Into the Wild Heart of Börzsöny: Hungary’s Hidden Mountain Paradise

The Danube Bend

The Börzsöny Mountains are not only a spectacular backdrop to the Danube Bend, but also home to Hungary’s largest contiguous forest without any settlements. A true wilderness experience awaits among the volcanic peaks, lynx-filled valleys, and castle ruins, while you can also take a ride on a narrow-gauge railway or explore the secret paths of the stream valleys.

The National Blue Trail runs through the trees of this romantic forest, but there are little-travelled paths in almost every corner of the mountains. The Danube and Ipoly rivers surround the range, and you can row on the rivers and cycle along their banks, while in the inner parts, the silence of the wilderness envelops the hiker. On clear days, the High Tatra Mountains can be seen from the peaks of the mountains, and in the friendly Palóc (Hungarian regional group) villages of the northern areas, not only is it worth a visit for the food, but for the local culture too.

Királyrét, located in the heart of the Börzsöny Mountains, has long been a center for hikers. The forest railway transports visitors there from nearby Kismaros. Children love the pedal train, where they can pedal cars running on rails. The Hiúz House has an interactive exhibition presenting the fauna of the mountains, and you can even get a glimpse into the life of tropical leafcutter ants.

This is the starting point of the three-kilometer Királyrét nature trail, which guides visitors through an exciting code-breaking game and offers a rest stop halfway at Lake Bajdázói, home to marsh turtles. Towering nearby is the Nagy-Hideg Mountain, where the tourist lodge restaurant has long been a refuge for hikers.

One of the most interesting treasures of the mountain range is the Csarna Valley. It was once crossed by a forest railway, but today nature is slowly erasing the traces of human activity. The fallen tree trunks, moss-covered stones, and the remains of rails winding along the stream bed offer a moving sight as the forest reclaims what was once its own. In this undisturbed, ancient forest, rare and protected species such as the lynx and the Ural owl can be spotted.

Nógrád Castle, standing on the edge of the Börzsöny Mountains, dominates the landscape from afar. The ruins standing on top of the 286-meter-high andesite cone are one of Hungary’s oldest stone castles, offering views of the surrounding area, and in clear weather, even the peaks of the Mátra Mountains.

The Nagymaros circular tour leads to the legendary Remete Cave and the Julianus Lookout Tower, reminiscent of a medieval bastion, then returns to the town. The lookout tower offers the most beautiful view of the Danube Bend, but the view does not come for free: the moderately difficult route is made more challenging by the crumbly terrain, so it is not worth setting out without good boots and sufficient water supply.

Cycling is closely linked to the Danube line that runs around Börzsöny. The Danube Cycle Path leads from Vác to Szob, and from there across the new Ipoly Bridge to Slovakia. Along the way, churches, museums, pastry shops, and sandy beaches offer worthwhile stops, and in Helemba, on the Slovak side, you can sip Kofola (local drink similar to Coca Cola).

The gem of the mountain range is the St. Stephen’s Church in Nagybörzsöny. The Romanesque-style building is one of the best-preserved monuments from the Árpád era. The Nagybörzsöny Small Railway Educational Trail, which starts next to it, tells the story of the forest railway’s past, while today’s small railway connects the Middle Ages with the industrial heritage of the 20th century.

For a more detailed tour description and downloadable map, visit aktivkalandor.hu.

Via turizmus.com; Featured image: Fortepan / UVATERV

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