Large Inóci loop with narrow-gauge railway connection

Itinerary

• From Kisinóc we start our route northwards on the K mark next to the tourist house.
• Within minutes we reach a meadow, here we follow the Z signs to the left.
• From the Érsek-tisztás we continue on the S mark towards Kisirtás.
• From Kisirtás we return to Kisinóc following the S+ sign.
• After Inóci-nyereg we can take a detour on the S▲ sign to the Szép-bérc lookout point.
• From Kisinóc we return to the starting point heading south on the K sign.

About the route in detail

From Kisinóc to Érsek-tisztás

The Kisinóc tourist house was built by the Nature Lovers' Association in 1929 - at that time the asphalt had not yet reached here, and the charming building awaited hikers hidden in the forest. Today, a few bus routes serve the house, considered the gateway to the mountain range, which has since been expanded and operates a kitchen. From Kisinóc, not only the High Börzsöny but also the southwestern part of the range, dotted with panoramic peaks and deep valleys, is accessible by hiking trails.

We enter the forest northwards beside the house on the K sign, then turn left at a small meadow onto the Z sign. The hiking trail follows the winding asphalt road along oaks and forest clearings - cutting some large curves - crossing the mountains through Nagyirtáspuszta all the way to Nagybörzsöny. The section closed to public traffic is used only by guests of the Nagyirtás hotel, so due to the low traffic, we might choose this instead of the slightly undulating trail path.

Down into the valleys

About half an hour of walking awaits us before reaching Érsek-tisztás. The spacious meadow lies in a watershed saddle, from which slopes of the mountain range’s central part begin to the north, while to the south starts a series of solitary volcanic domes of South Börzsöny, represented by Nagy-Sas-hegy. The name Érsek-tisztás probably comes from a May Day event organized by the forest-owning archbishopric in the early 20th century on the meadow. From here we continue through denser, darker forest, a relaxing section before the end of the route. The S sign accompanies a deeply incised creek with a stony bed on a forest road - the watercourse largely keeps a northwesterly flow; at Nagybörzsöny it leaves the mountains and finally joins the Ipoly at Vámosmikola under the name Börzsöny Creek. Its former mill is still visitable in Nagybörzsöny.

The monotonous but pleasant forest environment is only broken by Templom-rét; shortly after this small clearing, we arrive at Kisirtás. We come out of the forest at the valley junction of Kisirtáspuszta, a narrow mountain corner, beside a cross erected in memory of a former archbishopric visit. This place was important in speeding and making logging more efficient, being the location of the small railway’s repair workshop. Today the trains still rattle, now luckily only transporting tourists - the zigzag route and the summit turnouts that help surmount elevation changes with forward and backward moves are industrial monuments. Right next to the rails and a bit further away we can choose between 3 accommodations if we want to spend a few days in the mountains.

From Kisirtás uphill

From the railway stop we switch to the S+ mark to step onto the rocky road and enter the Kollár valley. The rocky stream carries the hard andesite of the Nagy-Inóc block - few tourists venture here, explained by the lack of special sights in the valley. We meander through a beautiful beech forest, skipping the free Oldaltmászó-kút spring on one bend, and after a big curve, we reach a fence. We need to turn right here onto the path cut through bushes to overlook South Börzsöny, Gerecse, and the partially hidden hills of the Danube Bend.

Our path gradually narrows into a trail, bypassing some narrow valley heads as we go higher. The Nagy-Inóc rises steeply on the left, the southern branch of the caldera rim. We reach the Inóci saddle in patches of cracked beech forest, where a charming sunny clearing welcomes us. We pass over to the southern side of the mountain. Here, big oaks replace the shady beeches, undergrowth appears, and the climate becomes warmer. We walk on bulldozer roads; the S▲ sign to the right offers a detour: definitely take the approximately 15-20 minutes (round trip) extra! From the forest, we step onto a bare, rocky mountain ridge; breaking through the vegetation scratching our legs, the view of the Danube Bend unfolds. Szép-bérc does not offer a breathtaking view, but the cones of South Börzsöny and the Visegrádi Hills rising above the Danube can still be seen.

Descent to Kisinóc

Returning to the S+ mark, we descend along the ridge’s side, cross a gully, then soon reach a trailhead: the service road turns right, while the steep slope bending downward is used only by the trail (although vehicles once used it in width). Some skill is needed not to slip on the rolling loose stones, but after a few minutes, we reach the creek valley. After a short walk across small clearings, we arrive back at our starting point, Kisinóc, on the K mark.