Border paddling on the Ipoly

At the tour's starting point, unloading into the water requires caution, as the riverbank is steep and can become slippery when wet. There may be anglers nearby, so it is polite to enter the water quietly with little noise. Before doing this, it is worth exploring on foot the dam a few meters upstream and the creek intended as a bypass fish ladder. After unloading, the river’s pleasantly varied current immediately embraces the paddler. After a few hundred meters, we pass the port of the village Ipolytölgyes. The Ipoly twists through the landscape, hence its width varies. On average, it measures 8-10 meters but at the sides of islands, it may narrow to just a few meters. Where the river is shallow and spreads out, width can broaden to as much as 20 meters. On the right bank of the Ipoly, before the village of Szalka, a suddenly high loess cliff towers above on a left bend. The soft loess material is perforated by bank swallows and bee-eaters. With some luck, we might also spot the shy kingfisher.

Depending on the water level, the river's accumulated, hard-to-notice gravel shoals and islands make the journey varied and exciting. Therefore, this tour is primarily recommended for experienced paddlers with water touring experience. Looking left, you can see the peaks of the Börzsöny mountains; on the right bank of the Ipoly, the carefully cultivated fields of the Slovak side accompany our route. Shortly after one-third of the route, we reach the road bridge at Letkés, which connects Slovak Ipolyszalka with Hungarian Letkés. A few meters after the bridge, on the left bank, there is a designated swimming berth where we dock and, stepping ashore, an 800-meter walk along Diófa Street brings us to a grocery store at the corner of Diófa and Dózsa György streets in the center of Letkés. Here you can buy food and drinks, and 300 meters to the left in the direction of Szob, there is a café and a restaurant on the right side of the road.

Continuing our route, the river curves ever closer to the Börzsöny massif. Soon the gentle slopes of the Helembai Mountains appear on the right bank, on the Slovak side, placing us between two mountain ranges. On this section of the river, artificial stone embankments occasionally make paddling exciting. Beaver gnawed tree trunks can be seen everywhere, as these large water rodents thrive along the Ipoly. Our journey is occasionally watched over by gray herons. Approaching our second rest stop, Ipolydamásd, we navigate around islands densely covered with vegetation. Passing by the village, at a small cascade on a stone embankment, we reach a designated swimming berth on the left bank at the village’s lower end. If it’s not possible to land here, or the berth is “full,” about 100 meters downstream on the left bank in the shade of the trees, there is a suitable landing spot – somewhat muddy during low water but useful. Opposite, on the right high bank, the outer houses of Helemba in Slovakia are visible. From here, an approximately 500-meter walk takes us into the village to the café on Main Street.

After our break, we start the final section of our tour. After about one and a half kilometers of paddling, emerging from a right bend, we spot the Sávoly railway bridge connecting the Hungarian and Slovak sides. From here, we paddle about 500 meters on the Ipoly, which has calmed to almost still water. Arriving at the estuary, we say goodbye to the quiet, wild Ipoly and turn left to enter the broad, airy, and busy Danube. Here, on the left bank, directly at the estuary, we can take a short break on a pleasantly wide gravel riverside section, then, staying close to the Danube’s left bank, we paddle the last kilometer to the Szob ferry port. Avoiding the ferry slipway and the ferry docked there at a safe distance, we reach shore 50 meters beyond the ferry port on the gravelly sand.