Nagy-nyugodó - Hollóháza (OKT-27.)

Itinerary

Follow the Blue (K) markers all along the trip.

• From Nagy-Nyugodó hike over the hills to Vágáshuta.
• Proceed to Nagyhuta.
• Hike via Kishuta to Bózsva.
• Continue to Füzérkomlós.
• Proceed to Füzér with the castle.
• Climb to Nagy-Milic.
• Descend to Bodó-rét.
• Finish your hike in Hollóháza.

 Detailed description

 Nagy-Nyugodó – Vágáshuta

Set off from the Blue Trail board on saddle of Nagy-nyugodó. The trail begins an ascent on the slope of Kecske-hát skirting the basin surrounded by the tent-shaped Sátoros Hills. As in Vörös-nyereg more trails converge, optionally you may take some of them to discover the area, for example the adventure park on the top of Magas-hegy with various attractions.

The Blue Trail continues downhill towards the clearing at Körtefa-nyereg. You will soon reach the paved road to Rudabányácska. Turn right and keep to the road until you reach Vöröskő hikers’ lodge where head left to cross the hills towards Vágáshuta. Hike up to a low ridge to skirt tributary valleys of Tarda Valley. After crossing gullies and water cuts the trail passes the wet meadow of Mocsár-rét. The trail arrives near Vágáshuta and continues downhill along the dirt track. A clear-cut on the outskirts of the village provides a view of the castle of Füzér with Nagy-Milic towering in the background.

Vágáshuta is an old mountain village with inhabitants formerly living from glassmaking (“huta” is an archaic word for glass furnace). The stamper is placed on a Blue Trail board near a phone booth. The narrow valley provides space only for one street and rest of the village was built higher on the slopes (Nagypart, Kispart). Low permanent population is complemented by holiday makers as many of the local properties function as holiday houses.

Vágáshuta – Bózsva

Head towards the neighboring village on a paved road and keep to it until Margit Spring where turn left. The trail enters a tributary valley and ascends the hill near Nagyhuta. Hike downhill to the village located in even narrower valley (stamper on the fence of the Village Hall).

Continue along the paved road to Kishuta. Both villages were founded by in the early 18th century by Slovakian settlers, who made living as glassmakers and later as travelling tinkers and glass vendors. Kishuta is a surprisingly long village taking more than 45 minutes to cross. The main street crosses the rails of the forest train of Pálháza. Today it is just a tourist attraction carrying passengers between Pálháza and Rostalló, however, until the early 1980s trains ran between Füzérkomlós and Sárospatak, and earlier before the railway extended to Nyíregyháza.

The trail leaves Kishuta and the valley to descend towards Bózsva and enter the village along a hollow track (stamper on a utility pole near the pond in the center and in Kőbérc Family Hotel).

Bózsva – Füzér

After crossing Bózsva you will arrive at the basin of Hegyköz. Hiking over the rolling humps you will be approaching the castle of Füzér and the mounts of Milic Group. From Kisbózsva the trail follows the trackbed of the former logging railway paralleling Nyíri Creek and arrives at the former terminus in Füzérkomlós.

Past the village you will hike along one of the most picturesque sections of the trail in Zemplén as following the biking road you will be enjoying the view over the castle and its surroundings for long.  The castle hill is made up by dacite. The moderately high silica content makes dacitic magma quite viscous it tends to get trapped in the vent of volcanoes. Later soft caprock got eroded and only hard dacite remained providing an ideal site for building a castle.

The trail enters Füzér (stamper at Koronaőr B&B and the grocery store in the center).

Füzér – Kis-Milic

Hike around the castle hill and exit the village. On the other side, at the parking lot (and a restaurant) it is well-worth taking the spur trail to the castle. Even the hike uphill is a special experience but visiting the restored castle is definitely a must. Its historic importance it truly demonstrated by  the event that the Holy Crown of Hungary was stored here for a few months after the lost battle of Mohács (one of the most influential defeats in the history of the country in 1526 marking the beginning of the Turkish rule in Hungary). The restoration works resulted in a complete medieval castle with various ways of discovering life in Hungary those times. The walls, of course, grant a great view over Zemplén.

Past the outlet of Vár-forrás the trail begins the most tiring ascent of the Blue Trail. Over the slope of Magas-hegy the trail is level but after turning into a valley the lengthy hike begins to the peak of Kis-Milic. You will hike along a gorge in a beautiful beech forest to arrive at the foresters’ lodge of Alsó-Csata-rét. Continue to cover the second half of the steep ascent along the picturesque path. The lookout tower on the peak rewards you with a stunning scenery. The whole mountain unfolds beneath your feet and the castle hill of Füzér seem a tiny little hill from here. After saying farewell to the view continue along the clearance of the state border to Nagy-Milic (893 m).

Kis-Milic – Hollóháza

Past the peak hike downhill until the fence of László-tanya. The former hunting castle of the Károlyi noble family is a closed private property today, however, previously the trailhead of the Blue Trail was placed here.  The trail continues on a paved road and soon arrives at Bodó-rét (stamper on the signpost). The clearing grant a somewhat obstructed view towards Slovakia.

Continue your hike and you will soon leave the road to the right and to parallel it on a path. After making a shortcut across the road a steep descent begins leading to wet and scrubby clearing of Dög-tér. The trail traverses he forest along a wide logging road to cover the last on kilometer of your hike. Enter Hollóháza and turn left onto the main road to reach the trailhead and monument of the National Blue Trail. This is where your hike from the trailhead in Kőszeg near the western border of Hungary began.