In Carpathian regions: wandering around Óhuta

Itinerary:

• We start from the Óhuta bus turnaround heading south on the P+ trail, passing the Emőke Spring up to the dozer road above the spring.
• From the dozer road, the P● trail leads up through the Szelek-fej Gorge to the Szelek-fej Meadow.
• From here, we continue on an unmarked path (the nature trail signs have worn off), crossing the Nagy-Rókás Meadow.
• Descending into the Mély Creek valley, we follow the P+ trail down.
• After crossing the creek, turn right where the P◼ trail guides back to the asphalt of Óhuta.
• A sign to the left indicates the way to the Pálos Spring via an unmarked path, where we walk to the Pálos Monastery and the Teardrop Lake.
• After the monastery ruins, we return to the dozer road and ascend left following the P+ signs to a junction.
• We make a left detour to the Barát Rest viewpoint on the P▲ trail, then return to the dozer road.
• Following the rarely marked P+ signs again, we reach the Kis-Királyos viewpoint.
• We descend to the valley on an unmarked (supposedly P+) path, where we follow the forest road to the creek bank.
• Crossing the creek, turn right on the road to reach the village, where the green cyclist signs indicate the way to the bus stop.

Detailed description of the hike:

Under Rókás Peak: Carpathian half-circle

From the center of Óhuta, starting from near the bus turnaround and the grocery store, we head south along the rarely painted, non-standard P+ trail. Right behind the houses, by the backyards, we enter the dense forest on the steep slope surrounding the narrow valley. The narrow road, heavily overgrown with shrubs, leads through wooded areas towards meadows created on the hilltop. Along the way, a rest and memorial area set in a pine grove meadow is maintained by the village. After overcoming the first significant climb, shortly after the Rejtek Meadow, we arrive here as well.

Among the beech forests forming the woodland, long clearings are interspersed with pines and birches—a combination often seen in the central areas of the Tokaj Mountains. These tree groups typical for the Carpathians give a special atmosphere to the mountains, greatly reminiscent of more northern regions. At the upper edge of the meadow, water gathers into a small, carefully stone-lined pond at the Emőke Spring. Nearby seating and a stone cairn shaped like historic Hungary with a double cross commemorate the world war and subsequent peace treaty. Benches under an old beech tree provide a place for reflection, and indeed, gazing across the meadow to the hills and meadows above the village, one mentally wanders through the Carpathians, as it is rare to find a place in the country so similar to the Carpathian landscapes as the view from here.

From Emőke Spring, we reach the dark spruce forestry road, along which we traverse a few hundred meters sideways toward the east. The dozer road first skirts a flat ridge and then reaches a ditch; narrow paths and signs follow both. Misleadingly, both signs form a P● symbol and ultimately lead to the same place but along different routes. The forest road on the ridge is relatively passable but climbs a less interesting forest up to the saddle, while the scarcely existing trail through the Szelek-fej Gorge is a more adventurous climb through a rocky, scree-filled ravine. We recommend the latter, but if you are concerned about difficult terrain, the easier alternative is suggested.

Eventually, we always end up at the edge of Szelek-fej Meadow, where from the edge of the clearing we follow the seasonal stream bed through an oak forest on a forestry road. From here, along the former trail signs, mostly on unmarked paths, we continue almost all the way. Beyond the oak forest, we cross a marshy area at the spring of the creek. This flat, open area named the Nagy-Rókás Meadow has survived forest clearances as a hayfield for the locals. Currently, these meadows contain some of the mountain’s most valuable ecosystems: rare Carpathian species, herbs, butterflies, and insects inhabit these rare hayfields in the country.

Beyond the meadow, passing through clearings and young pine forests, we reach the saddle between Szelek-fej, Rókás Peak, and Hajagos Peak. This saddle, above 500 meters, is the highest point of our hike; from here, we descend steeply back into the valley of Mély Creek stretching far below us. The suddenly falling northern slope is mainly covered with medieval pine forests. In the creek valley beside the dense wall of planted pines, we descend steep ditches to the forestry road already mentioned near Babuka Lake. Here stands a dilapidated house in the dense forest, with a resting place offering benches and tables for a short comfort break.

We continue descending along the road crossing the pine forest, and after a while, the P+ signs reappear (though only rarely). Shortly, we arrive from the grove at the edge of Tiltott Meadow, crossing its upper rim to reach the Nyírfa Clearing and then descend into the Mély Creek valley. Following the creekside clearings, we soon take a wide forestry road to the confluence of Huta and Mély Creeks, which we cross by ford and bridge, finally reaching the Regéc country road (where P◼ signs can be found).

Path to the Pálos: crossing Kis-Királyos on the path of the friars

A sign across the asphalt lane points the way to the Pálos Spring and the monastery ruins. The worn signs guide us along a forestry road on the western side of Cser-kő through a shrub and grove area to the site of the former Pálos monastery. Until the beginning of the 21st century, the exact location of the ruins was unknown; only documents remained about it. Finally, in the early 2000s, the site was found, and since then the former building has been excavated.

The path’s left fork leads to the monastery ruins—a few tens of meters across a meadow towards old chestnut trees. Beneath them, a pile of stones marks where the former walls and the church stood. On the other side in a neat environment lies the carefully preserved Pálos Spring, whose fissure water flows into the small reservoir of Teardrop Lake. Besides the spring, under the trees, a well-maintained rest area has been established, where refreshing water quenches thirst and provides a good spot to pause halfway up the climb to the mountain.

The monastery, founded near the end of the Árpád era, flourished in the middle ages; the friars received royal and queenly donations. The building was burned mid-16th century by German imperial troops, then deserted until the end of the century. Settlers arriving in Óhuta began calling the hillside merely Barát Ridge.

Returning to the junction, we head uphill on the dozer road, which soon reaches the oak-covered summit of Cser-kő. Here, we make another short left out-and-back detour to the Barát Rest. The road to the top of the meadow spread below the cliff is barely 200 meters. There is only a bench beside a tree at Barát Rest, but the view is truly friendly—or princely—as just opposite over the meadows starting at the far end of Óhuta, the Regéc Castle built on the eagle’s rock thrones. Around the dominating castle ruins woolly volcanic cones line both directions, while below at the bottom of the meadow unfolds the environment of Teardrop Lake and the monastery ruins.

Returning to the main route and crossing a saddle wave on the forest road, we reach Kis-Királyos, just slightly lower than Cser-kő. The ridge steeply drops towards Óhuta, where the thinning forest allows views to the mountains accompanying the village, to the confluence of Huta and Tolcsva Creeks, and on the right the Regéc Castle is also visible.

Beyond the summit, the ridge slopes sharply down. The path runs into a forestry road in the oak forest, which descends more gently towards the village. We arrive at the Király-kúti Creek valley and cross the creek, then turn right. At the edge of Óhuta, a Rákóczi memorial has been established to honor the village’s founder. Here you can learn about the prince’s and the freedom fight’s role in preserving Hungarian identity, and there is also an exhibition about glassmaking history.

About a kilometer westward on the asphalt (marked by the Z cyclist): we arrive back at the starting point through the neat houses of Óhuta, walking along the cozy, sleepy small village street, thus closing the circular route.