Along the Ipoly

Travel experiences

The Ipoly (Ipel) – a river running along the border with Slovakia – is a feeder for the Danube. It embraces Borzsony, the mountain that – together with Visegrad – characterises the Danube Bend. The volcanic, 900m-high mountain is covered with typical Hungarian woodland: oak, beech and hornbeam. The Danube-Ipoly National Park contains a diverse range of flora and fauna, including 70 protected plant species and more than a hundred protected types of bird.

The Ipoly (Ipel) – a river running along the border with Slovakia – is a feeder for the Danube. It embraces Borzsony, the mountain that – together with Visegrad – characterises the Danube Bend. The volcanic, 900m-high mountain is covered with typical Hungarian woodland: oak, beech and hornbeam. The Danube-Ipoly National Park contains a diverse range of flora and fauna, including 70 protected plant species and more than a hundred protected types of bird. Snow settles for a long time on the former volcanic cone and the valleys, and the region is popular with lovers of winter sports. From spring to autumn, hikers and hunters come here, the latter for the stocks of deer and wild boar. Zebegeny is one of the nicest settlements along the Danube, and is known as the gateway to the Danube Bend. It has a Hungarian Secessionist-style parish church designed by the leading architects of the age, Karoly Kos and Bela Janszky, in 1908. A road leads to Kalvaria Hill through Sziklaszentely (Rock Sanctuary), where you’ll find a heroes’ monument (the Trianon Memorial). There are splendid panoramic views of the Danube valley from a lookout tower. The famous Post-Impressionist artist Istvan Szonyi regularly depicted the Zebegeny landscape in his paintings, and his former house now contains a museum dedicated to his life and art. The Collection on Nautical History offers a unique experience; it was gathered together by Vince Farkas, a retired ship captain. There are many marked paths leading to other peaks of the Borzsony from Zebegeny. Szob, the railway crossing point into Slovakia, is situated where the Danube and Ipoly rivers meet. The Borzsony Museum contains an exhibition devoted to the nature of the mountain and the history of Szob and the surrounding villages. A track from Szob leads us to a 14th-century Pauline monastery. The settlement of Marianosztra grew up around the monastery, and is today well known for its village fairs. The monumental Baroque church, which was built on medieval foundations, has a Gothic sanctuary containing an 18th-century copy of the sacred Czestochowa painting. North of Szob lies Nagyborzsony, famous for its gold and ore mines, and one of the oldest settlements in the Ipoly valley. The local Saint Stephen’s Church is a superb example of an Arpad Age monument surviving from the 13th century. There used to be many water mills in the area, but today only one still functions – as a museum. The Gothic-style Miner’s Church, which dates from the 15th century, is also an important sight. The Nagyborzsony Forest train has resumed operation after a long time out of service; at present it travels only to Nagyirtaspuszta, but it is hoped that in the future it will reach Marianosztra and even Szob.

The surrounding settlements (Ipolytolgyes, Vamosmikola, Bernecebarati and Perocseny) harbour charming little churches and village gates. The local “Paloc” people are always ready to show their hospitality. The area’s hub is Kemence, which contains a regional museum showcasing the lives and traditions of the “Paloc” people. In summer, you can go horse riding, travel on the Kemence Forest Museum Train, sunbathe on the beach, go angling in the Ipoly or pick mushrooms in the nearby forests. In winter, ski lifts carry you up the snowy slopes, while the settlement is also a starting point for hunting and hiking in the Borzsony.

Source: Hungarian Tourism Plc

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Along the Ipoly

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