(source: Radovan Vojenčák)
With the weather improving in May, the possibilities for hiking trips have expanded.
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A team of reporters from the MY Novohrad regional newspaper has decided to take advantage of the nice weather and explore the Southern Hiking Path leading from the border crossing in Kalonda to Šiatorská Bukovinka. The path is more than 20 kilometres long, and may be divided into a couple of hiking stages.
One option is starting at the lookout tower in Lipovany, Lučenec district, which is located in the exact middle of the hiking trail, MY Novohrad reported.
After about a 15-minute walk towards the lookout tower, hikers will run into vast grasslands that offer a view of Hungary, as well as other parts of Slovakia. This location provides a nice opportunity for a picnic and rolling around in the grass.
Updates compared to previous visits
Arriving at the Southern Hiking Trail can be a logistical challenge. The reporters took two cars. They left one at the end of the Southern Hiking Trail, and took the other one through Čekanovce, along the hermitage and chapel at Galamba where hikers can make a short stop, and finally pass through Ratka to Lipovany.
The hiking trails offer several resting locations where hikers can find information boards providing more details about the region. Unfortunately, some boards are not well kept and have been overgrown by raspberry bushes.
The entire hiking trail is marked as a cycling route, consisting of a wide forest trail and similar to the state border.
The reporters encountered several novelties since hiking the path last time. This includes a new parking lot, located near the church in Lipovany. Moreover, several new benches were built along the path to the lookout tower, MY Novohrad reported.
In and out of the forest
The trail eventually leads through a forest where hikers can hide away from the sun, but should walk with a little bit of caution due to the possibility of motorbikers passing by.
A bridge built over a small gorge can be found along the trail as well. However, it is in need of a coat of paint if it is to serve well and keep hikers safe. There are a couple of climbs that are steeper, alternating with less challenging ones, as MY Novohrad reported.
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Ruská Bystrá (source: Tomáš Hulík)
