearings, we are in the inner, deserted part of Börzsöny. On this section, there is a good chance no one will meet us. The Hanák meadow clearing opens a narrow visual corridor outside the mountain range: although the imposing ridges of Csóványos and Magosfa guard to the right, the rocky slopes of Holló-kő rise opposite from which there is a view towards Felvidék. On a clear day, the Selmec Mountains and Madaras can be seen, which are worn remnants of huge Carpathian stratovolcanoes similar to Börzsöny. Occasionally, our path leads through nice, dense forests, and eventually we arrive at the pass below the ridge of Holló-kő by a poorly marked but unmistakable slope. Except for the Black Creek breakthrough, this is the lowest point of the rim of Börzsöny's caldera.

We only need to climb just under 200 meters to reach the ridge, the top of Vár-bérc, also known as the rock of Salgóvár. The forest gradually turns into a uniform beech forest, and from here on luckily we can say goodbye to relentless deforestation. We meet our next guide, the P band marker. Once on the Vár-bérc a small fortress stood; today the path runs through dense winding roots and furrowed rock slabs on top of the huge volcanic rock. From above, somewhat shielded by the tree canopy, we can already look into the inner courtyard of the High Börzsöny.

Salgóvár - Holló-kő

However, the most exciting part of the hike only begins here! We zigzag down a steep trail, which in spring is bordered for kilometers by continuous cress meadows. Our wildflower path skirts the rocky edges of the ridge, sometimes tunnels between its rock towers. The terrain steps of Kövirózsa evoke an alpine atmosphere. The narrow ridge suddenly widens a bit, and on our right side dark brown rock teeth break through the soil. After a short climb, we arrive at the sign marking the summit, finally stepping out onto the rock lookout of Holló-kő.

Undoubtedly, one of Hungary's wildest natural sights unfolds before us: the untouched, majestically mountainous face of Börzsöny. Opposite rises the main ridge of Magosfa - Csóványos - Nagy-Hideg-hegy, which together with the route we took encloses the remnant of the giant volcano crater that reached heights of 1500 meters, the caldera of High Börzsöny. No settlements are visible, only the motionless, closed wilderness. The lower mountain ranges and deep valleys together with the main ridge that reaches up to 900 meters create the impression of a high mountain region.

Holló-kő - Perőcsény

Leaving Holló-kő is difficult, but the beauty of the trail continues unharmed: we cross a rock sea (formed by the cooling and fragmentation of lava flows) and walk in impressively beautiful, primeval forest-like wilderness. It is no wonder that the lynx supposedly living in Börzsöny also likes to frequent this area. On the side of Jancsi Hill, from one last lookout, we can glance at the ridge leading to Magosfa and the Hegyhát range. The latter bears the memory of another, earlier exploded volcanic structure. In clear weather, the snow-capped peaks of the Low Tatras can also be spotted from here.

Descending, the landscape becomes gentler, young stands insert themselves into the forest, and the terrain flattens. After a junction, we switch to the P◼ marker. We cross a beautiful oak forest, with a deep water-washed ditch on the left. The outer side of the Holló-kő ridge has been thoroughly furrowed by well-closing runoff waters on andesite. We arrive in Perőcsény via the church hill, our final stop is the pub, next to which the bus stop is also located.