The Sas route in Cserhát

Itinerary

• Start the route by following the Cserhát green paths Z markings, staying on it until the Béke Street junction.
• At the Béke Street junction on an unmarked path, take a short detour to the Pappenheim Cave.
• Returning to the marked path, continue to follow the Cserhát green paths Z markings until the path leading to the ruins of Buják Castle.
• Climb to the Buják Castle ruins via the unmarked right branch path, then descend back to the valley the same way.
• Continue on the forest private road to the barrier gate, still following the Cserhát green paths Z markings.
• After the barrier, follow the Forest educational trail green oak leaf markings to the right until the asphalt road crossing Selyem Meadow.
• Turn right on the asphalt road, return to the road marked with Cserhát green paths Z, which we follow to the saddle between Sas-bérc and Fekete-hegy.
• From the saddle, turn left onto an unmarked path to reach the Sas-bérc lookout tower.
• Down from the Sas-bérc lookout, follow the Forest educational trail green oak leaf markings to the hiking path junction before Selyem Meadow.
• Here turn right and take a short detour on the green oak leaf markings to the Egidius Spring.
• Returning, follow the green oak leaf markings leading towards Selyem Meadow up to the Calvary junction.
• Take a short detour on the unmarked path to the Calvary Hill.
• Return to the green oak leaf markings and walk to Buják.
• Upon arriving at Buják on the main road, turn right, then at the first opportunity turn left into Ady Endre Street lined with wine cellars.
• At the Arad Martyrs Monument, turn right, then at the end of Táncsics Mihály Street turn left onto József Attila Street which leads to Heroes' Square.
• At the roundabout, turn left onto Kossuth Lajos Street, which leads back to the starting point.

Detailed route description

Rock kaleidoscope at the edge of Cserhát

We start our route on Kossuth Lajos Street, following the Cserhát green paths Z markings westward. After 300 meters, we cross the Buják Creek, whose left bank is marked by a large blackbird statue, reminding us that once the Buják forests echoed with bird songs. Following the markings, we cross the Buják Creek, then a few meters later, upon reaching the Béke Street junction, we take a detour to the Pappenheim Cave on an unmarked path.

At the crossroads, we head for a resting place with a well, then after passing through a young acacia grove, at the bottom of the abandoned quarry we reach a hollow formed in sandstone. The large rock shelter, formed by human hands, is named after the Pappenheim family who once owned the area. Due to its artificial nature, it is not listed in the National Cave Registry. The shelter has great height inside but limited depth, so a headlamp is not necessary to explore it.

Returning to Üdülő Street, we continue westward, following the Cserhát green paths Z markings and leaving behind the residential area of Buják. Along the winding paved road of the Buják Creek valley, several sights await: first, an abandoned quarry where we can observe the andesite bedrock forming the surrounding hills, mostly covered by clay-like loess.

Following the quarry, a sign draws our attention to the Szál-kő andesite block; however, the remains of a former ammunition depot nearby are harder to find. Behind an ivy-covered tree with two markings - a rare curiosity on our route - just a few meters from the road, lies a walled stone former depot built underground from andesite. In the 1930s, explosives and other equipment for the quarry were stored here. The quarry provided material for the foundations and paving of local houses and roads until the 1950s, when an explosion shattered windows of nearby houses, leading to its closure.

Town siege panorama

Reaching the memorial trees of the Seven Leaders, a sign indicates a short detour: here stand seven large pine trees commemorating leaders of the Hungarian conquest. Just a few steps along the paved road following the Cserhát green paths Z markings lead to the detour to the Buják Castle. At the road fork at the castle ruins' sign, turn right onto the unmarked path and begin the ascent to the ruins. At the information board presenting the fortress's history, turn left and follow the path up to the ruins of Buják Castle.

The castle likely was built after the Tatar invasion; the first documented mention dates to the early 1300s. Over the centuries, it changed owners: besides the Hungarian kings, it belonged to the Garai, Báthory, Werbőczy, and Bocskai families. The castle was successfully besieged several times (in 1552 and 1663) by the Turks, who caused its downfall by blowing up its walls in 1666, after which it was never restored. From the castle walls, enjoy a wonderful panoramic view of the Eastern Cserhát mountains: looking down into the valleys, you can see Buják, the Honvéd rest area, and glimpses of the top of the Sas-bérc lookout.

We descend back to the Buják Creek valley along the same path. From the road crossing to the barrier, we continue following the Cserhát green paths Z markings, then after the barrier, turn right off the road to continue on the hiking trail with Forest educational trail green oak leaf markings. After crossing the creek bed, we pass another abandoned quarry at the edge of Selyem Meadow with a pleasant resting place shaded by chestnut trees. It is worth resting here a bit, as the trail ascends continuously to Sas-bérc!

The most elegant viewpoint of Cserhát

Upon reaching the paved road that divides Selyem Meadow, turn right and continue on the road, again following the Cserhát green paths Z markings. At the fork, choose the left branch, which is important as both branches carry the Cserhát green paths Z markings! Upon reaching the saddle between Fekete-hegy and Sas-bérc, turn left off the road onto an unmarked path that leads to the 469 m high peak of Sas-bérc where the fairy-tale Sas-bérc lookout tower stands.

The lookout tower, functioning today as a viewpoint, was built in the 1920s by Count Szigfrid Pappenheim at his wife's request, modeled after Bavarian style: designs by Franz Zell, an architect from Munich, were realized by builder Lajos Gajdóczi. The building originally served a dual purpose: the local forester and his family lived on the ground floor, while the count used the upstairs rooms for rest during his hunts. The family sold the forest area at the end of the 1930s; the new owner neglected the building's condition. Renovation had to wait until 2001, and it reopened to tourists on March 23, 2002, restored to its original state. It is important that it is open only on weekends and holidays, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Inside the tower, visitors can learn the building's history, view old photos from the past 100 years, and see a model showing the Eastern Cserhát region from a "bird's eye view." From the lookout terrace, visitors can observe the peaks already familiar from the model. On clear days, the Mátra and Börzsöny mountain ranges are visible beyond Cserhát.

If doing a weekday hike (and the lookout is closed), do not be disheartened: continue down from the lookout on the green oak leaf marked Forest educational trail. Soon you will reach a wooden cross from which you can enjoy a west-facing view: the landscape is dominated by Vár Hill of Szanda with the ruins of Szanda Castle on top, and in the distance, Börzsöny might also appear.

Back to the edge of the hills

Along the trail, before reaching Selyem Meadow, it is worth taking a short detour right on the trail marked with green oak leaf markings to Egidius Spring. (Named after St. Aegidius, a Provençal hermit and monastery founder.) The spring is active even in drier periods unless its outlet is clogged.

Returning to the starting point of the detour, head towards Selyem Meadow, reaching a familiar spot on the crossing paved road. From here, ascend along the already traveled route following the Forest educational trail green oak leaf markings back to the barrier on the paved road. Just before the barrier, turn immediately right, then begin your climb towards Bársony Hill saddle, continuing along the trail. In the Calvary Hill side, in the shade of a veteran tree, you will find a cross, where turn left, then aiming for the special calvary a few meters away on an unmarked path.

The calvary's life has been shaped by storms. At first, wooden crosses stood at the hilltop but were felled in a big storm. Stone crosses replaced them, but these lasted only a short time; the new stone crosses were surrounded by a stone wall for greater protection, and station paintings were incorporated into the wall. One might think nature's forces could no longer knock down the crosses this way, but this is mistaken. After new damage, iron crosses were erected. Today, stone crosses stand again on the hilltop, and the old iron crucifix can be found in the village's churchyard. On the hilltop stands also the late baroque Saint Anne Chapel built in the early 19th century and a hermit's lodge. From Calvary Hill, enjoy a magical panorama of Buják nestled in the valley, with the distant Western Mátra ridges closing the view.

From here, descend along the path marked with Forest educational trail green oak leaf markings to Buják: upon reaching the paved road, turn right and finish your hike on unmarked paths. Following the itinerary given at the beginning of the description (or the route visible in the Nature Walker app), visit the village's wine cellar row, the Arad Martyrs Monument, and the St. Martin Church, where the old calvary iron cross and war memorial can also be found. Finally, walk back to the starting point.