The essence of the Palóc Olympus

Itinerary :

• We start uphill from the train station on the P trail
• From the border, we continue on the Northern Green Z trail along the ridge of Kis-Karancs
• At the saddle, we turn right on the Slovak P trail to Saint Margaret’s Well, then back
• From here, after a short P+ section, we turn right on the P trail and hike up to the summit of Karancs
• We descend on the Z+ trail to the Karancs saddle, and take a short detour on the S chapel trail to the Saint Margaret Chapel
• We return to the junction and descend steeply on the S trail into the Czeberna valley
• Along the Kercseg stream, we turn left on the S+ trail, and passing the Kercseg flat area, return to Somoskőújfalu.

Detailed description of the hike :

The settlement with a turbulent fate

"Somos", that is Somoskőújfalu lies in the narrow valley between the Karancs and Medves regions. Here is the watershed of the Tarján stream and the Gács stream (locally called Báberki). The locality first appeared in written sources in 1455 as belonging to Somoskő castle, under the name "Ujfalu". By 1548, it was already mentioned as "Somos újfalu" (Somoskőújfalu). During the Turkish occupation, there were ten taxable houses. In 1715 there were 10, and five years later 16 Hungarian households recorded here; in the devastating fire of 1833, 64 houses burned down. It took the name Somoskőújfalu in 1906. By the beginning of the 20th century, more and more people received permission to drill for coal near the village, and mining played an increasingly important role in the life of the locals and the entire area.

The Treaty of Trianon signed on June 4, 1920, awarded Somoskőújfalu, as well as Somoskő castle and the settlement, to Czechoslovakia. Upon the border correction request of Dr. Géza Krepuska, an ear-nose-throat professor, and B. Jenő Liptay, then director of Rimamurányi Ironworks Ltd., after years of negotiations Somoskőújfalu and Somoskő as well as the nearby mines were reattached to Hungary. This unusual development was made possible because Somoskőújfalu was later, in 1977, annexed to Salgótarján, but as a result of a local referendum it has been an independent community again since 2005. In 2017, the National Assembly awarded the settlement the title of Returned Village (Pagi ad Patriam reversi).

Climbing up the green border

We start from the bus stop of Somoskőújfalu train station, where a buffet can also be found. The P trail immediately crosses the footbridge over the tracks, then turns left onto Kilátó Street. The trail turns right and soon ascends on a dirt road, entering the forest at a nature protection area sign hidden by a tree. We climb 1 km through sparse mixed forest until we reach the border and the Northern Green Z trail leading there. Border stones mark a well-maintained, wide mown strip showing the border line and the marked path on it. We go left on this trail through a beautiful oak grove on a steep ridge, up to the 662 m high Kis-Karancs, then descend on the other side to a small saddle where the Slovak P trail turns right toward Saint Margaret’s spring. The spring is 200 meters from here, with a wide dirt road descending to it. At the weakly flowing outflow, there is also a crucifix with a statue depicting Saint Margaret, and nearby is a covered table and bench set where you can rest.

Returning to the border, we walk a short section straight on the P+ trail, then on the P (and P▲) trail a tough climb awaits us up to the 729 m high summit of Karancs. This mountain towering in the Slovak-Hungarian border is the highest point of the Cseres Mountains. Near the summit stone, there is a lookout tower and two covered tables.

The mountain shrouded in clouds

The Karancs massif was formed 15 million years ago during the middle Miocene by the intrusion of andesite magma into sediments, which was later partly eroded. The rising magma, called a laccolith, created many protrusions, which appear near Karancs. The rock is composed of amphibole, pyroxene, and biotite, and also contains minerals precipitated from hot solutions: calcite, aragonite, and zeolites. In the porphyritic andesite, larger grains of reddish garnets can be found, which crystallized deep in the magma chamber. The contact of the andesite with the overlying sandstone is revealed by the Sátoros quarry.

The Karancs, often shrouded in clouds and fog, was considered sacred by the Palóc people. The ridge composed by Kupán-hegyese, Kercseg-tető, Kápolna-hegy, Ivánka-hegy, and Karancs is often likened by its shape to a reclining, pregnant woman. Some are reminded rather of an elephant, but this is certainly a more modern notion. Allegedly, the summit’s name was given by Kálmán Mikszáth, the “greatest Palóc,” alluding to mythology, though it was first documented by geologist Jenő Noszky Sr., who referred to it as the "Palóc Olympus" in his book presenting historical Hungary. Whatever the truth, in the absence of Palóc gods, Hungarian saints settled around the mountain. It has been associated with Saint Margaret and Saint László, and the chapel standing on its side. Each year, hundreds of pilgrims climb the steep ascent to visit this legendary holy place.

When the mountain is not covered by clouds, the lookout tower erected on its summit offers excellent views all around from the Mátra to the High Tatras, and from the Börzsöny Mountains to the Bükk limestone massif. The lookout tower is actually a "recycled" oil drilling tower from Algyő, placed here in 1964 to replace the wooden tower built in 1929. It was renovated in 1989 after becoming unsafe. Its “twin” can be found on Tepke, the 567 m high summit of Cserhát.

Religious and labor movement pilgrimage sites

From the summit, we descend on the Z+ trail to the Karancs saddle. From here, a short detour on the yellow chapel trail leads to the 685 m high Kápolna-hegy, to the well-maintained Saint Margaret Chapel with its open facade. The exact date of its foundation is unknown, and there are divergent opinions about its builder or founder. Antal Mocsáry wrote in his 1826 work, "Historical, Geographical and Statistical Description of Noble Nógrád County": “... on its top are the ruins of a chapel’s stone walls, which were consecrated by Roman Catholics in honor of Saint Margaret. Who built this chapel with its hermit’s shelter, garden, money, and stables next to it, the writers do not agree.” The shrine was closed in 1950, its furnishings were scattered, and its altar was placed in the Roman Catholic church of Karancslapujtő. In 1990-91, initiation by Géza Szőlős, resident of Karancsalja, and Ferenc Morgenstern, mayor of Karancslapujtő, led to its reconstruction. Subsequently, the new bell tower and hermitage were built. In its current form, it has stood since 2007 thanks to the Karancs Chapel Foundation and Ipoly Erdő Ltd. Nearby is a Trianon memorial erected in 2006.

Returning from the detour, we turn right on the S trail, and initially walk down a long, dry ridge along a footpath. This soon becomes very steep as it descends into the Czeberna valley. In rainy weather, the path can be dangerously slippery, so experience and trekking poles are advised. After one kilometer, at a wide meadow, we reach the valley of the Kercseg stream. From the junction signpost, we go left and uphill along the S+ trail under giant beech trees lining the stream. After another kilometer, we spot the fresh Gyopár spring, whose now decaying dam was constructed in 1960 by the Steel Spring Nature Friends. A stone’s throw from here is the Kercseg flat, a large meadow with old trees, built fire pits and resting places, as well as a dilapidated labor movement memorial. When animals were still kept extensively, the meadow served as wooded pasture, but now it is Salgótarján’s favorite excursion spot, easily accessible on foot, by bike, horseback, and by car.

The S+ trail leaving the flat soon leads through a forest parking area, then reaches a rain shelter with informative signs. Here, we cross an old, worn asphalt road before descending on an earth road that becomes slippery when wet to the flower-decorated hay meadows on the rolling hills bordering Somoskőújfalu. Many valuable plants bloom there. Our hike ends at the starting point, the train station.