Small Magyarkút roundtrip from Verőce

Itinerary

• From Csattogó Valley, following the Via Margaritarum (beads) trail east, we reach the red (P) trail.
• Switch to the red (P) trail and follow it north, all the way to Magyarkút along Les Valley.
• After crossing the bridge on Gimpli Creek, turn right on the blue square (K ◼) trail and follow it to Irma Spring, or rather to the “Kocsma a pipáshoz” restaurant.
• From Irma Spring, walk back on Fő road following the blue square (K ◼) trail, then switch to the red square (P ◼) trail turning left. We follow this trail as it passes by Gonzága Szent Alajos Chapel and leads us from Magyarkút to the top of Aranyoskút on an asphalt road.
• At Kilátó street at the top of Aranyoskút, it is worth making a short roundtrip to our left to the lookout spot at the top of the cliff.
• Continue your way on the red square (P ◼) trail again.
• We can make another roundtrip on the red triangle (P▲) trail to the right to the old lookout terrace of Borbély Hill, but, unfortunately, we will not be able to see much from there, as it is overgrown now.
• Continuing on the red triangle (P▲) trail again, descend to Verőce.
• Turning right on Bereg street, walk to the red (P) trail.
• Turning right on the P trail, we are about to get back to the point where Via Margaritarum branches off to the left. We can follow it to return to Csattogó Valley.

Detailed guide

Our hike essentially begins on the red (P) trail meandering along Les Valley, as we leave Verőce northbound. Our path leads on a gravel road also accessible by bicycle, accompanied by the sound of barking dogs among the weekend houses of diverse conditions. Meanwhile, we can see Borbély Hill towering like a pyramid on our right, which we will have the chance to climb towards the end of our route—although the trip leads to a lookout terrace that we cannot actually see much from anymore. If we come here during the summer, we also have to cross a yellow field of goldenrod; this invasive species is also planted as a decorative plant, but as it does not require much taking care of, it has spread as a weed in many places. It also has healing properties as a herb, including its anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic effect.

We are about to enter the west side of Magyarkút in the administrative district of Verőce, a quiet place with an intimate atmosphere. We cross the funny sounding Gimpli Creek on a bridge, then turn right following the blue triangle (K ◼) trail. We stay on this trail on Dalos street and Fő road (the main road) until we reach Irma Spring, or rather what the area was named after, the impressively set Magyar-kút (“Magyar well”), where we can also quench our thirst. The “Kocsma a pipáshoz” restaurant stands directly next to it, with its modest dishes and friendly atmosphere, complete with a garden—it is nice to sit down here for at least a drink, enjoying the quiet environment under the parasols.

From Irma Spring to Aranyoskút

From Irma Spring, we walk back on Fő road following the blue square (K ◼) trail to the point where the red square (P ◼) trail branches off to the left, taking us across to Orgonás road. We will stay on this trail for a long time. At the big turn of the road, on our right hand side, we find the Gonzága Szent Alajos Tourist Chapel built to honour Aloysius Gonzaga, the patron saint of youth by the Tourist Division of the MÁV Machine Factory Sports Club in 1933. The building decorated with ridge turrets was designed specifically to accompany the ruins of an Arpadian church, and masses are held in it once every year, on 15th June.

And this brings us to the least interesting part of our route: We have to walk up to another holiday area of Verőce, Aranyoskút, on an asphalt road next to Papsom Rift Valley. Meanwhile we slowly and steadily conquer a 100-metre elevation again before we take a sharp right turn on the red square (P ◼) trail at the highest point of the district. It is worth stopping for a moment uphill to take a quick look at the summit of Csóványos behind us, as the distance grows between us.

Amazing Danube Bend panorama

After a sharp turn, we finally leave the asphalt behind and stroll on a charming little street lined with weekend houses. Watch out for a sign pointing to the Aranyoskút lookout spot after a left turn—there is no marked trail leading there, only Kilátó street, but we must not miss the panorama there.

Keeping at a safe distance from the edge, we get to the spot from which we can look over the line of the Danube from a surprising proximity: We can see Szentendre Island stretching out on the river, Dunabogdány across the Danube, and Verőce below us. But the sight of the Visegrád citadel is undoubtedly the most majestic of it all; looking at it from here, it is obvious that it was built at the perfect place strategically. We may also be able to spot the lookout tower of Mogyoró Hill on its left, Prédikálószék a little further away, and behind it, the long ridges of Dobogó-kő. The left bank of the Danube Bend is ruled by the mass of Szent Mihály Hill, and we can see the white tower of the Szent Kereszt Felmagasztalása (“Apotheosis of the Holy Cross”) Church in Nagymaros, which was renovated in 2018.

 A lookout spot without panorama

We take the red square (P ◼) trail again and start our descent on the only narrower path of the route—if it wasn’t for this section, we could even do the whole tour on a bike—, leaving the houses of Aranyoskút behind us. Soon we come upon the red triangle (P▲) trail branching off towards the summit of Borbély Hill marking the edge of the ancient, 15-million-years-old volcano crater of Börzsöny that we have already seen from Verőce. There is a lookout terrace, made safe with railings, on the 283-m-high summit, which was also built by the Tourist Division of the MÁV Machine Factory Sports Club in the 1930s, but as it got overgrown over the years, it has somewhat lost its function, unfortunately. If we still decide to do the extra 400 metres there and then back again to see it, we can walk down to a dilapidated building slightly to the left to catch a glimpse of the scenery, but it does fall short of the beauty of the Aranyoskút panorama.

All that is left from here is walking down to Verőce following the red triangle (P▲) trail along Magyar-máli-dűlő. The trail enters the municipality at the slightly run-down Magyarkút-Verőce train station. 

If we want to end our trip in Csattogó Valley, we have to leave the trail on Bereg street, which will take us to the P trail directly. Turning right here, we will soon reach Via Margaritarum going to the valley, and that brings us back to the starting and end point of our route.