From Diósjenő to the Závoz Saddle

Itinerary

• Walk out from Diósjenő along the Z trail.
• At the top of the stairs, take a detour to Csehvár on the PL trail branching to the left.
• Returning to the Z trail, continue to Gál-meadow, where follow the forestry road and turn right along the ZT trail.
• At Gál-well, cross a wooden bridge and reach it on the Z● trail with just a few tens of meters detour.
• Then continue to follow the ZT trail, partly on the paved Hadi Road, then turn right uphill to the Závoz Saddle.
• From the Závoz Saddle, head down along the S trail under the Kő-szirt! After the ZT trail joins from the right, stay on the S trail, but when the ZT later branches off right, turn onto it.
• This eventually joins the Z trail, along which turn left to return to the start of the route.

Detailed description

Our not too strenuous but varied route starts at the Arany János street bus stop in Diósjenő. The name of the settlement at the foot of the Börzsöny likely derives from the Jenő tribe of the Hungarian conquest era - as you will see, the area is otherwise full of historical memories, some of which we will also touch upon. We walk west out from Diósjenő along the Z trail starting at the railway station, on a dirt road covered with stones, which soon crosses the highway passing through Királyháza and Kemence.

Here begins the forestry and forest history nature trail of Diósjenő established in 2005, presenting the landscape and forest history of the region on signs: we must follow the ZT trail (currently running together with the Z trail and the Diósjenő-Nagy-Hideg-hegy-Királyrét ski trail marked PX) almost until the end of the hike. Leaving the paved road, we find ourselves in a particularly atmospheric forest; the light filtering through the foliage casts bright patches on the winding path ahead, woven with gnarled roots.

As we ascend on the gently but firmly rising path, one of the trail signs informs us that Count Miklós Berchtold already practiced conscious forestry management in his 5000-hectare estate around Diósjenő in the second half of the 19th century. Thanks to this, the tree population of oak, hornbeam, beech, and ash was excellent even then. Today, these species are still the most characteristic of the region, although we can also find linden, maple, and even - for example at Csehvár - Douglas and redwoods.

Crossing the exploration road planned in the early 1960s between Diósjenő and Szén Creek, we enter the territory of the National Park. Approaching the PL trail branching towards Csehvár, as the terrain becomes steeper, a short section is aided by wooden stairs. Upon reaching the steep summit, turn left at a new sign to reach the modest remains of the Árpád-era small castle, Csehvár.

Csehvár no longer awaits with ruins

The fortress probably had a stone tower at the time, but today only the trench line can be seen. The hilltop - actually one of the highest peaks on the eastern edge of the Börzsöny, the eastern, lower projection of Bárány-bérc - does not offer a full panoramic view because of the trees, but the pyramid-like shapes of the nearby Vörös-kő and Magas-hegy can be glimpsed among the foliage, as can the houses of Diósjenő spreading below. Many castles were built in Börzsöny from the Bronze Age; the total number of earthworks, trenches, and stone castles is around thirty - for example, there was a Bronze Age settlement on the aforementioned Magas-hegy, as well as on Magosfa and the suggestively named Pogányvár. Most medieval castles were destroyed in the power struggles of the early 14th century, but some, especially the nearby Drégely Castle, still have impressive ruins.

Passing under the particularly massive oak at the entrance of Csehvár, whose strong branches stretch out like arms, we have to walk back to the start of the PL trail, from where we must follow the Z/ZT trails further. At Gál-meadow, we reach the bank of Kemence Creek and turn right on the forestry road along the ZT trail. The Börzsöny's most significant watercourse, nearly 26 km long, marking the east-northeastern boundary of the High Börzsöny, derives its name from the Slavic word "kamenica" ('rocky bed'). It is fed by springs on the eastern side of Csóványos, with an average flow of 294 liters per second.

The Börzsöny's volcanic surface is rugged, therefore - although there are specifically many, more than four hundred streams recorded - most of the streams are short and their levels fluctuate quickly and significantly depending on rainfall due to the weak water permeability of the rock. The flow of Kemence Creek, which joins the Ipoly in Slovakia, slows down below the Závoz Saddle when the Kő-szirt massif turns north.

The ZT trail runs along the creek in a romantic tunnel of trees overhanging the road. Meanwhile, on the opposite bank, we can detour to the stone pyramid-shaped structure of Gál-well on a wooden bridge, following the Z● trail - this requires only a few tens of meters extra walking. Returning to the forest history nature trail on the ZT trail, we soon reach the former Weigh House, which was connected by a 600 mm gauge industrial railway built in 1927 from Nyír-meadow on the eastern side of Csóványos. The wood harvested in the forest was transported on this railway to the Weigh House, where a charcoal kiln also operated, and from there on carts through the Závoz Saddle to the Diósjenő railway station.

The World War also shaped the ecosystem

At the Weigh House, by the big hairpin bend, we reach the paved private road called Hadi Road between Diósjenő, Királyháza, and Kemence. This was built before World War II, right after the first Vienna Award, with thousands of people taking part, because the Börzsöny became a militarily significant deployment route towards the part of Upper Hungary reattached to Hungary. Turning right, we could walk directly up to the Závoz Saddle, but it is better to stay on the ZT trail and choose the left branch, as this section offers particularly beautiful views of the Kemence Creek – true to its name, a stony bed – and also leads us to unique sights in the forest, where the path leaves the paved road.

Small, strikingly round ponds hide among the trees. Börzsöny has no naturally occurring permanent standing waters; such pools only form temporarily in some places after rainy periods. The pools visible here, covered with a green blanket of duckweed, are actually bomb craters created by the unexploded and exploded munitions left from the end of World War II but quickly became important breeding grounds for amphibians in the ecosystem. Particularly, the European common toad uses these artificial ponds with pleasure.

Heading further uphill on the ZT trail, we soon find ourselves at the Závoz Saddle, from where we can enjoy a beautiful view of Diósjenő, the Jenői Lake, and the andesite cliffs rising above the Kő-szirt. There are a few benches at the edge of the clearing if we feel like having a picnic. Although we can also walk down to the village along the ZT trail, we now recommend the S trail, which allows a slight detour to the modestly constructed Gyíkos Well further down. This frequently hosts bathing salamanders, but due to its small water flow it was also called Dripping Stone, and the alternative name of the Gyíkos Well comes from a story about a young girl who died of pneumonia after drinking the icy cold spring water.

After a short walk, on the left, we can spot a small quarry opened for the construction of the forestry road, which is a highly elevated member of a sandy gravel conglomerate formation containing pebbles from metamorphic and carbonate rocks embedded in quartz sand. After passing through an atmospheric pine forest, we turn right onto the ZT trail (we can of course keep following the S trail as well), and soon return to Diósjenő passing the forest leisure park, continuing on the familiar Z trail towards the start/end point of the tour.