Csóványos
938 m
Hungary
Also known as KorányosAlso known as
Korányos
- Elevation
- 938 m
- Prominence
- 710 m
- Difficulty
- 2/10
- Hike
- Best Season
- Apr–Jun
- Routes
- 1
WorksReported 22 Mar 2025
The Nagy-Hideg-hegy hut on the approach route closed for renovation on 1 May 2024; its buffet reopened on 22 March 2025 (year from secondary reports), and the renovated hut now offers accommodation for 26.
kektura.huRegulationReported 25 Jun 2026
A national fire-lighting ban (tűzgyújtási tilalom) has been in force since 25 June 2026; on 12 September 2026 it was lifted only in Győr-Moson-Sopron, Somogy, Vas and Zala counties and remained in force elsewhere, including Pest and Nógrád. Check whether it is still in force.
bnpi.hu
Routes
1The classic Börzsöny round: from Királyrét (about 255 m), terminus of the forest railway, up the wooded Vasfazék valley to the Nagy-Hideg-hegy hut (843 m), then along the National Blue Trail over Égés-tető to the 22.6 m lookout tower on Csóványos (938 m). About 9–10 km and 700 m of ascent up; 18–21 km as a loop.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 10.1 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +810 m
- −130 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 940 m
- Time Up
- 4h 13m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 32m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the car park at Királyrét (pay parking; also the terminus of the Királyrét forest railway from Kismaros) follow the blue cross (K+) waymarks with the Királyrét nature trail up the Vasfazék valley beside the Nagy-Vasfazék stream to the upper car park. Beyond a long wooden footbridge the climb begins in earnest, passing the Inóc quarry scar. At the fork for Magas-Tax either keep to K+ via the Magas-Tax hut and the red stripe (P), or go straight on the blue square (KN) up the head of the valley; both reach the top of the ski lift below Nagy-Hideg-hegy, where the National Blue Trail (K, Országos Kéktúra) crosses the summit by the Nagy-Hideg-hegy hut (843 m; summit 864 m). Follow the blue stripe (K, together with red) east: a steep, often slippery descent off the eastern end of Nagy-Hideg-hegy to the Rakodó saddle, then up the forested ridge over Égés-tető (about 850 m) and Hangyás-bérc, past the Vilma rest area, and a final stiff pull to the summit of Csóványos (938 m). The steel lookout tower, converted from a 1978 geodetic tower and opened in 2014, has a 360° view over the Börzsöny and, on clear days, to the High Tatras and the Schneeberg. Return the same way (Csóványos to Nagy-Hideg-hegy about 1 hour), or make a loop south on the blue stripe over Foltán-kereszt and the Saj-kút ridge, then down the Szén-patak forest road to Királyrét (about 18–21 km and 6–7 hours for the round).
Start
Királyrét260 m
- Train or bus to Kismaros, then the Királyrét forest railway (seasonal) or Volánbusz bus to Királyrét.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Királyrét → Csóványos | 10.1 | 810 | 130 | 4h 13m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Királyrét260 m
- Hut: Nagy-Hideg-hegyi turistaház853 m
- Col: Rakodó-nyereg793 m
- Feature: Égés-tető850 m
- Summit: Csóványos938 m
Key Passages
- Climb at the head of the Vasfazék valley to the ski-lift top
- Steep descent from Nagy-Hideg-hegy to the Rakodó saddle
- Final climb past the Vilma rest area
- Lookout tower on the summit
Equipment
0/5 packedDownloads
Route confidence 75%Overview
The highest point of the Börzsöny (938 m), a forested volcanic summit north of the Danube Bend topped by a 22.6 m steel lookout tower. A full-day forest walk from Királyrét along the National Blue Trail, with views to the High Tatras on clear days.
The Börzsöny is a compact, heavily wooded volcanic range in northern Hungary, between the Danube Bend and the Ipoly river on the Slovak border, largely within the Duna–Ipoly National Park. Csóványos, on the border of Pest and Nógrád counties, is its highest summit, Pest county's highest point and the 20th-highest peak in Hungary. Like the neighbouring Visegrád Hills it is the remnant of Miocene volcanoes most active 18–19 million years ago; andesite crags such as the Kőkorsó break through the beech and oak forest on its flanks.
The summit itself is wooded, so the view comes from the lookout tower: a 1978 concrete geodetic tower that was closed for years and reopened as a public lookout in October 2014. From the top the panorama takes in the whole Börzsöny, the Danube, the Pilis and Visegrád Hills and, in good visibility, the High Tatras and the Schneeberg in Austria.
Marked paths reach the summit from all four directions, including the National Blue Trail (Országos Kéktúra). The most popular start is Királyrét, terminus of the Királyrét forest railway, with a loop over Nagy-Hideg-hegy and its hut, or over Foltán-kereszt: 18–21 km, 700–900 m of ascent and 6–7 hours. It is a forest walk, steep and slippery in places, but without technical difficulty.
Climbing Notes
A fit walker needs a full day: allow 6–7 hours for a loop from Királyrét with 700–900 m of ascent, or about 3 hours one way to the summit via Nagy-Hideg-hegy. Paths are well waymarked (blue cross, blue square, blue stripe of the National Blue Trail) but rocky and steep in places, especially the descent from Nagy-Hideg-hegy to the Rakodó saddle. Carry water and food; the Nagy-Hideg-hegy hut serves food and drink and offers accommodation, but check opening hours. In winter the ridge is often icy or snowy and microspikes are useful; days are short, so carry a headtorch. The lookout tower is exposed and windy. Check the Királyrét forest railway timetable before planning a car-free trip.
History
The mountain was formerly called Korányos; the geologist József Szabó described the view from its summit in 1852. Until the mid-1960s a branch of the Királyrét forest railway ran up the Szén-patak valley to a Csóványos station near today's Spartacus hut. The Újpest Friends of Nature erected a peace memorial near the summit in August 1964, and a 22.6 m concrete geodetic tower was built in 1978; Ipoly Erdő converted it into a lookout tower, opened on 9 October 2014. The Nagy-Hideg-hegy hut on the approach was begun in 1936, and Hungary's first ski lift was built beside it in 1953.
Season
Best Apr–Jun- January: Good
- February: Good
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Best (best window)
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Best
- October: Best
- November: Good
- December: Good
- Jan
- Snow or ice on the ridge; short days; ski lift on Nagy-Hideg-hegy if there is snow
- Feb
- Icy paths likely
- Mar
- Mud and late snow
- Apr
- Spring flowers in the beech forest
- Jul
- Warm and humid; ticks
- Aug
- Warm; ticks
- Oct
- Autumn colour; clear views
- Nov
- Short days; wet leaves
- Dec
- Possible snow; clear winter views
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Nagy-Hideg-hegyi turistaház: accommodation for 26 by e-mail booking only (hideghegyszallas@gmail.com); phone calls only during opening hours.
- Fees
- Pay car park at Királyrét
- Rules
- Duna–Ipoly National Park: stay on marked paths; take all litter down (no bins at the Nagy-Hideg-hegy hut)
- Getting There
Szokolya (Királyrét); Vác and Szob for services
Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD)
- Train: Budapest–Vác–Szob line to Kismaros, then the Királyrét forest railway (narrow gauge, 9.7 km) to Királyrét
- Bus: Volánbusz services from Kismaros to Szokolya and Királyrét
- Car: road 12 along the Danube to Kismaros, then via Szokolya to Királyrét (about 1 hour from Budapest)
Huts & Shelters
1- 843 m
Nagy-Hideg-hegyi turistaházHutStaffedBooking required
26 beds · All year; daily opening hours vary, check before relying on it