Pushing the border at the northern edge of the country

Itinerary:

• From the Hollóháza Porcelain Factory, we start northward on the P trail.
• At the fork, we continue straight following the S markings.
• After the National Blue Trail obelisk, we turn onto the Z cycling route towards the border crossing.
• From the state border line, we head right on the Z trail through Nagy-Hrabó.
• From Oláh-meadow, we turn right onto the K+ (or the St. Elizabeth Pilgrimage route) marking.
• Near László farm, we descend back to Hollóháza along the National Blue Trail K markings.
• In Hollóháza, turn left on the S, then finally straight on the P trail back to the starting point.

Detailed description of the route

Borderless border

Our border hike begins from one of the northernmost settlements in the country, Hollóháza, heading directly to the road border crossing. We follow the P markings to the village center, then continue following the S signs between the porcelain factory and the Blue Trail monument. The village, nestled in a valley, was originally founded in the 18th century for the use of surrounding forests. Initially, glass was made in the furnace settlement, then the stoneware factory relocated here from Telkibánya, which still provides the main livelihood for the population today. Thanks to its location wedged between mountains and bordered by forests, tourism is steadily strengthening in Hollóháza, driven undoubtedly by the fact that the National Blue Trail's starting point has been placed in the village center.

We traverse the village for almost two kilometers along the main street, practically the only road in Hollóháza. Stylishly, Szent László Street leads to the Szent László Church in the village center, under which, at the bus turnaround, the National Blue Trail obelisk and its first (or last) K marking on a whitewashed column is found. Originally, the journey crossing the country started from the Nagy-Milic peak, only extended to the settlement in the 2000s since it was necessary to reach Nagy-Milic somehow — so now it is clear that the northernmost corner of the country must be climbed from Hollóháza.

We continue walking along Kossuth Lajos Street, a road parallel to the highway with less traffic, where traces of the Z cycling marking can still be found. At the end of the village, a short gravel climb leads us back to the highway. We cover two kilometers on asphalt to the border crossing, where we enter the forest — the landscape and relatively sparse traffic compensate for the uncomfortably hard and straight terrain. Essentially, we climb the saddle along a chain of hayfields, enjoying a great view over the wider area, from Kánya and Nagy-Pál hills to Szurok hill and the Nagy-Hrabó summit. The former are known for gold-bearing veins hidden in the volcanoes, while the latter two are crossed by the state border. Near the road coming from Kéked, there is a border opening memorial commemorating the sad fate of the region. The crossing was established in 1920 on the newly drawn line after Trianon but lost its function for nearly a decade after the First Vienna Award as the border was moved north of Kassa. The border crossing reopened in 2006, but by then it had lost its purpose due to the introduction of Schengen borders on January 1, 2007. During the 2020 pandemic, this "gate" was closed again with asphalt piles and concrete blocks.

The swampy area between Szurok hill and Nagy-Hrabó, from where waters flow towards Slovakia, is called Farkas-orthos. This area truly serves as a crossing for big predators; thanks to these wooded hills, the wolf and lynx have returned or never completely disappeared from the Tokaji Mountains area. Besides them, the bear, arriving from the populous Carpathian population, is also a regular visitor to the area.

At the border crossing, there is a rest area and an information board; following the Z marking, our hike turns into dense, bushy forest from the comfortable asphalt road. The transition is sharp since the steepest climb begins almost immediately in the first meters. It is advisable to ascend sideways using trees and roots to overcome the extremely exposed slope. Fortunately, after a few hundred meters, the mountain softens, and we follow the cleared band marked by border stones along a rocky but increasingly gentle terrain.

Meadow after meadow on the ridge

Reaching the Nagy-Hrabó summit, a cleared area opens the view northward, from where we can clearly see the houses of Kassa and the wide Hernád valley with the Kojsói hills in the background. Apart from this single observation point, the border line mainly runs through forests of different cutting ages on the mountain ridge between the two countries.

The first transition occurs descending to the Drahosi meadow, where we walk along the edge of the reforesting area, mainly in birch groves. Birch seeds spread fastest with the wind and thus are the first woody plants to occupy open spaces. Some grassy clearings remain visible where the original hay meadows' rich herbaceous flora and associated insect life are now only fractions of the original population. The area has not been used since the 1970s; only recently has the national park started thinning the groups of trees to restore the species-rich mountain meadow habitats.

The path between tree groups reaches a wider clearing at a road crossing. There, on the Slovak side, the meadow is regularly mowed, and beyond it, the Hernád valley and Kassa city appear again framed by mountains. We then enter a winding area among old beech trees, crossing a stream originating in the László farm area, and with some climbing, we reach the Polyáska block. The rocky terrain shows complete desolation; rarely does anyone visit here besides game. On the other side of the peak, a forestry bulldozer road joins from below, followed by a hiking trail. We cross another newly emerging stream here, but the border turns towards the valley, following the watercourse to its source. On the Hungarian side, the swampy spring area of the stream is covered by a spectacular old forest — this secluded nook below Oláh-meadow was no longer used for production and now enjoys increased protection. Crossing the originating streams, we reach a bulldozer road continuing on the other side of the border. This connects the former hay meadow of Oláh-meadow and is the most comfortable route crossing the mountains.

The border crossing with a rain shelter and multilingual information board is very close to Hungary's northernmost point. Looking into the forest from the road, about 50 meters above us, we can see the spot where the border strip, marked by a clearing, first turns. Its approach rivals that of the path leading up Nagy-Hrabó, so it's best to view it only from below. However, if attempting the climb, it is worth climbing a few hundred meters further to conquer the Eszkárosi lookout; from the rocky outcrop, there is a beautiful panorama over the Hernád valley, the western slopes of the Tokaji Mountains, and the Slovakian mountains beyond. On clear days, the High Tatras are also visible from the rock.

From the edge of Oláh-meadow, we turn south along the K+ marking and the St. Elizabeth Pilgrimage route, crossing the characteristic mountain meadows. Next to the meadow, in the forest, a small hut can be discovered, the northernmost building in the country. The Oláh-meadow hut with its notched log walls evokes the atmosphere of the nearby Carpathians. We curve a bit upward in old beech woods along the pilgrimage route, which after a short climb connects to the National Blue Trail alignment.

Along the Blue Trail

We descend on the K marking to the asphalt road near László farm. Unfortunately, we cannot visit the former count's castle, as the current owner has closed the building complex to the public. The forest castle was built as a hunting lodge for the Károlyi family, which explains why the surrounding area belongs to Hungary and not Slovakia: the Trianon border line following administrative and orographic boundary was modified here according to property ownership.

The asphalt road, accompanied by a few houses, leads out to Bodó meadow, where again we can enjoy the wide panoramas of mountain meadows. The birch and pine mixed groves perhaps lend this meadow the most Carpathian atmosphere in the area.

At the end of Bodó meadow, after the road curve, we leave the asphalt strip. On the right, we descend a bulldozer road down to Drahosi meadow. From here, the former hay meadow shows a much more open and clearer picture, appearing as a series of grove patches from the border line. At the end of the meadow, we cross the asphalt strip and start a steep descent on the opposite side, returning to the Hollóháza border along this long slope. At Sarjánosi spring, we cross swampy areas and also pass through a bushy meadow, then through beech woods on a forestry bulldozer road back to Hollóháza. Turning left on the S marking and finally following the P signs, we reach the starting point.