Hike on the Börzsöny lava domes

Itinerary

• On the K trail, we cross the Damásdi stream bridge and walk to the foot of the Zuvári Hill.
• On the K● trail, we can make a detour to the Railwayman's Spring.
• On the KL trail, turning right, we cross the prominence of Zuvári Hill.
• On the K trail, turning right, we walk to the side of Nagy-Galla.
• Along the K▲ signs, we climb to the summit of Nagy-Galla, then descend back the same way.
• On the K trail, we stroll left to the Piribék clearing.
• Turning right on the Z signs, we hike to Márianosztra.

Detailed description of the tour

From the Valley to the Mountain

From the Ódamásd-Malomvölgy bus stop, we start heading south towards Szob along the roadside. We pass a single-story long house, reminiscent of a once nearby village. After the Turkish invasion, the village of Ódamásd was established here in the valley with Slovaks from Upper Hungary, whose population moved to today's Ipolydamásd at the beginning of the 19th century; after that, only water mills operated along the stream. 200 meters after the house, we join the K trail, turning right, crossing the stream on an old vaulted stone bridge, and reach the Misa-réti valley. The bridge is a remnant of a railway branch line that transported wood from the forests around Nagy-Galla and stone from the Brjeska mine to Szob. Although the tracks were removed in the 1970s, the embankment is still well recognizable – part of the first section of our hike will be along this. After the small Misa-rét, we enter the forest. The andesite gravel stones underfoot indicate we are walking on the railway route. At the junction, turning left, on the K● trail we can make a short detour to the reliable spring with a winged wheel relief, the Railwayman's Spring, where we can refill our bottles with fresh, cold mountain water.

Land of Small Railways

By the end of the 19th century, with the development of the railway network and increased material demand in the country, there was a need to transport our mountain's usable natural resources (wood, rocks, ores) on forest narrow-gauge railways. Narrow gauge lines were built across the country in valleys (and sometimes climbing hillsides and saddles), penetrating deeply into mountain interiors. One end of the tracks was at the resource site, the other at a transfer station, where goods were loaded onto mainline railways or, where river connections allowed, barges, thus supplying mountain raw materials into the economic bloodstream. Most branch lines were not permanent but relocated as extraction sites shifted. In many places, trains were also moved by horse traction.

Mostly, narrow gauge railways were used for transportation until the 1960s when trucks took over this role. Afterwards, tracks were gradually removed, roads were built on embankments, or the rail routes were abandoned. The extensive mountain narrow-gauge network and its infrastructure became history nationwide. Unfortunately, decision-makers rarely considered the potential for tourism use of this system, which until then mainly handled freight traffic, despite experts pointing out the importance of integrating passenger transport between the two world wars. Since then, attitudes have changed: several lines have been rebuilt and reopened.

The most extensive network in our country was in Börzsöny. The first line was in Királyrét in 1893, and the last was handed over in the 1950s. Of the approximately 200 km total length, only 3 lines remain today: the Királyrét State Forest Railway, the Kemence Forest Museum Railway, and the Szob–Nagybörzsöny narrow-gauge railway. Using them can add spice to our Börzsöny hikes.

Zuvári Hill

We continue on the K trail. Crossing another railway-built bridge and walking along the old embankment by the charming, wild Misa-réti stream. Shortly, we turn right onto the KL trail and begin a steep climb on the side of Zuvári Hill. The steep, loose rocky, and slippery path requires endurance and good fitness. On the treed summit of the 313-meter-high volcanic dome hill, in an oak grove, lie the small ruins of the Zuvár or Ódamásd castle. The small eagle's nest built in the Árpád era was destroyed at the beginning of the Turkish occupation, then much of its stone was taken for nearby constructions (for example, the monastery in Márianosztra). Due to the trees, the view from the summit is limited only. We see part of the Danube Bend with the rising ridges: the Szent-Mihály Hill block, and on the river's far bank the Visegrád and Pilis highlands. The far side of the hill is more sheltered than the side we climbed, but be cautious of the slippery sections! It's worth taking a short detour right on the PL trail to peek out from the eastern lookout point of the Zuvár. From here, the sparsely populated Márianosztra basin opens up, with the village buildings, among which the twin-towered pilgrimage church stands prominently.

Up to Nagy-Galla

Descending on the other side of Zuvári Hill, we continue walking on the wide trail of the K signs along the railway embankment with a right turn. Soon, the sign sharply directs left, and we descend to the valley floor. We ford the Misa-réti stream, passing a dilapidated hut on the other side, then begin climbing. We walk through the Lábas forest, a young oak forest mixed with hornbeam. From a clearing in the logging area of a lone tree, a splendid panorama opens to the northeast. We have an excellent view of the volcanic cone ridge formed by Vastag Hill, Kopasz Hill, Sós Hill, and Nagy-Sas Hill above Márianosztra, behind which towers the Inóc massif belonging to the High Börzsöny. The gentle volcanic humps rise one after the other from the ridge, some crowned by characteristic grassland forest-steppe patches distinctive to this Börzsöny corner with specific microclimate and fauna.

At the bottom of Nagy-Galla, near an oak decorated with a small tension, we reach a crossroads. The K▲ sign branches off from here up the hill. On the short but steep ascent, sometimes on slippery surfaces, we climb and soon stand on the small, bare summit of the 479-meter hill. Counting among the most beautiful viewpoints in Börzsöny, the panorama opening before us is hard to get enough of: we can confirm we arrived at a good place, and the effort was worth it. Due to its relatively low height, the landscape is particularly detailed, and we can also see far. Half of the Danube Bend can be seen here, including the mountain ranges above the river valley. The view is wide: from the Helembai Hills through Gerecse, Pilis, and Visegrád Hills to the Gödöllő Hills and the Cserhát peaks. Within this, we can also observe the nearer Börzsöny ridges, volcanic cones, settlements, and outskirts. Below us, the Galla clearing breaks the continuous forest, and the Csák Hill and more distant Naszály – both recognizable from their mining landscapes – are clearly identifiable. We have a good bird's-eye view of the Ipoly and Garam valleys flowing into the Danube.

Between Mountains and Valleys

After spending enough time on the summit, we walk back to the junction. Continuing north on the K trail, first level, then descending moderately, we reach the edge of the Piribék clearing, where we turn right into a small grove meadow. From here on, the Z sign will guide us until the end of the hike, but for a while, we still walk together with the now familiar K signs. We pass between large, beautiful oaks and again enter the forest. Our next section is a winding rollercoaster ride until we arrive again to the Misa-réti stream valley.

We walk on a wide cart road northeast, then after a few minutes a sharp right turn continues southeast. The bent branches of the young, dense rod forest form a leafy tunnel above our heads, and a gully accompanies us on our right. Soon, the loss in elevation ends, and we reach the lowest point of this section at a ditch shaped by water erosion. We cross a periodically water-filled streambed and then continue up with a gentle ascent that intensifies a bit after the next left turn, where the sign directs us north. This part is called Nosztrai winds, once hayfields extending here towards Márianosztra. Walking through the young oak forest, we soon turn into a clearing with another 90° bend. From here, almost level, we shortly reach a fork, where we descend to the Misa-réti stream. The valley name is familiar since we already touched its lower section at the beginning of our hike. On a moderately descending path, in a sparsely vegetated oak-hornbeam forest, we comfortably walk. The babbling of the stream, stumbling over mossy tree trunks and stones on the rocky bed, grows louder in the narrow valley; it's truly an idyllic and atmospheric forest section. We cross the water among piles of tree branch debris and continue on a narrow path on the other hillside. On the left, we touch a small clearing and then bend out of the valley and forest, turning onto the wide cart road leading to Márianosztra.

Márianosztra

Above the economic area, we enjoy a good view of the disrupted side of Csák Hill: the andesite and dacite mining in the multi-level mine is still ongoing today. On our left, Kopasz and Vastag Hills appear, then soon the Nosztrai basilica, the penal institution, and the village houses also come into view. We cross the railway tracks before entering the village. From the intersection after the Bezina stream bridge, Petőfi Sándor street starts to the left; it's worth making a detour there to see the monastery complex up close. Márianosztra is the region's best-known pilgrimage site, visited by large pilgrim crowds. Entering the churchyard gate, we can observe the impressive twin-towered pilgrimage church and the parish house next to it. The monastery was founded by King Louis the Great for the Pauline order. The building complex destroyed during the Turkish times was rebuilt in the 18th century. After the dissolution of the monastic order (1786), part of it came under the diocese, and part became a penitentiary, still operating to this day. The shrine returned to the Paulines in 1989 and was later titled "minor basilica" by the Pope; it is officially named the Basilica of the Great Lady of the Hungarians since then. Besides the church, we can visit exhibitions of the Pauline order and prison history museums as well.

Returning to the Z mark, we walk to the endpoint of our hike at the bus turnaround, where we find a grocery store and a garden café. Before heading home, it's worth visiting the Calvary, one kilometer away, which, besides its sacred buildings, offers a splendid viewpoint of the area, including the emblematic twin summit of Nagy-Galla.