Mária Széchy Trail: Holcková – Fiľakovo
Trail map
Route, springs and shelters: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · elevation: Copernicus DEM © DLR e.V., © Airbus DS · Data & licences
About the trail
Route Mária Széchy Trail: Holcková – Fiľakovo. Has red marking (national route №0805, KST). Waymarking data: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL).
Officially marked national tourist route No. 0805. Marking is red, sign — horizontal stripe on a white background. Marked and maintained by: KST. Length of the route — 66.2 km. Location: mountain range — Slovak Rudohorie, Slovakia.
At a glance
A multi-day route of 66.2 km with 783 m of ascent and 1,690 m of descent from Holcková to Fiľakovo. Estimated time: 3 days of 5–6 h of walking (about 18 h in total, not counting stops). Difficulty: hard. Waymarking: red.
Route stages
- 0–8 kmDescent of 470 m (down to 628 m)
- 8–31 kmGentle ups and downs at 410–670 m
- 31–36 kmDescent of 290 m (down to 241 m)
- 36–63 kmGentle ups and downs at 200–480 m, past Rakov
- 63–66 kmDescent of 200 m to Fiľakovo
Steepest kilometre: km 31–32, a descent of 130 m (≈13%).
Water and overnight stays
Springs near the trail: at km 0, 1, 15 and 27. There are no springs between km 27 and 66 — carry at least 5.5 l of water.
Huts and shelters near the trail: Sláviček Shelter (km 0).
A possible split into days:
- Day 1: km 0–22, ≈6 h — overnight: no shelter nearby on the map, bring a tent
- Day 2: km 22–45, ≈6 h — overnight: no shelter nearby on the map, bring a tent
- Day 3: km 45–66, ≈6 h — finish
When to go
Best time: May to October. In winter deep snow is possible, so experience and winter gear are needed.
Getting there
Start: Holcková. This is a one-way route: the finish is 44 km from the start in a straight line, so plan your way back in advance.
FAQ
- How long does the route take?
- Estimated time: 3 days of 5–6 h of walking (about 18 h in total, not counting stops).
- Is there water on the route?
- Springs near the trail: at km 0, 1, 15 and 27. There are no springs between km 27 and 66 — carry at least 5.5 l of water.
- Where can I stay overnight?
- Huts and shelters near the trail: Sláviček Shelter (km 0).
Water and shelter on the route
- Sláviček Shelterkm 0.3 from the start · 150 m off the path · Not verified · 1 072 m
- Spring below Tŕstie (north-west slope)km 0.3 from the start · 140 m off the path · Not verified · 1 076 m
- Spring below Tŕstie (south-west slope)km 1.3 from the start · Not verified · 1 048 m
- Spring below Cigán (north-east slope), 540 mkm 15 from the start · 170 m off the path · Not verified · 540 m
- Spring below Romanov vrch (east slope), 462 mkm 26.5 from the start · 250 m off the path · Not verified · 462 m
Comments
Trails nearby
All trails
ModerateTwo-dayMarkedMária Széchy Trail: Cigánka HolckováElevation profile375–1 135 m15.7 kmascent 882 m≈ 5.5 h walking
ModerateOne-dayMarkedTisovec, square Hačava, monumentElevation profile346–1 121 m13.8 kmascent 731 m≈ 5 h walking
HardTwo-dayMarkedNový Sirk, junction Rákošvia Ploské, hammer, Burda +2Elevation profile310–700 m22.6 kmascent 813 m≈ 7.5 h walkingCraft nearby
All craft places
Eco farmsČučoriedková záhrada: pick-your-own blueberries and aronia juice5.7 km from the trailHere in 2010 the owners’ family planted the first Canadian blueberry bushes on a small plot — and gradually grew them into the Čučoriedková záhrada (Blueberry Garden).
Cheese dairies & pasturesSalaš Zbojská: sheep’s cheese, bryndza and žinčica on the pass14 km from the trailThe Zbojská pass lies at about 740 metres in the forests between Brezno and Tisovec, on the edge of the Hron valley and the Muránska planina plateau.
Cheese dairies & pasturesSalaš pod Maginhradom: Gemer sheep’s cheese and the Mitrovanie feast24 km from the trailAcross the road rises Maginhrad hill: in the 15th century a castle stood there that served as a Hussite fortress, and the Romantic poet Ján Botto dedicated a ballad to...
Craft beer & breweriesKaltenecker Brewery, Rožňava: Gemer craft beer from the source40 km from the trailThe modern Kaltenecker brewery was founded in 1997, and from the start it took a different path from the big breweries of the day: instead of one-size-fits-all beer, a...
Markets & fairsGemer Craft Fair at Krásnohorská Dlhá Lúka below Krásna Hôrka44 km from the trailKrásnohorská Dlhá Lúka is a village below Krásna Hôrka castle, a few kilometres from Rožňava. In 2002 the Association of Gemer Craftsmen (Združenie gemerských...
Horse ridingRanč u Trapera, Podlesok: Horse Rides in the Slovak Paradise45 km from the trailA little away from the main tourist bustle, below the forest, stands the family-run Ranč u Trapera, run by the Salaj family.