Mátraverebély: Hiking and Pilgrimage

Mátraverebély combines hiking with a visit to the pilgrimage site of Szentkút. A section of the National Blue Trail, a walk in the spring valley, and the sanctuary’s religious associations offer different focal points for planning your trip.

Hiking and Navigation

Section 20 of the National Blue Trail runs from Mátraverebély via Ágasvár, Mátraszentistván, Galya-tető, Vércverés, and the Vörösmarty Tourist House to Mátraháza. It is about 25.4 kilometers long. The sequence of named places provides clear wayfinding along the route; its length is an important consideration when including hiking in your travel plans.

To reach Szentkút, turn off Main Road 21 near Mátraverebély toward the pilgrimage site. It is about five kilometers from there and is signposted all the way. The turnoff and signs provide clear directions for reaching the pilgrimage site.

In the valley of the Szentkúti-patak, a short walk leads to a signposted gorge. According to legend, the Szent-László Crevice is where the king made his great leap. Further along the valley are the Köszvényes Spring and a group of three springs; there is a bench and a rain shelter at the Köszvényes Spring. Hermit caves are also among the features of Mátraverebély-Szentkút. This walk brings together a legend, springs, and places to rest.

The walking trails of Mátraverebély-Szentkút offer suitable options for visitors of all ages. Geological walks for groups are organized by prior arrangement. A local app with a guided tour helps tourists find their way. If you are planning a geological walk for a group, prior arrangement is part of the planning; the app serves a separate wayfinding purpose.

Pilgrimage Site and Springs

Mátraverebély-Szentkút is known for its spring water associated with miracles and the statue of the Virgin Mary. Together with the hermit caves and the valley, these features complement the hiking opportunities with religious and scenic points of interest. You can tailor your stay to your interest in walking routes, springs, or pilgrimage.

More Topics in the Wider Destination of Neuburg

The wider destination of Neuburg offers more cultural and natural attractions. The old village of Hollókő is a Palóc settlement in Nógrád County in northern Hungary and a deliberately preserved, living example of rural life before the 20th-century agricultural revolution. The Boszorkány-kő geological trail lies in the Karancs-Medves Landscape Protection Area and illustrates basalt volcanism from 2.4 to 5.2 million years ago. It features rocks from a small fissure volcano, including sediment inclusions torn from deep underground, curved lava slabs, and basalt columns formed by weathering. The permanent and temporary exhibitions of the Pásztó Museum are housed in a Baroque Cistercian monastery building reconstructed in 1717–1718. The Pásztó Museum also presents a medieval glassworks and blacksmith’s workshop as an open-air exhibition and as a unique industrial heritage site in Hungary. In the wider destination of Neuburg, Mátraverebély-Szentkút was ceremonially declared a national shrine by Cardinal Primate Erdő Péter in 2006, during the pilgrimage for the Assumption of Mary.

More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Szuha, Bátonyterenye, Mátranovák.

Back to the wider travel guide: Bátonyterenyei.