Kisinóc Tourist Lodge – Nógrád (Day 37 of the OKT Hike)

We begin our hike in front of the Kisinóc Tourist Lodge; the Blue Trail stamp is located on the fence of the garden area. Located one and a half kilometers from Kóspallag, the lodge is the oldest facility in the mountain range, with a history dating back more than 85 years; it also serves as a campground and a forest school. The castle-like, two-story building is also featured on the OKT seal. It was built in 1929 by the Nature Lovers’ Association (which later adopted the name Inóci Tourists’ Society—their commemorative plaque can be seen on the wall of the house) and has been available to hikers ever since. “Tastefully designed in the style of a villa, with 60 beds (plus 40 emergency sleeping spaces), a large veranda-style dining room, and a separate guard’s quarters. Open in winter and summer. Hot and cold meals,” states the 1931 hiking guide.

The lodge stands at an elevation of 320 meters above sea level, so on the first leg of the hike—a 5.7-kilometer stretch leading to Nagy-Hideg Mountain at 864 meters—we’ll climb 530 meters in elevation. Next to the meadow behind the mountain lodge, we turn onto the service road marked with “K” signs, which crosses the Pokol Valley Stream at the Kisinóci Meadow. Here we’ll find a rest area with a few tables and benches, and nearby lies the grassy field belonging to the mountain lodge, where you can even play soccer.

After crossing the stream, a monotonous climb begins; moreover, the hiking trail runs almost perfectly straight through the Inóci Cut. The term “inóc” is derived from Slovak and means “frost” or “hoarfrost,” referring to the winter scenery of the Nagy- and Kis-Inóc peaks. We ascend toward the Magas-Börzsöny over the gentle ridge of Hálás-bérc; the name of this place speaks for itself: we press forward on a well-trodden trail.

As we approach the 600-meter contour line, on the right side of the trail stands the memorial stone and stone cross of Ferenc Barna, erected in memory of Ferenc Barna, who died in a skiing accident in 1935. The marble plaque on the meter-high rock is barely legible today. While the hornbeam-oak forest contains an increasing number of tall ash and beech trees, we must watch our step, as the trail has been washed out in many places by water rushing down after showers, exposing stones of varying sizes from the soil.

As we approach the Etel Rest Area, a panoramic view opens up to the west; the plowed fields of Törökmező appear through the trees, with the Visegrád Mountains rising in the background. The Etel Rest Area itself is not a classic forest rest stop; its name has historical significance: in the 1930s, a bench was built here for weary hikers. At this point, the mountainside flattens out briefly; it’s worth taking a breather before tackling the remaining 150-meter climb.

Here, the forest reveals its particularly beautiful side, and we pass through the dense beech groves characteristic of our higher mountain ranges. This section is called Luczenbacher Road, a reference to the family that played a defining role in the area’s development in the past. The Luczenbachers settled in Szobra from the German Lowlands in the 18th century and quickly became large-scale landowners and entrepreneurs. In the Börzsöny region, they operated stone quarries, construction companies, and timber mills, but they also played a significant role in river transportation and railroad construction (including the Börzsöny narrow-gauge railroad network). Their family castle in Szob is open to the public.

Upon reaching the Gács Saddle, the forest opens up again; this time, looking to the right, we are treated to a beautiful panorama. Through the trees, you can see the sloping volcanic cones, the Szokolyai Basin, and the Danube River; on a clear day, the town of Vác is also visible. Our trail first crosses and then joins the access road leading to the Nagy-Hideg-hegy mountain lodge; the defunct ski bus languishing in one of the hairpin turns signals that we are just a stone’s throw from the lodge.

Perched atop the 864-meter-high Nagy-Hideg-hegy, this mountain lodge is one of the most well-known shelters in the Börzsöny Mountains. The Society of Nature Lovers decided to build it in 1936, but the work, which had been interrupted by World War II, was not completed until 1947 by the Újpest Nature Lovers. The lodge quickly became the most important tourist center in the Magas-Börzsöny, thanks in part to the mountain’s excellent snow conditions: from the 1950s onward, it gained fame for its ski slopes, the country’s first (300-meter) ski lift, and national ski competitions. Due to milder winters, the ski resort has since closed, but the tourist lodge remains one of the most popular destinations in the Börzsöny Mountains. The building, renovated in 2024–2025, now welcomes hikers with lodging and a restaurant.

The stamp is located on the pole of the sign next to the tourist lodge.

Nagy-Hideg-hegy – Csóványos

After the ascent of Nagy-Hideg-hegy, the Blue Trail turns eastward. The trail does not pass through the meadow-covered summit of the mountain, which can be reached via a short, unmarked but perfectly clear path. The summit is marked by a carved stone, from which you can see the mountain hut, the meadow, and, further in the distance, the southern and western peaks of the Börzsöny Mountains, as well as the Visegrád Mountains and Naszály. It’s also worth walking out to the top of the eastern ski slope; from here, you can see the inner side of Csóványos.

We descend from Nagy-Hideg Mountain past the former ski jump, losing 70 meters in elevation on the sometimes steep hiking trail. The trail is made difficult not only by its steepness but also because, in the mid-2020s, a large number of massive trees fell in the high-altitude forests due to pine dieback, some of them onto the hiking trails. Climbing over or navigating around these requires additional effort.

Our next stop is the Rakodó Saddle, one of the largest hiking trail junctions in the Magas-Börzsöny. In the first half of the 20th century, a significant portion of the logs harvested in the Magas-Börzsöny forest were gathered here and then transported down to the narrow-gauge railway leading to Királyrét. The logs were hauled down the slopes using a manually guided log-hauling sled, known as a “Romanian sled.” This was extremely dangerous work: a sled loaded with 400–500 kilograms of logs could easily get out of control, causing serious, even fatal, accidents. Once the load had reached the valley, the sleds—weighing several tens of kilograms—had to be carried back up the mountain by hand. This method of work is also featured in the episode on Börzsöny in the series *One and a Half Million Steps in Hungary*. The large wooden cross standing at Rakodó was erected in memory of St. Stephen.

The Blue Trail continues uphill; our next peak is Égés-tető, at an elevation of 833 meters, on the rim of the volcanic caldera. The Nagy-Hideg-hegy–Égés-tető–Hangyás-bérc–Szabó-kövek–Csóványos range is the remaining rim of a massive volcanic collapse: the structure of the former volcano became too steep and unstable at one point, collapsed, and crumbled away, with its debris subsequently further eroded by streams. This is how the ring-shaped structure that encircles the Csarna Creek valley was formed. Along the ridge, rock outcrops and steep drops follow one after another.

At the end of a more pleasant ascent, we arrive at the not particularly spectacular summit of Hangyás-bérc. However, by taking a short detour, we can enjoy a fresh perspective: turning left onto an unofficial trail, we reach a jagged rocky outcrop, from which we get a beautiful view of the caldera’s inner basin—as far as the trees allow. Across from us, we can make out Jancsi Hill and Holló Rock, and behind them, the flatlands beyond the Börzsöny Mountains come into view. In the middle of this vast forest, this charming, peaceful, secluded little rocky outcrop is also a great place to rest—completely free of any structures.

Returning to the Blue Trail, we now enter what is perhaps the most beautiful kilometer of the Börzsöny section. The trail, winding along the narrowing rocky ridge among wind-swept, gnarled trees, turns into a treacherous, ankle-breaking path in places as it approaches the Szabó Rocks —but that’s not the only reason to watch your step: carved into the rock is the man-sized Haramia Hole, where, according to legend, the infamous Börzsöny outlaw, Sisa Pista, hid from his pursuers. And if we stop and look up, the summit of Csóványos comes into view, just an arm’s length away. It is also here that we find the Tamás Tóth memorial. The unassuming, carved stone was erected in memory of a Börzsöny nature lover who died young.

The material of the tall stone towers lining the Blue Trail moved down the slopes after the volcano’s eruptions, gradually shattering into pieces. The glowing blocks—of varying grain and block sizes—along with their finer and coarser debris, mixed together and flowed in a mass movement; then, as they cooled, they fused together without sorting. This is why we see pieces up to several meters in diameter alongside pebble-sized stones and fine ash particles. Millions of years of erosion, followed by the intense freezing effects of the Pleistocene ice ages, exposed the formations that were more resistant to the elements than their surroundings, and these formations still reveal the original volcanic structure today.

The proximity of the Csóványos peak is indicated by the fact that the hiking trail climbs ever more steeply. To our left lies the highest exposed volcanic tower on the entire ridge, the 21-meter-high Korona-kő, also known as the Vilma Rest Area. The latter name was given to it in 1967 by members of the Spartacus hiking club in memory of Lajosné Torma, who, at the age of 69, was still leading hikes in the Börzsöny Mountains just one week before her death.

At the summit, the first thing to catch your eye is the massive lookout tower, converted from a geodetic tower; yet after the strenuous climb, most hikers are drawn instead to the benches.

Csóványos, the highest peak in the Börzsöny, stands at 938 meters; added to this is the observation tower, which can be reached by climbing 133 steps. The view is spectacular: in addition to the neighboring Magosfa peak, the caldera’s center—carved by valleys—and its far side, along with the Holló-kő ridge, come into view, while looking back reveals the route of our hike so far, the Hangyás Ridge and Nagy-Hideg Mountain can be recognized. In the central part of the volcanic structure lies an extremely valuable forest today, along with the rugged valley system of the Csarna Stream. Looking further afield on a clear day, the landscape stretches from Budapest to the High Tatras, and the Visegrád Mountains, the Pilis Ridge, and the Nagy-Gerecse also appear on the horizon.

The National Blue Trail stamp can be found on the OKT information board next to the lookout tower.

Csóványos – Nógrád

After resting and taking in the views in Csóványos, we begin the descent toward Nógrád along the Három-hárs ridge. More fallen ash trees signal the presence of a fungus that’s destroying the forest, and as we navigate around the fallen trunks, the dense beech forest gradually opens up, offering scattered views to the south and southwest. Beyond the valley of the Szén Creek, we see the Égés Ridge, and farther away, the Szokolyai Basin, with the mountains of the Danube Bend forming the backdrop.

The Blue Trail leads along the ridge through strikingly beautiful surroundings: to our left, the dense beech forest still persists, while to our right, the cleared vegetation lets in the sunlight. We continue our descent to the Fultán Cross, which is one of the important rest stops on the Börzsöny section of the Blue Trail. In the meadow, we find benches and tables; the site is named after János Foltán, a forester who was murdered here by poachers. A stone cross erected in 1890 commemorates him.

Below the Fultán Cross, we descend through the hornbeam-oak forest of the Saj-kút-bérc ridge toward the foot of the mountain range. The K trail markers lead us through a dense green tunnel; the water-eroded hiking trail resembles a rudimentary ravine in places. At the end of a steeper section, after a sharp right turn, we arrive at the Semmelweis Spring, which is accessible via a hiking trail marked K● that is a few meters long. The spring’s flow varies, but it trickles to some extent even during periods of drought. Its original name was Saj Well; its current structure was built in 1971 by the KISZ organization of the Semmelweis Vocational School of Health Care—the name change also dates back to this time. The spring house is a simple stone structure, but the spout is not located here; instead, it is two meters to the right, because the water carved out a new path for itself in the 2000s, and this was paved over in 2024 by volunteers from Semmelweis University.

After crossing the Cseresnyés Stream below the spring, we walk a few kilometers through a forest of hornbeam and oak, and then the landscape changes in an instant. We walk past meadows and plowed fields toward Nógrád, with our destination already looming before us: we’re heading toward the ruins of Nógrád Castle, with the tower in sight. Looking back from the treeless landscape, we see the ridgeline of the Börzsöny Mountains, while ahead of us the much gentler Cserhát Hills undulate. We’re at an elevation of barely 240 meters; we’ve descended from the Börzsöny, but before we reach Nógrád, we walk past the old Jewish cemetery and the Calvary. The castle is getting closer and closer, and below the Calvary, we reach the outermost street of the village.

Here, a great resting spot awaits us right away: the Nature Conservationists’ Spring is no longer flowing, but next to it, the Csurgó Well trickles coolly even in the summer heat, and next to it we find several benches and tables. The spring was founded in 1703 and took on its current form in 1930. The two springs flow side by side behind a stone wall, the edges of which have been painted beach-railing blue.

At the end of the hike, we walk to the train station, where we’ll find the Blue Trail stamp on the OKT information board. If we have time before the train arrives, it’s worth taking a stroll around the fish pond next to the train station, and the castle is also worth the detour.