Felsőpetény – Romhány (Day 40 of the OKT Hike)

The National Blue Trail just barely touches Felsőpetény on Petőfi Street. The village’s stamp is located on the fence of the Almásy Castle, but before reaching it, you can make a detour to the clay mine. This is a several-hour excursion, so it’s worth planning ahead—especially since a reservation is required to visit the mine. Open-pit mining is still in operation today—which is why the OKT’s original route had to be rerouted toward Alsópetény—but you can explore one of the old underground mine shafts on a guided tour. Inside the mine, in addition to the remains of the old mine railway, you can see calcite-containing rocks that fluoresce spectacularly under UV light.

The Almásy Castle, located on the outskirts of the village, was built by the Spett family in the early 20th century and later came into the possession of the Almásy family. The castle is surrounded by a protected park covering approximately 18 hold. After nationalization, it served numerous functions: it operated as a teachers’ retreat, a pioneer camp, a prison, and a reform school. A notable event in its history was that Cardinal József Mindszenty was held under house arrest here between October 30 and November 2, 1956. A marble plaque commemorates this event, and a Mindszenty Memorial Day is held at the castle every October.

The castle, which has been in ruins for many years, is currently not open to the public. In 2025, a complete renovation and expansion of the building began, with the goal of transforming it into a cultural and tourist center. Plans include a multimedia nature trail showcasing the local wildlife, interactive activity areas, and the creation of a memorial site highlighting the life and historical role of József Mindszenty. The National Blue Trail stamp is located right on the castle fence, by the gate.

Leaving the village behind, we continue along a dirt road through rolling countryside toward Alsópetény. The hay meadows, sparsely dotted with trees, offer beautiful views; looking back from the hiking trail toward Felsőpetény, we can also spot the Börzsöny mountain range in the background of the village. Our route also takes us around a fenced pasture, where we might even spot some livestock. As we approach Alsópetény, we pass through a beautiful pine forest, then enter Alsópetény between a farmstead and the pálinka distillery.

Alsópetény – Romhány

The Prónay Castle, visible from the road, presents a much more imposing sight . The fully renovated historic complex consists of the Grand Manor with its Neo-Baroque façade, the Small Manor, and the Guest House—a new wing built onto the original estate building that harmonizes with the manor structures. The Grand Mansion serves as an event hall, the Small Mansion provides accommodations with a total of 21 beds, and the new wing operates as a four-star hotel with 14 rooms.

There are two OKT stamps in Alsópetény: one on the wall at the entrance to the Retro Man pub, and the other on the bulletin board at the Alsópetény Town Hall bus stop. Incidentally, this is also a suitable entry or exit point if you choose to break up your Blue Trail hike differently; plus, there’s a parking lot right nearby.

Following the “K” trail markers, we leave the village via Béke Road and begin the climb. We have to climb Romhányi Hill; on the other side of it lies the end point of today’s section. We trudge along a loess-clay dirt road toward the summit of Kecske-kő; the path gets very slippery in rainy weather—the lucky ones will only see the dried skid marks left by previous hikers on the well-trodden trail. As we rise above the village, a view opens up through the trees toward Alsópetény and the 300-meter-high hills—but soon we arrive at a fantastic vantage point where we no longer have to peer through the trees. At the edge of the hill stands a massive wooden cross, from the base of which we can look not only toward the village but also further west, where we can make out the silhouette of Naszály.

From the viewpoint at 300 meters, after a steeper climb, we suddenly find ourselves in a much gentler landscape of hornbeam and oak woods. At the beautifully renovated Kékesi hunting lodge, we need to be careful, as it’s easy to lose our way and end up on the trail marked with an “S.” Incidentally, this trail leads to the same place as the K▲ trail branching off from the Blue Trail, which we highly recommend: with minimal additional climbing, you can reach the 421-meter-high Kecske-kő peak, where the imposing Prónay Lookout stands.

The 26-meter-tall lookout tower was named after the Prónay family, a prominent local family, and was inaugurated in 2017. From the tower, which can be reached via 128 steps, you can not only enjoy a superb panoramic view but also find information panels detailing the region’s wildlife and geography. Rest areas have been set up on each level along the tower’s central axis; these are also suitable for camping. To the right of the easily recognizable Naszály, you can see the Börzsöny mountain range; to the north, the Selmeci Mountains; to the east, the hills of the Cserhát (with Szandavár at their peak); and, in the distance, the Mátra and Karancs ranges are also visible on a clear day. Further south, the relatively uneventful landscape of the Gödöllő Hills comes into view, and as we turn around, we can even catch a glimpse of the Pilis and Visegrád Mountains in the distance.

For the remaining just under 4 kilometers of the hike, all we have to do is descend to Romhány. The Blue Trail leads along beautiful forest paths; in some places, the trail can be densely overgrown with undergrowth in the summer—fortunately, mostly not the prickly, stinging brambles.

On a stretch with sparse undergrowth, the “K” markers lead past the memorial stone of the late Lieutenant Ádám Balázs. A native of Romhány, he was killed by an explosive device in 2016 at the age of 35.

Upon reaching the outskirts of Romhány, we arrive at a well-equipped rest area featuring a rain shelter, numerous benches and tables, and a fire pit suitable for cooking in a cauldron. Even larger groups can camp here comfortably, and it’s possible to spend the night in relatively comfortable conditions.

We walk into Romhány along a narrow, 1-kilometer-long gravel road. (If you take a detour along the K+ trail, you can visit the now-dead but still massive Rákóczi tree standing on the outskirts of town, which offers a beautiful view.) Upon reaching the village, we turn left onto Batthyány Street, where we find the town’s first stamp on a pole next to the flower shop. This stamp is in a great location logistically, as we can even end the hike at the nearby “bus station.” Romhány has another stamp as well, which can be found on the wall of the Fáradt Vándor guesthouse.

Romhány is known primarily for the Battle of Romhány in 1710, which was the last major battle of the Rákóczi War of Independence. The town has been famous for centuries for its ceramics industry: the tile and brick production carried out here played a pivotal role in the local economy for a long time. Raw materials are still sourced today from the clay mine in Felsőpetény, which are used to produce various types of plaster and other building materials.