Descent in the hilly world of the Galya

• From the Bükkszentkereszt, Kis-hollós bus stop, follow the K mark to the edge of the village.
• From the IV. Béla memorial, take the unique hiking trail with a blue crescent over a blue bastion heading south to the Lófő clearing.
• At the beginning of the Lófő clearing, turn left, cross the asphalt road, and continue on the Z mark until the Z▲ mark junction.
• On the Z▲ mark, take a detour to the Kőlyuk-galya peak, then return.
• Continue left on the Z mark towards Kisgyőr border, to the Holy Crown Lookout, then to the Kossuth Lajos Road.
• Turn left onto the S mark, which we follow to the abandoned limestone quarry.
• From the abandoned limestone quarry, return to the S mark towards Kisgyőr on an unmarked path.
• Follow the S mark back to the border of Kisgyőr.
• At the Kisgyőr border, turn right before the cemetery towards the Golgota.
• Continue west along the Golgota Street to the Arany Sarok Guesthouse.
• At the Arany Sarok Guesthouse, cross Arany János Street and continue straight along a small unnamed street to the Kisgyőr Reformed Church.
• From the Reformed Church, proceed along Dózsa György Street to the Village Hall.
• At the Village Hall, take a detour right to the "Ecumenical Nativity Scene".
• From the "Ecumenical Nativity Scene", return to Dózsa György Street and continue to the Kisgyőr bus waiting room stop.

Detailed description of the tour

Across the meadows

Start the tour from the Bükkszentkereszt, Kis-hollós bus stop, and for the first nearly one kilometer, follow the K mark along the highest street in the village heading south. From the street, there are many splendid views of the rolling ridges of the Bükk and Bükkszentkereszt. Upon reaching the edge of the village, turn right to Holló meadow, at the IV. Béla memorial, where the trail joins the unique blue crescent over a blue bastion marked path called "Following the Turks". (This thematic hiking trail stretches about 93 km across the Bükk, mostly following medieval Turkish military and trade routes, and passes several locations significant during the era of Ottoman rule.)

The resting area next to the memorial, equipped with a fire pit and shelter, is an ideal picnic spot. According to the bas-relief story, in 1241, the Tatars caught up with the knights of King IV. Béla fleeing the Battle of Mohi here in the Bükk. The knights successfully defended their king, who reached the monastery at Bélapátfalva unharmed. Continue south on Holló meadow, crossing a narrow and elongated area called Mészárszék-meadow at the eastern foot of Őr Hill, and walk all the way to the Lófő clearing. At the start of the clearing, turn left, cross the asphalt road and enter the forest on the Z mark.

The world of galya

The only uphill section of our hike leads to the top of Kőlyuk-galya. On the way, rocky outcrops suddenly appear beneath our feet, and on the left, huge karst rock formations accompany us for meters up the gentle slope. Turn left from the Z mark to the Z▲ mark to reach the Kőlyuk-galya peak. The 200-meter ascent features thinning vegetation, and soon we reach a clearing where there is a pillar denoting the 721-meter peak of Kőlyuk-galya, renovated by locals in 2024. Views here are no longer as unobstructed as decades ago, but still offer prospects over the southern slopes and the Great Plain, and southwest towards the Nádas Lake plateau near the height of Kőlyuk-galya.

The central part of the Southern Bükk is a landscape of hills and valleys, composed of a mosaic of forests and grasslands, the realm of the galya. The word "galya" is a toponym from the Slavic root "hol’a", meaning a barren, treeless mountain top or hillside. The mixed forest on Kőlyuk-galya has several protected, Natura 2000 forest patches to the east and southwest of the summit. The total area of these forest patches consisting of 140–200 year-old trees is over 100 hectares. In these grassy-wooded mosaics, the characteristic tree species alongside pedunculate and downy oaks is the ash tree.

Near the high-altitude pillar, northeastwards, lies a grave of a German soldier. The memorial site is accessible across uneven terrain. The surrounding forest itself deserves a visit with its large old trees and fallen deadwood providing excellent habitat for woodland creatures in a wild atmosphere.

Descent to Kisgyőr

After the detour, we return to the Z mark and descend towards Kisgyőr. The road often has a rocky surface and passes beneath tall trees. It’s worth stopping occasionally as older oak trees appear alongside beeches deeper in the forest. The steep slope becomes gentler, and the forest alongside the path is decorated with small and large rocks again. Approaching Kisgyőr, taller trees are replaced by shorter oaks with gnarled trunks, adding a fairy tale atmosphere to the landscape. At one point, the forest opens on the right side, offering splendid views over the southern edge of Bükk. We also reach one station of the eleven-station Imperial Eagle educational trail starting from Kisgyőr.

Home of the Imperial Eagles

At the Kőrakások board, we can learn about viticulture and fruit growing in Kisgyőr. This hilly area on the edge of the Bükk, especially the southern foothills (Bükkalja), is a historic wine and fruit-producing region, thanks to its geographical location, soil, and climate conditions. Besides several types of grapes, plums, cherries, sour cherries, peaches, apricots, apples, and pears are also grown successfully here.

The trail is named after the Imperial Eagle, a strictly protected bird of prey in Hungary nesting on the outskirts of the mountain range. There are only a few breeding pairs left. The Imperial Eagle is sensitive to disturbance and nests exclusively in undisturbed areas, fortunately still available in the region. Thanks to this, the area also supports breeding of some lesser spotted eagles and honey buzzards.

After leaving the trail board, you reach Kisgyőr border through vineyards. The Z mark and the trail bend right here, placing us only about a kilometer from the outer houses of the village.

The carved village

Before entering Kisgyőr, a wooden carved Holy Crown Lookout awaits beside the road. This lookout is just one of many wooden artworks that have earned Kisgyőr the nickname "carved village." Beyond the lookout, several more carved objects line up, including a statue of Saint Stephen with a carved bench, a memorial pillar of artist György Fekete, and inside the lookout, an exhibition inspired by the book "The Thousand Faces of the Holy Crown" by György and Sylvia Sunyovszky Fekete. The book contains many depictions of crowns and crown faces, some showcased on the inner walls of the lookout. The spiral staircase leads to a rooftop with spectacular views north and west over the Bükk, and southeast towards Kisgyőr.

Along the road into the village, statues of kings accompany the way, and just before the village, a carved horse-headed bench welcomes you. The village edge also marks the start of the Imperial Eagle educational trail, a 7.8 km loop, with a shorter 4.6 km option covering part of it. We continue through the village on the Z mark, encountering many carved works that explain why Kisgyőr is called the "carved village." Almost everywhere, carved items are found: besides benches, several carved village boards and memorial pillars are present, as well as carved signposts and flower boxes, market stalls, water fountains, the cemetery, church, chapel, school gate and fences, even carved shrines, gravestones of the Arad martyrs, village fences, a happiness tree, and even the bus stop and bridge are carved. The "Ecumenical Nativity Scene" is also worth seeing, as is Golgota at the village edge, which we will visit later on the tour.

Over a hundred carved works in Kisgyőr were created based on ideas of the folk woodcarver and artist László Kékedi, who became mayor of the village in 2010 and personally made most carvings.

The abandoned quarry and its sacred forest

From the carved village, take a detour to the Sacred Forest atop the quarry. In Kisgyőr, follow the Z mark, then switch to the S mark. After the village outskirts, we bypass brushwood on an unmarked dirt road, rejoining the S mark after 300 meters. Ahead is Ivánka-galya, and visible is the goal of the hike: the abandoned limestone quarry.

The S mark passes a short stretch of brushwood, then continues through an increasingly exciting forest environment until reaching a forestry road. Here the trail turns right, entering an area dominated by crooked-trunked, low oak trees before arriving at the quarry. The ~80-meter wide abandoned quarry's striking forms might captivate even those usually indifferent to stones. The quarry bottom offers a good view of some mature trees above on the hillside. This 40-hectare patch of old forest dominated by sessile and downy oaks has some trees as old as 140–150 years. No official trail leads up, but a narrow path climbs up the quarry’s right side. It’s understandable people are curious; the quarry’s summit provides splendid views. While here, it’s worth admiring more fine examples from the old forest patch mentioned.

Further carved wonders

The return journey begins along the unmarked path from the quarry’s other end until rejoining the S mark. We follow the same road back to Kisgyőr but before reaching the village, take a detour to the Carved Golgota. Just before the cemetery, turn right off the trail to see Golgota. It’s located at the end of a narrow plot occasionally grazed by sheep. Don’t be discouraged by any animals on the way; the stations are worth the stroll, and at the sun dial you can sit and rest.

At the end of the tour, before heading to the bus stop, we take another detour in the village to see more carvings. From Golgota, descend, turn right and walk to the Arany Sarok Guesthouse at the village edge, cross Arany János street and head to the Reformed Church. In front of the church are carved gates, benches, a seesaw, and a Millennium memorial tree. Continue along Dózsa György Street towards the village center and the Village Hall, where more carved curiosities, including sculptures and a bell tower, are on display. From here, steps lead down to the "Ecumenical Nativity Scene" at the village's lowest point. Returning via Dózsa György Street, you reach the bus stop marking the end of the hike.