Touching the High Mátra

Itinerary

• From the Mátravasút Szalajkaház terminus, follow the Z◼ marking to reach the Szalajkaház itself.
• Here, turn right onto the S+ marking and follow it to Üvöltő-bérc, where we switch left to the S marking.
• Soon after leaving the forestry road to the left, you can climb up an unmarked path to the Nyesettvár.
• Then continue following the S marking to the edge of Galyatető, from where the K marking accompanies us over Péter-hegyes to the Mátra ridge.
• From the Piszkéstető Observatory, we descend to Mátraszentimre along the P markings.
• In Mátraszentimre, turn left onto II. Rákóczi Ferenc Street onto the Z◼ marking, which we follow until the end of the route.

Detailed route description

Following the footsteps of former industrial railways

We start walking at the Mátravasút Szalajkaház terminus, but the miniature railway ride is already an enjoyable part of our tour. The line that chugs from Gyöngyös here, into the depths of the Mátra, boasts an adventurous history: its predecessor was unusually created at the beginning of the 20th century by connecting narrow-gauge industrial railway tracks running in the nearby valleys, thus building “from top to bottom” up to Gyöngyössolymos. Back then, it was not used for passenger transport but for hauling forest-harvested goods – primarily wood and stone – to their destinations.

The horse traction was replaced by the first steam locomotive in 1916, using quite a trick. Since there was no narrow-gauge line between the two settlements, the locomotive reached Gyöngyössolymos from Gyöngyös by having the tracks placed ahead of it, then after passing this section, the rails were lifted behind it, and so on. Although at the heyday of the industrial railways the total length of the surrounding lines was nearly 50 km, with the spread of road transport and the development of forestry roads, their significance diminished, and in the 1980s this Szén-patak branch was also dismantled. In 2012, it was reborn specifically for tourism purposes; currently, it transports passengers up to Szalajkaház terminus from spring to autumn.

Climbing to Galya-tető

We reach Szalajkaház itself with a short walk along the Z◼ marking. The currently well-maintained building, operating as a tourist house and forest school (reservation in advance possible), was originally a forest lodge where in the 19th century potash – one of the raw materials for glass production, called szalajka (potassium carbonate) – was boiled. The word comes from the Latin “sal alcali,” meaning alkali salt, and in this form probably entered the area via Slovak influence.

At the house, turn right onto the S+ marking and cross the Szén-patak, named here from the confluence of Csukás-patak and Cseternás-patak. Both valleys once had industrial railways; on the Cseternás line, the train overcame the steepest section with a switchback. Following the stone-strewn creek bed, soon reaching the József Attila spring protected by stonework and bordered with benches, then after a hairpin turn, we leave the valley on a steep climb to Üvöltő-bérc (according to tradition, wolves used to inhabit this area). Here, on the left, we start climbing on the S marking to the southern side of the Galya-tető group on relatively gently sloping ridges (at least compared to the northern side), joining a serpentine forestry road from Mátraszentimre, favored by cyclists.

We can catch our breath on the almost level asphalt before the marking soon turns off it and heads back up the mountain aiming for Galyatető. From there, a few hundred meters higher, an unmarked path opening to the left leads up to the Nyesettvár. The fortification, named for its 812 m high peak, now shows only exceptionally well-preserved deep ditches about 70x35 m running north-south, from which various tools of different ages have been found. In the Middle Ages, it was likely built on an earlier earthwork fortress, though little is known of its history. No view opens up from the summit as it is surrounded by trees, but its atmosphere – partly due to isolation – is captivating.

Returning to the S marking, beyond the intimate Málnás meadow we soon cross the Mátra road, leave a pine forest, cross a ford, and arrive at Galya-csurgó, dedicated in 1930 to the members of the Budapest University Tourist Association who died in World War I. Locally, springs on the southern side of the Mátra are called csurgó. Due to the volcanic past, especially the good water-retaining ability of tuff layers, there are quite a few springs in the mountain range because rainwater must leave the soil somehow, but the highest ones naturally have less water than those lower down. Despite this, the Galya-csurgó was previously used to supply water to the nearby Galyatető Grand Hotel.

Unmatched view

At the foot of Galyatető, we join the National Blue Trail K marking and turn left to find ourselves at the modern Galyatető Tourist Center (where you can eat, drink, and even stay overnight). Opposite stands the former Galyatető Grand Hotel – today Hunguest Grandhotel Galya – a block built from andesite, established with state funds at the end of the 1930s Horthy era and operated as a workers' holiday resort during socialism. Among its guests under both regimes was Zoltán Kodály, who in the winter of 1941-42 composed here the organ solo version of the Quiet Mass pleading for peace, finished during the 1945 Budapest siege.

From the tourist center, we climb a staircase to the Galya observation tower standing on Péter-hegyes, with one of the most dazzling panoramas in the country from its top. Not only can we scan the Mátra from Sirok to Muzsla, but also Karancs-Medves, the Bükk plateau, the Zemplén Mountains, and, in clear weather, even the High Tatras. The tower's uniqueness is that, though under nomadic conditions, you can stay overnight in your own sleeping bag and mat as three simple rooms have been created between the exposed concrete walls. There is no heating; washing facilities are available at the Galyatető Tourist Center (where you can also book accommodation). In return, there is panorama, electricity, wifi, and adventure.

Touching the Mátra ridge

From the tower, we leave Galyatető behind among tall beeches along the Mátra ridge and walk downhill. At the Piszkéstető Observatory, named after Miklós Konkoly-Thege and Hungary's largest observatory, we switch to the P marking which has been with us for a while. At its Mátraszentistván junction, we visit the charming Bőgős meadow, resonating with the rutting calls of red deer in early autumn, where there is a built resting place, then we arrive at the eastern tip of Mátraszentimre.

We just barely touch the country’s highest settlement, the former Ötházhuta, the area's administrative center. If we feel like it, we can walk into the center along II. Rákóczi Ferenc Street and see, for example, the Saint Imre Church or have hot meals at several places.

We leave the village heading east on the Z◼ marking. Shortly, we can glimpse József Bagi's carved wooden memorial tomb, a forester from Galyatető who died in 1964. First, the Bőgős meadow stream flows beside us, then by the log-built Blokkház, the joining Csukás-patak murmurs on our side. Once, an industrial railway branch even ran all the way here – remains of the line, including rotten sleepers and the bridge pillars crossing the creek, can still be observed today.

As we gently descend, the path winds along a stone-strewn creek bed, crossing sometimes on wooden bridges, leading increasingly atmospherically through patches of dense but poor-condition pine forests toward Szalajkaház. Closing the loop, we arrive on comfortable terrain back at the already familiar tourist house, from which we return on foot to our starting point, the Mátravasút terminus.