Kojšovská hoľa

Kojšovská hoľa (colloquially Kojšovka; German Koischdorfer Höhe, Hungarian Kojsói-tető) is a 1,246 m mountain in the Volovské vrchy, part of the Slovak Ore Mountains in eastern Slovakia. It is the highest peak of the geomorphological subunit named after it and one of the most distinctive mountains of the region. It lies in the Košice Region, in the Gelnica District, in the cadastre of Kojšov, about 16 km west of Košice and 8 km south of Gelnica. The nearest villages are Zlatá Idka at the southern foot (about 3.6 km), Kojšov to the north (about 4.4 km), Opátka to the east and Prakovce to the north-west. A neighbouring spot on its flank (1,225 m) is the highest point of the Košice-okolie District.

The summit lies about 1.2 km north-east of the main ridge of the Volovské vrchy, which runs from Kloptaň to Predné holisko, and is linked to it by a shallow saddle to the south-west. Its most characteristic feature is a broad, fairly flat, treeless dome elongated from west to east like a huge loaf of bread; the top is covered with heather, bilberry and lingonberry. Below the dome the slopes are moderately cut by stream valleys. The whole mountain drains to the Hnilec: the southern, eastern and northern slopes via the Kojšovský potok, which rises at about 1,120 m, and the western slopes via the Perlový potok. To the west, beyond the saddle, stands the neighbouring Zlatoidská hora (1,232 m).

Getting there / routes

Several marked trails lead to the summit; Czech Wikipedia, based on a 1988 guidebook, gives these times:

• from Zlatá Idka on the blue trail to the saddle below Kojšovská hoľa, then yellow to the top – about 1 h 30 min up (1 h 10 min down), 587 m of ascent; the shortest route;
• from Kojšov on the blue trail via Strieborná, then red – about 3 h 05 min (2 h 50 min down);
• from Prakovce on the yellow trail past the Izbica gamekeeper’s lodge and Chata Erika – about 3 h 30 min (3 h 05 min down);
• from the town of Gelnica on the blue trail via Strieborná, then red – about 3 h 50 min.

Nearby, through the saddle below the summit, runs the red SNP Heroes’ Trail ridge route – from Kloptaň in the west and from Zlatoidské lúky in the east. An access road also leads to the weather station on top. About 1 km west of the summit, at 1,045 m, stands the Chata Erika mountain hut, the second-highest hut in the Košice Region.

The view from the top

Low grassy vegetation leaves the view open, so the summit offers an all-round panorama – the main reason people come here. According to Slovak sources, in good weather you can see the surrounding Volovské vrchy, the Slanské vrchy, Čierna hora, Čergov, Branisko, the Levoča Mountains, the High Tatras, the eastern Low Tatras with Kráľova hoľa, the Stolické vrchy and many peaks of northern Hungary.

Nature and history

On the summit stands a meteorological and radar station of the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute (SHMÚ) together with several telecommunication masts. The radar, upgraded in June 2015, measures precipitation every 15 minutes with an effective range of about 300 km; it is part of the flood forecasting and warning system together with stations on Malý Javorník, Španí laz and Kubínska hoľa. In winter a ski area with a chairlift and T-bar lifts operates on the southern slopes.

Safety, season and rules

Kojšovská hoľa is not high, but it is exposed to the wind, so the weather on top can be much harsher than in the valleys; do not stay on the bare dome by the masts during a thunderstorm. You can go all year round, but in winter skiers use the southern slopes – keep off the pistes. The mountain is not in a national park, but please stay on marked paths and take your litter home. Mountain Rescue Service HZS: 18 300 (+421 18 300), general emergency number 112.

Interesting facts

• Locals affectionately call the mountain Kojšovka.
• The radar on the summit “sees” precipitation up to 300 km away – far beyond Slovakia’s borders.
• Chata Erika below the summit is the second-highest mountain hut in the Košice Region.

Photos: Pudelek, CC BY-SA 4.0; Draceane, CC BY-SA 4.0; Milan Bališin, CC BY-SA 4.0; Milan Bališin, CC BY-SA 4.0; Draceane, CC BY-SA 4.0; Milan Bališin, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons.