The wild face of Kékes – circular route at the top of the country

Itinerary

• From the Kékestető parking lot we follow the K trail to the Disznó-kő junction.
• To Disznó-kő we take a round trip detour on the K▲ trail.
• From Disznó-kő we briefly follow the K trail to the next forest junction.
• We turn left onto the S trail, which we follow to the Rózsaszállás junction.
• From the junction we continue straight on the S● trail to the Pisztrángos Lake.
• From Pisztrángos Lake we follow the K+ trail, which joins the National Blue Trail upon reaching the ridge.
• On the ridge we turn right and walk on the K trail up to Kékestető, then back to the parking lot.

Detailed description of the hike

Our hike starts at the "top" of the country, Kékestető, where after leaving the TV tower, we enter the forest following the K trail. Here begins the Bükki National Park Directorate's Kékes educational trail, which we follow for a stretch. Today, Kékestető is one of the country's most popular mountain hiking destinations, but before Trianon it was an insignificant location known by few. Once it became the country's highest point, a road, a hotel, ski slopes, and a wooden lookout tower were built here.

Wild forest, unparalleled panorama

We quickly leave behind the bazaar row of Kékestető and immerse ourselves in the forest. From the very first steps, we enter another world: the beautiful old beeches, some over 160 years old, are accompanied by a few giant oaks, maples, and moss-covered andesite rocks lining our path. We descend to the saddle of Sötét-lápa, where the Kékes educational trail leads left, but we continue straight on the K trail. We pass by the Saint Elizabeth Cross near Elisabeth Rock. It's worth looking back here, as from this vantage point we have a direct view of the Kékestető TV tower.

Soon we reach a famously scenic spot on our hike, Sas-kő at 898 meters, whose northern cliff drops steeply into the deep. From the rock terrace of Sas-kő, we can identify villages lying at the northern foot of the Mátra from Sirok to Parádsasvár, see the Karancs, the Medves Plateau, the Bükk Mountains, and, on clear days, the Low and High Tatras too. Crossing to the other side of the narrow ridge stretches the Great Plain before us, and nearby the water of the Markazi Reservoir glistens while the Mátra Thermal Power Plant emits white steam clouds. The name Sas-kő probably refers to the once abundant eagles and falcons in the area, but vultures also used to nest on the steep cliff. On the back of Sas-kő stands a stone monument commemorating the tourists who fell in World War I. The memorial was inaugurated in June 1930 on the same day as the famous Pagoda shelter in Mátraháza.

From Sas-kő to Pisztrángos Lake

From Sas-kő, walking through wild forest, we reach the junction above Disznó-kő in less than half an hour. Along the way, many small and large stone blocks can be seen among the trees, and we pass through a lookout in the side of Kis-Sas-kő, offering views towards Karancs and the Galya Peak and Kékes massif. Our next panoramic point is Disznó-kő, which we reach via the K▲ trail, with views over the northern foreland of the Mátra, the Karancs–Medves and Vajdavár regions in the distance, and, if the weather is clear enough, the Low and High Tatras further away.

From here the forest path continues, although a patch of blackberries makes walking a little more difficult. At a forest junction, we turn left onto the S trail, which turns back relative to our previous direction but leads downward and goes around Disznó-kő from below. We return to the beech forest covering the northern slope and after a while we spot the first building, the Rózsaszállás forester’s house.

From here, an asphalt forest road (S●) leads straight to the lake. The 13 km Hurok road ascending to 680 meters was built in the 1950s to facilitate logging on the northern slope of Kékes. Previously, this area was part of the Károlyi family estate, specifically their fenced game preserve, where no logging occurred during that period. After Hurok road was completed as part of the second five-year plan, major forest areas fell victim to logging, and today only the Kékes Forest Reserve remains as a primary forest.

A favorite place for amphibians and hikers

On the northern slope of Kékes at 667 meters above sea level, near the administrative border of Parádsasvár, lies Pisztrángos Lake, a popular resting place for hikers exploring the area. It also has considerable nature conservation importance as a breeding site for amphibians. The site with covered structures, benches, and tables is a particularly nice place to rest.

The lake lies in a flat area formed by a landslide but the lake basin itself was artificially deepened for fish farming in the early 20th century. Contrary to its name, no fish are found in Pisztrángos Lake today, but it serves as an important breeding ground for protected amphibians such as the rare alpine newt, spotted salamander, meadow frog, and the fire-bellied toad. Since natural standing water is scarce in the Mátra, the lake's significance is especially high. Nearby, beautiful and valuable alder swamp can be seen, worth walking around. There are resting places here, so everything is provided for some relaxation. It's especially worth using this opportunity as the remaining part of our hike involves tough climbs.

Moss, ferns, stone sea

From the lake, we set off on the K+ trail through the dark beech forest on Kékes’s slope, which extends to a place called Gabi halála at 772 meters. The name probably honors a lumberjack who died there early in the 1900s by falling with his horse-drawn carriage. Beyond Gabi halála, we continue on the K+ trail, which is also the route of the Kékes educational trail. From here, 2 kilometers with 250 meters elevation gain awaits us up to Kékestető, mentally preparing for which is recommended. This path is also called Wiltner road, after Dr. Wiltner Willibald, the former chief physician of Kékes peak.

Along the way, we can see smaller and larger stone seas. A large rock field with a mystical name is Sötét-lápa, whose formation involves mixed origins including collapse and frost weathering. On Kékes's northern slope, the cool, humid microclimate supports a unique flora related to the rock fields. Mosses and green ferns grow on the gray andesite blocks, and rare and protected plants such as clustered elderberry and alpine currant can also be found here.

The K+ trail joins the K and S trails known from the start of the hike when it reaches the ridge, from which you can return to Kékestető.