Exploring the Kishartyán sandstone holes

Itinerary

• In Kishartyán, set off south along Petőfi Street from the center.
• After 100 meters, turn right onto Mályva Street.
• Continue 600 meters to the cemetery, then another 150 meters along its side to the cemetery parking lot.
• Here, join the Z◼ marked trail, turn left heading east.
• After 700 meters, arrive at the rest area below the Kőlyuk.
• Take the stairs up to the Kőlyuk (ZΩ mark), then after viewing the cave and the view, descend the same way.
• Continue along the Z◼ trail until the next junction.
• After 300 meters, join the Z marked hiking trail and turn left.
• After 270 meters, turn left onto an unmarked dirt road.
• After 240 meters along the unmarked road, turn left where a short but steep ascent awaits. Follow the heavily overgrown dirt road bordered by woodland and pasture.
• The dirt road finally joins the Petőfi Street. Turning right here, the village center is 230 meters away, from where the hike started.

About the hike in detail

Kishartyán lies on the border of the Cserhát and Karancs regions, about 10 km west of Salgótarján. Our hike starts from the bell tower defining the village center’s character. Passing the tower from the main road, we reach Petőfi Street, but at the first opportunity, turn right onto Mályva Street. This is a charming little street whose asphalt gradually changes into an increasingly difficult dirt road. The street offers a representative sample ranging from the most beautiful houses to the worst condition, abandoned gardens. After a few hundred meters leaving the inhabited area behind us, we arrive at the northern entrance to the Kishartyán cemetery alongside a tender meadow. Here, following the dirt road, we can descend to the dirt road leading to the Kőlyuk side, or we can also pass through the cemetery itself to closely inspect the village's Roman Catholic church built in 1712.

Joining the Z◼ marked trail at the cemetery’s southern main entrance, there is also an information board here with a brief description of the Kőlyuk side. Even without markings, we can find the stone cliff, as the freely standing, 300-meter-long, 30-40 meter-high wall is visible from here. The dirt road bypasses the animal farm and arrives below the Kőlyuk, where a resting area and a new information board about the cave welcome hikers.

The Kőlyuk

Here begins the staircase carved into the cliff that leads upward. One sometimes must take big steps; it can be slippery when wet. However, a good railing was built and in 2024 was supplemented with another ladder, easing travel. We have to gain 30 meters of elevation on the stairs to reach the central chamber of the Kőlyuk. In the steepest part of the cliff, a cave created by natural erosion was later expanded by people seeking shelter from Tatars and Turks. Hermits inhabited the hollow until the late 1800s, hence it is also called the hermitage.

Several rooms open from the central chamber. It is worth pondering the possible room layout and the furnishings! Looking out from the Kőlyuk, a unique panorama unfolds: the forests of the opposite hill, while turning right towards Kishartyán, the colorful bands of the agriculturally used hills delight the eye. The flora and fauna of the south-facing sandstone cliff, strongly exposed to sunlight, are also exciting and contrast with the cooler environment of the surrounding forests.

Hilly landscape

Leaving the Kőlyuk, continuing on the Z◼ marked trail, we soon reach the north-south Z marked hiking trail. Turn left here but only walk about 270 meters to turn left onto the unmarked dirt road branching off. After 250 meters, a steep ascent begins, from the top of which opens the typical Eastern Cserhát landscape panorama dotted with pastures. Over the next half kilometer, we continue to ascend slightly until reaching the highest point of the road at 267 meters. It is definitely worth a short rest and look around as a nearly 360-degree panorama opens up.

New caves

From this point, we continuously descend, cross a pasture, and finally arrive at the first farms and houses of Kishartyán. Looking right, two smaller sandstone cliffs are noticeable. These are, however, much smaller than the famous Kőlyuk side, only a few meters high. Human hands have carved cellars and caves into this stone as well, some open and some closed with doors. Where possible, it is worth peeking in to see what treasures lie underground. In hot weather, one can also cool down here a bit, and in bad weather, these can provide temporary shelter.

After the village outskirts ditches, the dirt road reaches the familiar Petőfi Street where turning right towards the center, the bell tower becomes visible again. After about 4 km, we return to the starting point. Along the way, there are several functioning blue pumping wells, and in the village center, we can replenish supplies in a small grocery store.