The Essence of Naszály

Itinerary

• From the excursion center we start on the K trail to the Naszály sinkhole cave.
• At the intersection after the Naszály sinkhole cave we take a small detour on the K▲ trail to the Látó hill.
• From the Látó hill we return to the K trail and continue on it, from which we reach the Násznép cave by a round trip detour on the KΩ trail; in the opposite direction to the trail is the sinkhole named Dragon Pit.
• From the Turk meadow we continue on the P trail and cross the Gyadai meadow to return to the excursion center.

Detailed description of the hike

The Naszály

The Naszály is the highest and most well-known hill of the Danube’s left bank hills. Geographically, it belongs to the Cserhát and is its westernmost and highest member. Its main peak is 652 meters, but two smaller peaks (Szarvas and Látó hills) also rise well above 500 meters.

The geological structure of Naszály is very varied. The main mass of the hill consists of about 210 million-year-old Dachstein limestone. At its formation, the territory of our country, together with the Alps, was the northern bay of Africa in the Tethys Ocean. The warm, shallow marine environment was very favorable for the proliferation of various calcareous algae. After their death, their calcareous skeletons sunk to the bottom and lithified to form the limestone. The main dolomite, also found on the surface of the hill, formed similarly but with a large amount of magnesium incorporated into the rock material. The Dachstein limestone has been mined since the 17th century – among other things, the bricks for the Chain Bridge’s pillars come from here. Around the ridge and on the southeastern side of the hill there is Hárs Hill sandstone, between the two blocks is dolomite on the surface, but patches of Szépvölgy limestone and Kiscell clay also appear. Next to the Sejce limestone quarry operates a smaller 45-hectare clay quarry, which reveals the Kiscell Clay Formation. The clay, formed in the lower Oligocene within the basin here, has been used as raw material for brickmaking since Roman times. At the same time, Hárs Hill sandstone formed in the coastal belt, which is a hard, resistant rock due to its secondary, hydrothermal siliceous cement. The strongly karstified Dachstein limestone has been eroded by water to create many caves. The most famous among these are the Naszály sinkhole cave (also called Színló cave), Nincskegyelem shaft cave, and the Násznép cave. The first two are strictly protected, the last is specially protected.

The vegetation of Naszály is very rich and varied. The number of vascular plant species exceeds 450, of which about 80 are protected, 5 are strictly protected. Among the latter two are Pannonian endemics: Hungarian gurgolya and the extremely rare pale yellow horned poppy. So far, 21 plant communities have been described on the hill.

Across the suspension bridge to the big sinkhole

20 meters from the gate of the Katalinpuszta Excursion Center, on the right side, stands the Götz cross, built by Stefan Götz in 1868. Soon from the parking lot, we reach the excursion center, where adults can enjoy an interactive exhibition and children a well-equipped playground and the Ant Railway. We cross a small wooden bridge in front of the building – here Ant Dani, the guide of the Gyadai nature trail, welcomes us. After the starting board, following the K trail – initially coinciding with the P and ZT signs – we start up to the Naszály summit on wooden stairs. At the next signboard, the P trail detaches to the left from the K trail; we continue right on the latter. In the first section, passing several small valleys, we walk in a oak forest. Numerous birdhouses are immediately noticeable on the trees, part of the local Ornithological Trail. The Treasure Hunter nature trail also goes here, providing information to curious tourists with the help of QR codes. At one of the first stops, for example, we get interesting information about one of our ancient crafts, charcoal burning. Soon we reach a larger valley. Here awaits the most exciting part of the hike, the 23-meter-long suspension bridge. Its swinging is minimal, making it safe even for smaller children. If someone does not want to cross it, they can bypass it on the stairs below.

Here the nature trail marking diverges northeast – if any issues occurred on the way, the hike can be easily shortened at this point. Heading south on the K trail, after a few hundred meters we reach the beautifully developed resting place of Bikk well. This part of the hill's northern side was called Bükk after a once extensive beech forest. The well, which gave its name to the area, is the hill’s most abundant spring. Unfortunately, despite the collection, there is not always outflow, only a little water seeps lower down. From here, the trail continues on a wider path, then shortly turns right and continues level along the scree slope. Before climbing to the summit, it is worth taking a glance at the ancient large-leaved linden tree growing on the left side of the path.

After the hairpin turn, our path steepens again, avoiding many fallen trunks. Dead wood plays an extremely important role in forest life. About a third of the currently known forest species are connected to it in some way, including about 35% of the native hole-nesting bird species. Under mossy rocks, which are surrounded by a linden rock forest, we continue. We climb steeply to the edge of the Naszály plateau. From here, the fifth deepest cave of our country (173 m), the Naszály sinkhole cave, also called the Színló cave, is not far. It was formed by combined tectonic, karst, and thermal water phenomena. During movements of the earth's crust, cracks appeared in the rocks forming the hill, which were further dissolved by water collected on the surface and led down through the sinkholes, as well as rising thermal waters. The cave is a hibernation site of European significance for the horseshoe bats. Nearly 80 other smaller caves and cavities can be found on Naszály, two of which we will also visit during our hike.

Látó Hill and Naszály Peak

On the winding path in mixed beech forest, we bypass a small, beautiful conglomerate rock. Not far from the rock, we reach a signposted intersection, where going straight leads to the Naszály peak, but it is worth making a short 400-meter detour southwards to Látó hill on the K▲ trail. From the natural lookout point, the Danube Bend, Börzsöny, Pilis, and Visegrád Mountains face us.

In the dolomite rock grassland under our feet live rare, protected, and strictly protected thermophilous species such as dwarf iris, pasqueflower, silver spear, or field pea. The strictly protected endemic Hungarian gurgolya lives only in the rock grasslands developed on open, calcareous bedrock of the Transdanubian Mid-Mountains and Naszály. Its origin dates back to the warmer interglacial periods between ice ages. Its dill-like, bright green basal rosettes can be seen throughout the year; it blooms with a white umbrella-like inflorescence in the second half of summer.

Below us are the clay quarry, and to the west the limestone quarry can be seen. The huge 105-hectare Sejce limestone quarry was opened in 1963, its founding document was signed by János Kádár himself. Since it operated without environmental filtering systems until the regime change, Vác was included in the so-called dirty dozen – the twelve most polluted towns in Hungary. Since then, mining has been carried out with more advanced technology and in compliance with laws. Limestone is extracted by drilling and blasting. The crushed stone is transported by a 3 km long conveyor belt to the Vác processing plant. The quarry yard is also a mineral deposit.

The Saint Imre Association erects a cross every year on Hungary’s hills in memory of Hungarian saints. The 4-meter red pine cross seen here was also erected by them in 2001 in honor of Saint Margaret of Árpád house.

Returning to the intersection, a few meters before, on the left side of the road in the forest, is the Naszály hunting pond and the similarly named, now inactive sinkhole. We turn right on the K trail towards the main peak of Naszály. About half a kilometer up the slope, we sight the poorly maintained geodetic measurement tower rising above the area, which is currently life-threatening and climbing it is forbidden. In the 1970s and 1980s, 107 reinforced concrete towers were built in Hungary for surveying purposes, which lost their function with the spread of satellite technology. Most of them are quite dilapidated due to lack of maintenance. Some were looted by scrap metal collectors, others continue to be used in new roles as radio towers or observation posts; some buildings serve as lookouts. From the top of Naszály, a full panoramic view opens up with the Danube Bend, Börzsöny, and Cserhát mountains.

Down to Turk meadow

From the Naszály peak, we proceed on a narrow path under dogwoods on the K trail eastwards. From the karst bush forest on the ridge, and slope steppe and rock grassland patches, there is a nice view of Börzsöny and the village of Kosd below. The first really nice viewpoint can be found about 700 meters from the peak. About 200 meters from here, we reach the steeply descending KΩ trail to the Násznép cave located at the foot of the cliff. The formerly active spring cave, now inactive, formed in Dachstein limestone, likely had significant activity in earlier times. It has three large and several smaller chambers, most of which are freely accessible. The first (open) section is filled with hardened bat guano, forming the slippery dark surface; characteristic marks of bats are also clearly visible on the ceiling. It is recommended to visit the cave with a headlamp! Its size and form, and the bats dwelling above our heads definitely make the detour and peeking inside worthwhile. Note that permission is required for the closed sections, and the cave is closed between September 1 and April 30 due to bat protection reasons.

Its name comes from a legend preserved by locals that the Nasznép of Kosd, frightened by the Turks, continued the wedding celebration here. Others say a landlord’s son and a peasant girl married here fleeing from the angry father. These stories are based on the large amount of pottery shards previously found here. It is also interesting the claim that the Slovak outlaw Juraj Jánošík hid his stolen treasures in the cave chambers in the early 1700s – for this reason, the cave was a destination for treasure hunters for a long time. István Majer, a mining engineer from Kosd, conducted a trial excavation in the cave in 1912 commissioned by the cave research committee, during which bear and aurochs bones, as well as pottery fragments from the Neolithic, Bronze, and Hallstatt periods, were found.

Returning to the K trail, continuing on the opposite side of the path leads to a small, blocked sinkhole, the Dragon Hole. On the ridge, there are more beautiful viewpoints. One of the most spectacular is Kopasz summit, where the mountain onion, gray gurgolya, and several other rock grassland plants decorate the small grassland bordered by a rare, protected shrub, the alpine spiraea. Below us, the forests of the northern side of Naszály are lush green. On the lower section of the ridge, the trail on the rock passes between sparsely spaced flowering ashes. This is one of the most atmospheric sections. After a bend, stones decorated with hematite coating appear, and instead of the previous white rock, Hárs Hill sandstone lies under our feet. Approaching the intersection we continue north on the K trail. We pass through a mild chestnut forest, worth visiting in autumn as well. Later, the path leads through oak forests without hornbeam to the signposted intersection at Turk meadow. Here we head northwest on the P trail towards Gyadai meadow.

Through Gyadai meadow to the excursion center

The meadow is named after the former Gyada settlement, whose church was demolished by the Turks in 1563, and its stones were incorporated into the defensive wall around Vác. Today only the boundary stones standing here and there and an embankment built by the residents indicate that a small settlement once lived here at the foot of Naszály. The latter may be a medieval fishpond dam. The varied microrelief is home to many associations. The path is overgrown and difficult in places. Thorny blackthorn and woolly thistle also hinder progress. Always watch the markings, as if you get stuck in a wetter spot, it may be difficult to climb back onto the path! In the northwestern part of the meadow, in an intersection, we reach the Gyadai nature trail, where turning right on the P trail, we soon arrive at the Suspension Bridge, then on the other side of the gravel road awaits the Giants’ resting place. From here, a pleasant elevated boardwalk leads us back to the marshy willow grove. We cross the Lósi brook, then soon reach the remnants of a well used for livestock watering in the meadow. At the end of the meadows, the P trail turns into a hornbeam forest, where the most common species in the herb layer are beech sedge and goutweed – the latter was traditionally used to treat gout and rheumatism. Soon we reach a boundary stone carved from Hárs Hill sandstone, marked with V.P., indicating that the area once belonged to the Diocese of Vác. For a short while, we detour on the gravel road, then continue the hike in the forest all the way to the excursion center. The last 100 meters we cover on the K trail we used at the beginning of the hike.