Summit hike to Kojsói-havas on the ridge above Košice

Itinerary

• We start from Jahodná near Košice on the P trail.
• After Chata Lajoška at the Odb. k Loreley II. junction, we turn right onto the P▲ trail, from which earlier, at the Odb. k Loreley I. junction, we return to the ridge path.
• On the ridge, we follow the P trail until the Kojšovská hoľa, sedlo junction, i.e., to the saddle below the peak.
• Turning right, we arrive on the S trail at the Kojsói-havas peak (Kojšovská hoľa), then head back. Along the way, after crossing the asphalt road, we make a roughly 10-meter detour on an unmarked path to the northern viewpoint of Kojsói-havas.
• We continue descending on the S trail to the saddle below the peak (Kojšovská hoľa, sedlo).
• From the saddle, we descend left on the P trail down to Golgota, at the ski lift station.
• From Golgota, we descend on the K trail to Aranyida (Zlata Idka).

Detailed description of the tour

On the ridge of the Gömör-Szepesi Ore Mountains, on the route of the national heroes of the Slovak resistance

Starting from Jahodná, a leisure center near Košice developed after World War II, popular with skiers, mountain bikers, and trail runners, we head west along the P trail on the ridge of the Gömör-Szepesi Ore Mountains (Slovenské rudohorie). The distinct red mark corresponds to the Hungarian blue trail; it marks the route through Slovakia that commemorates the heroes of the Slovak National Uprising (SNP), highlighting significant sites related to independence from the monarchy and World War II partisan activities. Along this section, a ski trail built during World War II with 25 stormshelters passes. At the peak of our route, on the Kojsói-havas (Kojšovská hoľa) mass near Chata Erika, a partisan action center near the border shaped by the Vienna decision, we pass. On the way to Jahodná, we likely passed the terminus of a narrow-gauge railway in the Čermeľ potok (Čermeľ stream) valley: a turning point of the SNP route arriving from the north westward, and an important tourist center near Košice’s border, with a 4.2 km long children's railway.

We cross a meadow alongside the ski slope and quickly climb the first peak with a sudden ascent. The P trail ascends through the forest, but it is worth looping back to the ski slope's top from the summit, from where we can see the highest volcanic massifs of the Eperjes-Tokaji mountain range opposite us. In the early days, soldiers even built ski jumps here; at the base of the present ski slope stands the Jahodná mountain hotel (Horský Hotel Jahodná), whose predecessor was the Hilda shelter built in 1918 and operating for barely a year, later rebuilt as Ottilia shelter in 1932.

From the top of the ski slope, we now follow the ridge almost level with slight undulations, broken by clearings. Along the route, old beech forests stand, surprisingly old trees preserved despite tourism and forest management interests. The broad wagon road is regularly frequented by hikers, weekend walkers, and other mountain sports enthusiasts.

After about one kilometer of mild roller-coaster, the path climbs briskly to the chapel beside the nearby Chata Lajoška shelter. The chapel, dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, is a popular pilgrimage site, while Chata Lajoška itself is a favorite destination for crowds, with over a century of lively tourist activity. The original house was built in 1914, then during the short-lived Hungarian Soviet Republic at the end of World War I was confiscated as public property. Later it was expanded in 1926 and 1934, named after Konrády Lajos, a key organizer of the local tourism. The house was blown up during World War II but rebuilt in 1948 and has since offered dining and accommodation for hikers. It was renovated again in 2022.

After Chata Lajoška, with two short ascents, we reach 1000 meters altitude, which we maintain with minor fluctuations over the next kilometers. Shortly after passing the 1000-meter mark, a path branches off the main dozer road in the dense beech forest, marked with P▲. This route with similar distance and elevation gains circles on the other side of the ridge, reaching a rocky viewpoint. The plaque there recalls the local German population. The Loreley inscription refers to the Rhine cliff where legends say fairies lured ships to destruction with their songs. Settlers from the Rhine region found this cliff reminiscent of Loreley; thus, a copper plaque was originally made, later replaced by a granite plaque by the Carpathian Association, still visible today at the peak. The view is somewhat limited, but the mixed forest and rocks give a true mountain atmosphere. From here, for the first time, we glimpse our destination, Kojsói-havas (Kojšovská hoľa).

Leaving the viewpoint, along the continuing dozer road, strips are cut through the beech forest, strikingly alien after the preserved forests, but each gap offers views over the valley below. As the mountainside turns, the view patches come together into a larger panorama dominated by Kojsói-havas. We join the recently left P trail, and along a large clearing, the entire main ridge unfolds before us, revealing much of our route. From here, we pass several forest clearings opening panoramic views previously hidden by forests.

We descend slightly into the Ida pass (Idčianské sedlo) hollow, then climb back the lost elevation. Following a large clearing, we approach the Idčiansky potok source area and finally reach the ski slopes and lift station on the Golgota ridge. Above us rises the treeless summit of Kojsói-havas, while below, in the Ida stream valley, lies our destination, Aranyida (Zlatá Idka), reachable by the K trail down the ski slope via the shortest route. The round trip from Golgota to Kojsói-havas takes just over 3 kilometers but should be attempted only in stable, non-stormy weather conditions.

On the panoramic summit of Kojsói-havas

We start our ascent on the wide clearing of the ski slope to Kojsói-havas (Kojšovská hoľa). Compared to the nearly level path before, we have to climb over 200 meters in the last one and a half kilometers. Between two ski slopes is a seasonal buffet building, with a reliable spring above it. Do not count on food availability, but the spring water reliably flows to the surface.

Above the ski slopes, we curve broadly toward the saddle below Kojsói-havas (Kojšovská hoľa, sedlo), where isolated pine groups and knee-high blueberry bushes dominate the clearing. In late summer, we can expect fresh fruit from the mountain here. The leaning trees around us indicate that the main ridge and the highest mountain mass allow serious storms to pass through.

At the saddle, we change trail markings to the S trail leading to the mountain with its broadcasting tower. Its broad summit becomes increasingly inviting. The S trail shortcuts the bends of the asphalt road and, with a slight climb, reaches the breathtaking view and almost full circle panorama at Kojsói-havas (Kojšovská hoľa, 1246 m). The view towards the north is obstructed by the radar station and the adjacent pine forest; in other directions, the spruce-covered summit slopes gently down. Surrounding valleys and generally lower peaks open like an open book, with the Eperjes-Tokaji mountain range unfolding most beautifully to the east. The post-war divided mountain range shows almost entirely the Slovak section called Szalánci Mountains (Slanské vrchy), while the northern part of the Tokaji Mountains also appears with gently rolling hills. The Hernád valley broadens below the volcanoes, and in good weather, the Bükki plateau’s island stands on the southern horizon. Below us to the southeast and west, the main mass of the Gömör-Szepesi Ore Mountains undulates with forested backs, while the western view is dominated by the easternmost point of the Low Tatras, the Király mountain (Kráľova hoľa) with its tent-shaped peak.

The missing northern view slice is reached on an unmarked path below the peak, descending back along the S trail. About 100 meters after crossing the asphalt road, a path leads into the pine groups (to the right), where the rocky viewpoint quickly appears. From the clearing, we see into the valley of the Gelnica river and northwards to the pine-dominated mountains of the Spiš region. In good weather, in summer, the often cloud-covered High Tatras crown the view. We can nicely see the neighboring Ida-havas (Zlatoidská hora) topped with pine forest and radio tower; to its north side, Chata Erika calls from a clearing cut into the forest. The mountain hotel offering food and accommodation can be reached with a short detour on the P trail. From here, we descend back to the Golgota ski lift station, where we switch to the K trail to start the descent into the valley.

Descent to Aranyida

From Golgota, we walk down the ski slope into the deeply incised Ida stream (Ida potok) valley. From the briskly descending, widely opened slope, we see the surrounding mountains and the buildings and chimneys of the Košice smelter disfiguring the Hernád valley. Košice’s rise was contributed by its location and the richness of surrounding mountain ores. While iron was the main raw material in much of the Gömör-Szepesi Ore Mountains, here in Aranyida, precious metals—mostly gold, silver, copper, and antimony—were mined. During the time of King Matthias, gold coins minted in Košice were made from Aranyida’s resources.

Initially, gold enriched in the sediment was washed from the stream’s alluvium; then before the Turkish occupation and increasingly during the 19th century, the precious metals were mined through tunnels. Veins formed from hydrothermal solutions were mined with a series of tunnels totaling 60 km. In the mining heyday of the 19th century, 2.5 tons of silver were extracted from the mountain depths. Many tunnels remain today in the hills around the village, especially in the Ida stream source area; traces of gold mining pits along the stream are also recognizable in places.

As the ski slope reaches the asphalt road to Chata Erika, we cut across its bend in the forest and join the asphalt for nearly a kilometer. At the turnback corner, we enter the forest and descend on a dozer road to a forestry loading area at the village border. Here the Z trail joins, together following the asphalt road's end to reach the settlement.

In Aranyida (Zlatá Idka), we first reach the connecting road over the Idčiansky potok, already crossed near the source area, arriving at the post office with its bus stop. For those interested in the village’s history, it is worth visiting the nearby neat church, or continuing on the Z and S trails about two kilometers further to the neighboring Rieka settlement where a copper smelter once stood.