It’s almost impossible to walk all around the gentle slopes of the Mátra and Bükk Mountains, and if you really want to see everything, hop onto one of the narrow-gauge railways in the region.
The Szilvásvárad Narrow-Gauge Forest Railway is considered to have the steepest climb in Hungary, and leaves from Fatelep station in the Szalajka Valley every hour. The five-kilometre ride takes you to the picturesque Gloriett glade and on the way passes Szalajka fish pond.
This is not the only locomotive in the area: The Felsőtárkány Narrow-Gauge Forest Railway lies to the north of Eger and was built in 1915. Today, it is a very popular tourist destination, as it takes visitors to the Szikla and Vöröskő springs, and the wildlife park in the Egres Valley. The Mátravasút runs on the line between Gyöngyös and Mátrafüred, and has a first-class cushioned carriage that takes visitors to the 370-metre-high Kozmáry lookout tower, the valley of the Szén stream and to Bába Stone. There is another route of the Mátravasút from Gyöngyös to Szalajkaház. It's a 13 km long journey through the woods along a stream. The Lillafüred narrow-gauge railway was used back as far back as 1923 to transport passengers, while the mountain track crosses Mélyvölgy bridge, the largest narrow-gauge railway bridge in the country.
If you want to practise some winter sports while in Hungary, you’ll find some skiing paradises here. The Mátraszentistván Ski Park is located six kilometres from Galyatető and has 10 ski runs. Those of you brave enough can head to the piste on Kékestető, where you can start your descent from a height of 1,014 metres.