In the footsteps of old built-up stone roads

Itinerary

• From the center of Mátrafüred, follow the S+ marking all the way to Farkas-kút. 
• From here, switch to the S● marking and run along it. 
• At the stone sea, for a short connecting section, the S◼ will lead us. 
• We run the built-up road along the Z▲ marking. 
• Turning back, we follow the Z+ marking along the creek. 
• From Lajosházá to the end of the run, we proceed along the Z marking. 

Detailed description of the run

We start the run on the sidewalk of Parádi út (main road 24), immediately uphill. After a hundred meters, turn right onto Akadémia Street and jog to its end. At the corner of the fence, we enter the forest, and following the S+ marking, we run on a well-built, maintained trail along trickling streams and washouts. In a few minutes, we reach an old pilgrimage site, the Máriácska pilgrimage place. Above the Máriácska rock cave chapel, which also functions as a rest area, a large stone cross stands. Continuing behind the cross, the terrain becomes a bit steeper, but running is still possible on the rocky, wide path. Soon, constructed terrain features appear again, this time leading to one of the Mátra's most famous springs, the Rákóczi spring. The spring water, considered the healthiest in the mountain range, emerges here, available even in precipitation-poor seasons. From the junction, continue running along the S+ trail.

The next sight, in a few minutes, will be the Mátra Cable Car line floating crosswise above our heads, connecting Sástó with the Oxygen Adrenalin Park. Immediately after, we exit to the side of main road 24, which we must cross very carefully and attentively. On the road’s opposite side, we find the shore of Sás Lake and the surrounding leisure center. Upon reaching the lake, turn right and run across a meadow dotted with fire pits and children's playgrounds. On the far side of the meadow, a gravel forestry road starts; on its right side, our trail winds on stony, rooty ground, still following the S+ marking. After nearly a kilometer of technical jogging, we arrive at the built-up spring and shelter at Farkas-kút. An ideal spot for a short break. 

We change markings; from here, following the S● spring icon, we continue on a less rocky, well-runnable dirt road, though only for about one kilometer. For an even shorter section, we turn left on the S◼ marking. A distinctly rocky, stony, ankle-twisting downhill follows, while around us, the spectacular large stones covered in moss almost entirely cover the forest floor – a unique sight! Pay attention to the markings; at one point, we must turn right along the Z▲ marking, cut across the stone jungle, and continue running on the hillside.

Here, we reach probably the most unique section of our route. On the sloping hillside, the locals once built a retaining wall and a one-and-a-half-meter-wide path from stones collected from the area. The special "artificial road" has now been overgrown by moss, and the surface smoothed by the grown vegetation. So, although we run over huge rocks, it is not an unpleasant feeling at all. The valley winding below us with the creek, the unique trail, and the forest lend a truly captivating atmosphere to the landscape. During the run, we wish this unusual section would last much longer, but after another kilometer, we reach the creek shore, where we sharply turn left. From here, look for the Z+ marking on the tree trunks and stones. 

In the company of the babbling creek, we quickly reach Lajosháza. Before the buildings, a steep path ascends the hillside from a forestry road turning widely, indicated by the Z marking. After a short, breath-catching climb, we arrive at a cart track; from here, runnable terrain awaits us again. At the end of an easy jogging section, we cross a creek and then notice a strange rumbling. At the bend, a dizzying depth opens below us – we arrive at the Cserkő quarry. The still operating, multi-level stone quarry is bordered by spectacular, colorful quarry walls. After leaving the quarry, be careful, because soon the marking turns left from the dirt road onto a very narrow path into the bush. Upon exiting from here, we can glimpse an abandoned, ruined house; we are at the Gárdonyi rest area. After the rest, we turn left off the dirt road after a few steps, to follow the marking. From here, only a few small bumps and a couple of minutes of forest follow, as we soon arrive at the edge of Mátrafüred. Passing through the park, we reach Béke Street, which leads us to the center of the settlement.