From Királyrét to the southern slope of the ancient volcano

Itinerary

• From Királyrét, we walk along the K◼ markers to the upper end of the Suta-berk glade.
• Following the K● markers, we hike up to the Rakodó saddle.
• We descend back to Királyrét on the K+ marker.

Detailed Information about the Hike

Királyrét

We start our hike at the corner of the Királyrét Hotel, which was created from a castle, where the tourist information board stands. We set off on the K◼ marker on an asphalt road parallel to the Szén stream, which holds memories of various human activities. Its name refers to charcoal burning, and its water was harnessed for work. Initially, charcoal and water power were used for the ironworks, and after the factory closed, they served for timber rafting and sawmill operations. A narrow-gauge railway was also built in the valley; until the late 1960s, instead of the current road there was a railway track leading into the Börzsöny forest for transport purposes. A still-used part of this, and of an originally more extensive former network developed in other stream valleys, is the Királyrét–Kismaros section.

A special form of forest raw material transport was timber rafting. While in higher parts of the Carpathian mountain arc, moving cut trees by water was generally widespread until the early 20th century, among Hungary’s medium mountains this practice is only known from Börzsöny. The method involved damming the streams to raise the water level, accumulating logs in the riverbed below, then releasing the sluices so the rushing water would carry the trunks down to a larger watercourse, where they were bound into rafts (formerly called szál- or talphajó), and transported further, finally on the Danube or the Tisza. This required precisely built and maintained reservoir, dam, and canal systems, as well as skilled workers. In certain mountain areas, a large part of the population lived from logging and rafting. Both the transported timber and the rafters themselves reached distant parts of the country. This rafting infrastructure was developed along the Szén stream – Morgó stream line and parts of its side valleys, where some remains can still be seen.

Memories of the Past

Soon the sign calls left off the asphalt strip. On the gravel road, we reach the restricted area of Királyrét Lake, although by entering through the gate, we can visit all the way to the shore. The water surface undulating in the embrace of the mountains is artificial: the flowing stream was dammed long ago to continuously supply water for the ironworks. After the iron factory closed, the originally five-lake system, of which now only two remain, supported timber rafting. Throughout the 20th century, it served as a boating lake and beach area for those wishing to relax and is now a paradise for anglers on a water surface that has served several different roles over centuries.

Leaving the lake behind, we soon reach a signposted path branching left. The short path leads to a resting place at a spring with a shelter where we can refill our bottles and read the legend of the nine deer.

We arrive at the shore of Bajdázói Lake next to a small clearing. The standing water in this idyllic environment is similar to the previously seen fishpond: it was originally created by damming for the ironworks water supply in the 18th century. This special wet habitat significantly silted up in recent times and its bed was rehabilitated in 2010. From its shore, we can observe marsh turtles, frogs, and smooth snakes, and with patience, wild ducks and grebes may emerge from the reeds. If time and mood allow, we can circle the lake to better get acquainted with the surroundings and atmosphere.

Soon we pass the Petőfi spring, which only operates periodically. Even if water is not available, it is worth a detour because behind the spring we can visit the courtyard of the Bajdázói quarry. Mining was carried out here for centuries, and a railway branch line was built from Királyrét to transport the extracted dacite. Today the quarry no longer operates, but its courtyard has become a favorite location for mineral collectors.

Upward to Rakodó

Continuing, the path turns uphill, and we start climbing on the long, straight ridge road of the Suta-berk glade. The route passes through open oak woods on the outer side of an extinct volcano. In places, volcanic activity witnesses such as andesite fields can be seen at the forest floor. To the right, the valley of the Szén stream deepens. At about 500 meters above the surface, our marker turns down towards the valley floor, but we stay on the ridge, now following the K● marks from the junction. As we ascend, the oak forest gradually transitions into beech. At one spot, the forest opens like a window, offering a nice view of the opposite Három-hárs-bérc ridge. On the gentler section of the Kálmán kaszaló, we reach a crossroads: the path marked P● branches left and leads to the nearby but dilapidated Ujpest spring. Unfortunately, today only the site remains of the shelter built here by Ujpest hikers in 1969. The hut provided free accommodation to hikers until the early 1980s, when it finally fell into ruin.

Soon our path leaves the ridge to walk on a comfortable level road below Égés-bérc mountainside. From the forest, a panorama unfolds at times toward the south: beyond the lower cones of Börzsöny, we can see the Visegrád Mountains and the Danube bend area. On a section called Páfrány út, we arrive at the Rakodó tourist route junction under beautiful wind-beech tree trunks. In memory of Saint Stephen, a large wooden cross was erected on the small clearing where we can rest. The 779-meter-high saddle’s name relates to logging. In the first half of the 20th century, it was from here that piled timber was taken to the valley narrow-gauge railway to be transported further to Királyrét. Loggers used a special tool, a human-drawn Romanian sled, to carry the trunks down. Steering the loaded heavy sleds was very hard work – some sleds started moving uncontrollably down slopes causing fatal accidents – and after unloading, heavy equipment had to be carried back. The use of the Romanian sled can be seen in the Börzsöny episode of the hiking film series "One and a Half Million Steps in Hungary." From Rakodó, we can make a detour to the Nagy-Hideg-hegy mountain hut and even stay overnight in its walls, interrupting our route if desired. The hut can be reached in 15-20 minutes on the K and P markers heading west together. We can also decide to visit Csóványos first and then proceed to Nagy-Hideg-hegy, or continue our hike back to Királyrét. The mountain range’s main peak can be reached by a little over a 2 km walk on the K and P markers heading east in the opposite direction.

Descent into the Vasfazék Valley

From the saddle, we continue on the K+ marker, walking along the gently sloping Erzsike Road through continuous, undisturbed forest. Occasionally, the andesite rock outcrops forming the main mass of Börzsöny peek gray on the hillside. After the head of the Bagoly-bükki stream valley, the downhill slope increases. We cross the gravel road leading to Nagy-hideg-hegy and then reach the corner of the Taxi meadow, where the closed tourist hut is located. Although our path bypasses the clearing, it is worth looking around on the neat meadow or resting.

Our route winds down under beeches. We soon cross a wide gravel road again, but after crossing an overhead power line glade, we leave it. By cutting across the ridge, we descend into the Nagy-Vasfazék-patak valley, crossing the stony riverbed and hiking parallel above the watercourse. On the left, we pass the Inóci quarry worked in the first half of the 20th century, from where the quarried andesite was removed by cableway and pulley tracks. We cross the Nagy-hideg-hegy stony road again, then the bridge over the stream. We cross the old pulley track and, after bypassing a barrier, step onto the asphalt of the Cseresznyefa parking lot. The narrow-gauge railway terminus used to be here; initially, it transported lime and wood, later tourists until the 1970s. The removal of the tracks and closure of the terminus was justified by building the asphalt road. We only walk briefly on this road because the K+ marker takes a right turn off it to continue walking in the forest along the floor of Vasfazék Valley. On the last section of our hike, we follow the former narrow-gauge railway track, crossing the winding stream several times. Here and there we can observe remains of bridge piers and railway embankments. Our path leads through forests composed of trees of different ages and species, also crossing clearings in the beautiful valley; at one place, we also pass an earth-dug rain shelter. Finally, at the edge of Királyrét, we reconnect with the asphalt road. We reach the building of the Hiúz Ház Forest School and Visitor Center Hiúz Ház, then cross the Bagoly-bükki stream bridge and arrive back at our starting point.