Nagybörzsöny circuit following the narrow-gauge railways

Itinerary

• From Nagybörzsöny we head towards the narrow-gauge railway on the S trail.
• Turn left onto the K+ trail into the Kereszt Valley.
• We leave the valley to the right, following the K▲ signs behind us; at the bottom of the slope we descend to Kisirtáspuszta switching to the S▲ sign.
• From Kisirtás the P+ sign leads to Nagyirtás.
• From Nagyirtás we continue right on the hiking trail marked S+.
• The S▲ trail guides us up to Tolmács Hill.
• We switch back to the S+ trail, which takes us back to the edge of Nagybörzsöny.
• We return to the main square on the S trail (to the left).

Detailed description of the hike

Nagybörzsöny

The somewhat weathered Nagybörzsöny today reflects its greatness not only in name but also in history. As indicated by the German name on maps ("Deutschpilsen"), it was significantly inhabited (in several waves) by settled Saxons—needed for precious metal mining, which brought ores hidden beneath volcanic mountains to the surface up to the 18th century. In the following century, before the phylloxera epidemic swept the country, wine production was also an important source of income for Nagybörzsöny, which attained the status of an exempt market town.

When we start out on the S trail from among the houses, above the roofs we can see the village’s current attraction: the vast forest area of Börzsöny. Although its secluded position in the narrow corridor between the border and the mountains is not ideal, ecotourism seems to be gradually revitalizing the settlement. A main driving force behind this process is the renovated narrow-gauge railway, which now winds as far as the Danube between the hills. The tracks were first laid here, in the western Börzsöny, at the beginning of the 20th century (from Kisirtás to the large railway station at Ipolypásztó, today in Slovakia), and the expansion of the network was further boosted by the extra timber demand caused by the post-Trianon border changes. As a result, the line established in the first half of the 1920s, later dismantled and rebuilt by the 2010s, connected to Szob. What was built 100 years ago to speed up logging now serves visitors to protected national park forests.

Following dismantled narrow-gauge railways

The rails that run alongside us in the Hosszú Valley follow the stream valley, a popular hiking route, making it a frequent sight to see tourists here. When at a small clearing the K+ sign calls us into the Kereszt Valley to the left, we enter a much more secluded terrain. The wide, sometimes slightly eroded bulldozer track first crosses the stream's andesitic pebble ford, then follows the sometimes gorge-like bed from above. In the narrow valley, on our left is the steep cliffs of Rustok Hill, on our right the impressively sized Hegyes Hill also slopes steeply; here and there rocky walls surround us.

We are in a geologically interesting area: the summit of Hegyes Hill above us is likely a moved fragment of the High Börzsöny. The Börzsöny volcanic area was formed about 16.5 million years ago and quieted down 13 million years ago; between these periods different operational phases and types alternated. The ore deposits around Nagybörzsöny were activated by hydrothermal solutions passing through fractures in the rock mass, which also caused strong weathering effects. The large volcanic cone of High Börzsöny slid off with enormous force on its southwestern side due to the inability of the weakened base to support its weight. The summit of Hegyes Hill may be the remnant of this landslide, not far from its original location. The quickly eroding weathered rocks appeared then, and river erosion cut through them relatively easily—explaining the deep, dense valley network in the area.

As we climb higher in the dark valley, a horizontal, apparently abandoned tire track joins from the right: from Kisirtáspuszta, circumventing Hegyes Hill, a narrow-gauge railway ran here. Its upper branch was the last section built in Börzsöny (in 1952), which wound up the side of Nagy-Hideg Hill to Kammerhof. The word winding is justified since overcoming a large elevation difference was made possible by dozens of switchbacks, i.e. Z-shaped intersections requiring forward-backward movement of the trains. (From Kammerhof, an old beech forest was transported down by the trains, which is now replaced by a vigorous pine grove.)

Towards Kisirtáspuszta

The valley bends right; beside a powerline corridor near the former freight yard of the narrow-gauge railway, we leave the railway (this was where the last branch line was built). Climbing out of the hollow on the K▲ trail, we pass through soil-level forest sheltered from windfalls, a pleasantly deserted place with deep gullies cutting the ground. After bypassing the closed beech forest near Diós-kút, we reach the ridge at Száraz-fa-bérc summit, from where we descend south through oak woods that replaced the formerly dominant hornbeam-beech forest. Before descending, take a short detour left on the connecting bulldozer road! Shortly after, a path branches right leading to a clearing behind the trees. From the small barren hill, we have a view of Nagy-Inóc and the forested side of Nagy-Hideg Hill, fortunately without signs of clear-cutting, feeling we are in a wild forest.

Walking back to the trail, we soon cross the powerline and arrive steeply down to Kisirtáspuszta on a path—which in the last stage climbs on the S▲ trail. Today, there are essentially three key accommodations here with different comfort levels, as well as the narrow-gauge railway station. In the life of the Nagybörzsöny narrow-gauge network, this site at the meeting of four valleys was crucial: here operated the repair workshop where the rolling stock was maintained. At the beginning, horses replacing locomotives were shod here as well. The station still shows one branch of the switchyard where trains roll in and leave on the other branch, sometimes in "pushed" mode, i.e. reversing depending on locomotive position. This technical solution allowing to overcome large elevation differences now enjoys protection as an industrial monument; there is no other like it in the country.

The history of narrow-gauge railways at Nagyirtás

On the P+ trail, we head down the valley toward Nagyirtáspuszta, then climb up a side slope to the right. Crossing the tracks, we arrive at Nagyirtáspuszta through a clearing shaded by pine trees, alongside the boards of an educational trail presenting the Börzsöny forest life. On weekends, when the train also runs, we can refresh ourselves at a small forest buffet.

The healthy pine trees, presently threatened by climate change and due for logging, testify to the past of the area: Nagyirtás was a forest administration center within the forest possession of the Esztergom Archdiocese in Nagybörzsöny. Today next to the hotel, the narrow-gauge railway pulses through Nagyirtás. This contrasts with the beginnings when locals feared the job losses and expropriation caused by the network and protested violently against construction works, requiring gendarmerie intervention and even costing human lives. Builders were attacked with axes and weapons. Later, it became clear that the fears, at least numerically, were unfounded: the railway and large-scale logging created more jobs than they eliminated. In the 1960s, Börzsöny forest roads began to be built, as motorization favored more flexible and economical road transport, leading to almost complete dismantling of rails and closure of lines.

Passenger traffic ran on Nagybörzsöny rails from the late 1960s until mid-1980s, then again for five years from 1987; followed by a long period of decline. Restoration of the track and scheduled operation only recommenced in the 2000s. Through several phases, the entire line from the Danube to Nagybörzsöny was fully rebuilt for tourist purposes. Since then, the rumbling trains enjoy great popularity on summer weekends.

On the Hosszú-bérc ridge

From Nagyirtás, we say farewell on the S+ trail. Initially climbing in beautiful wind-protected forest, unfortunately the route continues later through less aesthetic landscapes. On the ridge of Hosszú-bérc, which forms a wall between Hosszú Valley and Farkas Valley with worn-out forest, we encounter many logging scars. A fresh patch of color is the peak of Tolmács Hill, which we can attack on the particularly thin ridge neck along the S▲ trail. At the end of the steep path, limited views open from a small clearing toward the bare rock of Gömbölyű Stone and neighboring rim forests.

We cross the Nagyirtás forest road, then approach Nagybörzsöny through scenic slopes, partly shrub-covered areas and other clearings. Finally, we leave the forest bike track and descend on a path near the narrow-gauge railway terminus. If not leaving by train, we can visit the village center on the left-hand S trail, where there is a bus stop and a shop.