Mountain-valley loop around Ágasvár

Itinerary

• Leave Mátraszentistván westwards on the K trail.
• At the junction before Szamár-kő, turn onto the K▲ trail, crossing Ágasvár.
• Before the tourist house, switch to the ʍ trail (if the gate is closed, continue on the right-hand P trail).
• At the exit of the tourist house garden, turn left onto the P trail.
• Descend into Csörgő Valley on the Z◼ trail.
• At Hutahely, turn left onto the Z+ trail.
• In Mátraszentistván, walk the last meters on the Z trail to the bus stop.

Detailed description of the route

Felsőhuta

Felsőhuta was the former name of Mátraszentistván. The name refers to two related aspects of its history: down by the Csörgő stream valley there was a settlement where, in the 1700s after the Turkish wars, Slovak settlers were relocated. The smelter they established for glassmaking (hut site) was the first in the mountain range. The Slovaks working in forestry also engaged in charcoal burning, potash making, and glass production. After cutting forests up to the ridges, they moved to the flat peaks of the Mátra, where the terrain allowed for animal husbandry and limited cultivation. This is when Felsőhuta, the predecessor of Mátraszentistván, was born – its current name was given in 1938 to mark the 900th anniversary of King István’s death.

Walking out of the settlement you can notice three distinct architectural styles. Most common are the traditional buildings built from dark Mátra andesite, alongside the indispensable tub-shaped blocks dominating the appearance of the village. Moving away from Mátraszentistván, alpine-style panoramic log houses appear on the mountainsides overlooking the ski slopes. The K trail first cuts through an oak-dominated mixed forest, for now only rock boulders on the ground hint at the proximity of the ridge.

On the Mátrabérc ridge

From a saddle carrying a forestry road begins a wild path winding through the forest reserve. The sheltered oak forest leads up to a narrow grassy ridge; to the left, a clearing offers a restricted view of the Csörgő stream valley. Large, checkered rock boulders mark one of the sharpest parts of the Mátrabérc – behind it, the trail forks. (If you want to avoid the strenuous Ágasvár climb, you can reach the Ágasvár tourist house on the level route of the Blue Trail to the left.)

Newton and the Donkey Rock

On the right-hand K▲ marked path, you can immediately look out from Newton Rock’s summit: the northern forelands of the mountain range, the hilly Heves-Borsod and Medves regions can be seen; on clear days the Bükk mountains are also recognizable. The rock is named after the unknown inscription carved into the lava stone (“God save us from Newton’s faith”). The quote may come from the 20th-century poet Béla Kondor or be reminiscent of a verse by William Blake (Happiness that flies over hills…). The most likely interpretation is a warning about the fatal consequences of gravity.

In the opposite direction, heading upwards, is the Donkey Rock, a huge formation visibly divided into two parts: its lower part is made of volcanic-sedimentary series, the “base” is narrower than the upper mass that protrudes mace-like, composed of lava-cemented breccia. Selective erosion exposed the rock by wearing away softer rocks and later attacking its less resistant base – hence the mace shape.

Ágasvár

A special rocky-step trail begins here: the ridge narrows so much that at most two people (sometimes only one) can pass abreast. At the top of this thigh-testing climb, a clearing opens a view of the Csörgő Valley descending from the High Mátra slopes and the vast forest. We follow an oak forest along a gently undulating, uniquely beautiful ridge, whose soil is enriched with stones in places. From a point, the silhouette of Ágasvár can be seen behind the trees, revealing the remaining sweaty climb ahead.

After crossing a widening terrain and surprisingly steep slope, we reach Ágasvár summit at 789 meters. After the Tartar invasion, a small fortress adorned the cone-shaped, easily defensible mountain peak, but it was already in ruins when the Turks arrived. We have a view of the Zagyva valley among the trees, but the real panorama is a little further ahead on a rocky outcrop, which is the twin peak of the mountain.

The side with pine shade and a pleasant viewpoint drops off steeply cliff-like, with rocks protruding above the forest. Behind the entire Tepke ridge lie the hills of Cserhát, Börzsöny, and the Visegrád Mountains; on clear days, Buda’s hills are identifiable. To the north, the settlements of the Zagyva valley line up, backed by the towering Karancs. Among the pine branches, we can spot the Nyikom summit, topped by a massive lookout tower.

Ágasvár Tourist House

We descend a annoyingly steep, slippery rocky slope to the Ágasvár tourist house and its charming meadow. The building once functioned as a hunting lodge and has operated as a tourist accommodation since the 1920s. The multi-level hotel building was completed in the early 1960s. (Sometimes a closed gate blocks the entrance; in this case, follow the turning Blue Trail along the fence corner to bypass the building group.)

After enjoying the kitchen’s offerings, continue on the Blue Trail! From the small clearing of Foton meadow, we can still glance over the slopes of Csörgő valley before heading into its depths.

On the valley side

At the gate, take the left-turning P trail going downhill; shortly afterwards, branch off onto PΩ path, which leads to the Csörgő-lyuk cave entrance. If you intend to visit, expect a difficult, steep, obstacle-rich trail with fallen trees! The cave, 425 meters long and formed in rhyodacite tuff, is the longest in the Mátra, tectonic in origin, with a small spring feeding a seasonal lake on its lower level (its water surfaces in the Vándor spring). The entrance is sealed off by a crude concrete ring and iron grate; cool air (warm in winter) flows from it.

Continuing, we reach a fork; straight ahead we follow the Z◼ trail. Our narrow path bypasses trees cut halfway by forestry; numerous thick trunks lie scattered on the ground. The wind-torn forest is part of the reserve, where nature rules and there is no human interference in the abundant life. The trail undulates over a small side ridge and then descends – back to a cart track – towards the stream.

On the fordings of Csörgő stream

At the bottom of this wild valley, the talkative Csörgő stream carries its load; natural forest makes the landscape winding and picturesque. Rocky slopes sometimes accompany us while crossing the small stream at multiple fords. A sign marks the former location of the Csörgő mill: the friendly babbling stream rarely dries up even today and has a capricious water flow. After heavier showers or snow melts, it roars through the valley, sparing nothing in its path – though it is hard to imagine the strength needed to transport the giant boulder piles spread about! The former fulling mill played a role in softening cloth with its wooden hammers – locals called it the “Jajmalom” because of the sounds it made. It did not work alone: during the 19th century, the Mátra was home to 17 fulling and 26 water mills. Other assumptions suggest a sawmill once operated here.

Following the winding trail along the valley bottom, further adventurous stream crossings come one after another, mossy rock fields enliven the view, and soon we walk on a stream-undermined high bank. We are undoubtedly at the most atmospheric part of the hiking trail, where we notice a small structure on the right through the trees. It is worth crossing the stream to inspect the poorly maintained clay oven with a wooden roof. Hutahely was the site of the Mátra’s first glassworks in the mid-1700s, playing an important role in regional glass production. This is where the settlers relocated to the mountain first settled. A flash flood washed away the small exhibition site in 2005.

Back to the summits

From the point where three valleys meet, we bid farewell on the left Z+ marked branch. The scenery becomes even livelier and wilder along the Hutahely stream. Large, rugged boulders lie everywhere; fallen tree trunks lean over the bed above. The trail sadly soon crosses the stream and starts climbing a slope resembling a managed forest rather than a Carpathian atmosphere valley floor. In the upper branch of a zigzag turn, we can still observe a moss-covered boulder field under the trees, remains of lava flow fragmented during the Ice Age’s cold climate. Finally, in an old beech forest on a wide forest road crossing ski slopes and pastures, we return to Mátraszentistván – the last steps are on the Z trail.