Mária-út, M01-31 (Sajópálfala – Hernádkércs)

The Mária-út M01-31 is a 23.78 km point-to-point pilgrimage trail in northeastern Hungary, gaining 200 m of elevation across largely flat terrain. Rated Grade I (easy), this stage connects Sajópálfala to Hernádkércs via the market town of Szikszó, following signed field paths and village roads through the gentle Sajó–Hernád river valley landscape.

About the Mária-út, M01-31 (Sajópálfala – Hernádkércs)

The Mária-út (Mary's Way) is Hungary's most significant long-distance pilgrimage walking network and a key component of the International Walking Network (IWN). Its main backbone route, the M01, stretches northeast from Budapest toward Csíksomlyó (Șumuleu Ciuc) in Romania, where tens of thousands of pilgrims converge each Whitsun for one of Central Europe's largest Marian gatherings. Stage M01-31 is one link in that chain — the thirty-first of many waymarked sections between the Hungarian capital and the Romanian shrine.

This 23.78 km stage departs from the small village of Sajópálfala, immediately east of Miskolc — Hungary's third-largest city — and follows waymarked paths through five settlements before reaching Hernádkércs on the western bank of the Hernád river. The terrain is characteristic of the Northern Hungarian transition zone: the volcanic uplands around Miskolc give way here to gently rolling agricultural land, with wide fields of sunflower, wheat and maize stretching toward the horizon.

With just +200 m of cumulative elevation gain and −180 m of descent over 23.78 km, M01-31 sits firmly in Grade I (easy) territory. Paths are clearly signed with the Mária-út's distinctive waymarks, and the route crosses no high passes or technical ground. Pilgrims and day walkers alike tackle it in a single long day of 6–7 hours' walking. For those aiming for a faster pace through Hungary's countryside, the stage also compares interestingly in character with the Theth to Valbona hike in Albania — though the Hungarian route trades Alpine drama for deeply rural cultural immersion.

The Mária-út is maintained by the Mária Út Közhasznú Egyesület, a Hungarian nonprofit association dedicated to developing and sustaining the network. GPX files and route cards for every stage are freely available from the official website, mariaut.hu.

Route Overview & Stages

M01-31 divides naturally into five sub-sections based on the waypoint villages. Distances below are derived from GPS track data; cumulative totals match the official 23.78 km and +200 m elevation gain. The route follows a predominantly eastward bearing from Sajópálfala toward the Hernád river valley, with the gentle undulations of farmland providing a rhythmic rather than demanding walking experience.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Szikszó Medieval Church — Szikszó received market-town status in the Middle Ages and its centre retains a handsome late-Gothic Reformed church dating from the 15th century. The church square is also the stage's main resupply point at 8.2 km: shops, a café and drinking-water fountains are all found here.
• Aszaló and the Tokaj-Hegyalja Fringe — The name aszaló means “drying house” in Hungarian, a reference to historic fruit-drying traditions. The village sits at the southwestern edge of the Tokaj-Hegyalja UNESCO wine region; small family wine cellars operate on its outskirts and offer a rewarding cultural detour from the main route.
• Halmaj Farmland Panorama — Flat open fields around Halmaj give sweeping views north toward the Zemplén Hills. Look for white storks (Ciconia ciconia) nesting on chimney stacks between April and August — a quintessential sight of rural northeastern Hungary that walkers on this stage regularly encounter.
• Kiskinizs Riverside Approach — The final kilometres before Hernádkércs drop gently toward the Hernád river. A patchwork of riparian poplar and willow woodland along the bank breaks the open-field scenery and provides welcome shade in summer months.
• Wayside Shrines and Marian Crosses — The Mária-út is punctuated throughout by small devotional roadside shrines, stone crosses and képoszlopok (picture pillars) — key cultural markers of rural Catholic Hungary. Between Sajópálfala and Hernádkércs, walkers pass at least four such shrines, each serving as a natural pause point.
• Hernádkércs Stage-End Marker — Hernádkércs is a quiet village on the Hernád's western bank. A pilgrimage boundary stone marks the official end of M01-31; the next section, M01-32, continues northeast toward Mád and the heart of Tokaj wine country.
• Sajó Valley Exit — The opening kilometres out of Sajópálfala cross land near the Sajó drainage system. Seasonal wetland birds including grey herons (Ardea cinerea) and great egrets are regularly spotted in the reed margins of field ditches throughout this opening section.
• Pilgrimage Stamp Points — Churches in Szikszó, Aszaló and Halmaj all offer pilgrimage stamps (pecsét) for the official Mária-út passport booklet. Collecting stamps is a valued tradition on the route and provides a tangible record of progress toward Csíksomlyó.

Best Time to Hike the Mária-út, M01-31 (Sajópálfala – Hernádkércs)

The single best month to walk M01-31 is May. Spring (April–May) offers mild daytime temperatures of 15–22 °C, firm trail surfaces, wildflowers edging the field paths and fruit trees in blossom across the village gardens. Precipitation is relatively low and days are long enough to complete the full 23.78 km comfortably in daylight.

Summer (June–August) is manageable but demanding. Afternoon temperatures on exposed field sections regularly reach 30–34 °C and shade is scarce between villages. As of 2026, extreme-heat alerts in northeastern Hungary have become more frequent in July and August; if walking in high summer, start before 07:00, carry at least 2 litres of water per person and plan a midday rest stop in Szikszó.

Autumn (September–October) is the second-best window. Harvest festivals animate Szikszó and neighbouring villages, temperatures ease to a comfortable 12–20 °C, and the golden light over the Hernád valley is particularly striking in late October. Trail surfaces remain firm until the first hard frost.

Winter (November–February) walking is possible but cold, with temperatures ranging from −5 to +5 °C and short daylight hours (sunset around 16:00 in December). Paths can become muddy after snowmelt and some rural guesthouses close for the season, making accommodation planning more difficult.

Practical Information

Accommodation

Szikszó, at roughly the midpoint of the stage (~8.2 km from the start), is the most practical overnight base. The town offers a handful of small guesthouses (panzió) typically priced at €20–40 per person per night for a simple en-suite room with breakfast included. Aszaló and Halmaj have no dedicated pilgrim hostels, but local farmhouse hosts sometimes take in walkers — the Mária Út Közhasznú Egyesület maintains a regularly updated accommodation directory on its website at mariaut.hu.

Wild camping is not formally permitted along this stage; all surrounding land is actively farmed. Pilgrims with tents are advised to seek landowner permission or use established campsites in Miskolc (~€8–15 per night for a pitch). Budget summary: guesthouse in Szikszó €25–40 per night; pilgrim shelter where available €8–15 per night.

Getting There & Back

Start — Sajópálfala: The easiest approach is from Miskolc, approximately 15 km to the west. Miskolc is served by direct InterCity trains from Budapest Keleti station (approximately 2 hours, ~€8–14 standard class). From Miskolc, local buses run toward Szikszó (journey time ~35 minutes) with a stop at or near Sajópálfala. Check current timetables on MÁV Hungarian Railways.

Finish — Hernádkércs: Local buses connect Hernádkércs back toward Szikszó and Miskolc, but frequency is low — typically 1–3 services per weekday. Plan return transport carefully before setting out; a taxi from Szikszó costs approximately €10–15 and is a practical option for small groups or when buses do not align with finish times.

Nearest airport: Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD), approximately 170 km southwest. Car rental or onward train travel are the most practical connections; allow at least 2.5 hours total travel time from BUD to the trailhead at Sajópálfala.

Permits & Fees

No permits are required to walk M01-31. The Mária-út is a freely accessible public walking route with no trail fee or registration obligation. Walkers may optionally collect a pilgrimage stamp (pecsét) at churches along the route as a personal record of progress; the official Mária-út passport booklet is available from the Mária Út Közhasznú Egyesület for a nominal fee and makes a meaningful keepsake. GPX files for all stages are freely downloadable from mariaut.hu.

Gear & Packing List

At 23.78 km on easy, largely flat terrain, M01-31 does not demand technical hiking equipment. The priorities are comfort over a full walking day, reliable sun protection and sufficient water capacity for the exposed agricultural sections between villages where shade and resupply points are limited.

Footwear: Lightweight trail shoes or low-cut hiking boots with good cushioning suit the hard-packed field tracks and village roads. Waterproof footwear is a practical advantage in April–May when paths can still hold moisture from winter rain.

Water and nutrition: Carry a minimum of 1.5–2 litres from each resupply point; Szikszó at 8.2 km is the main opportunity to refill. Our guide to how many calories you need hiking a full day can help you plan your food strategy — for flat terrain at a moderate pace, budget around 400–500 kcal per hour of walking.

Backpack: A 20–35 litre pack is sufficient for a single-day walk. Pilgrims completing multiple consecutive stages and carrying overnight kit need a comfortable 45–65 litre pack with a well-fitted hip belt. Three strong options:

• Deuter Aircontact Lite 45+10 — a European-made workhorse with excellent back ventilation, particularly well suited to warm lowland walking conditions.
• Osprey Aether 65 — a versatile high-capacity pack for multi-day pilgrimage stages carrying sleeping kit and food supplies over several days.
• Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L — an ultralight option weighing under 700 g, ideal for pilgrims walking extended Mária-út sections back-to-back where every gram matters.

For a detailed side-by-side comparison of the top ultralight options, see our Best Ultralight Backpacks of 2026 review.

Sun protection: A wide-brim hat, SPF 30+ sunscreen and UV-rated sunglasses are essential on exposed field paths from May to September. Navigation: Download the free GPX file from mariaut.hu before departing; waymarking is reliable throughout the stage but a GPS backup is sensible practice on any route over 20 km.

Similar Trails You Might Like

The pilgrimage landscape of northeastern Hungary offers some of Central Europe's most atmospheric long-distance walking. If M01-31 resonates, these routes provide complementary experiences across different terrain and cultural contexts:

• Camino Benedictus, Tihany–Pannonhalma–Lébény–Mosonmagyaróvár–Rajka — Hungary's Benedictine walking route crossing the Transdanubian hills; the country's most complete long-distance alternative to the Mária-út network.
• ST307 Nagylók – Mezőfalva — an expert-rated lowland section south of Budapest for experienced walkers looking for a greater challenge.
• ST311 Kalocsa – Bóni-fok — a demanding trail through the Danube–Tisza interfluve, passing through Kalocsa, famed across Hungary for its paprika and embroidery traditions.
• ST202a Čunovo – Lipót — expert-rated riverside walking along the Danube near the Slovak border.
• ST203a Lipót – Győr — follows the Danube corridor into Győr, one of Hungary's finest baroque cities and a natural rest point for long-distance walkers.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best time of year to walk the Mária-út M01-31?

May is the best single month. Spring (April–May) brings mild temperatures of 15–22 °C, firm trail surfaces after winter's wet period and wildflowers across the field paths between villages. Autumn (September–October) is the second-best option, offering comfortable walking temperatures and harvest scenery. Avoid mid-July and August where possible — afternoon temperatures regularly exceed 32 °C on exposed sections with limited shade between Szikszó, Aszaló and Halmaj.

How difficult is the Mária-út M01-31?

The stage is classified Grade I — easy. Total elevation gain is just 200 m over 23.78 km, and the route follows hard-packed field tracks and village roads rather than mountain terrain. It suits walkers of most fitness levels; the primary challenge is distance rather than technical difficulty. Allow 6–7 hours of walking time plus rest stops, and plan a midday break with food and water in Szikszó at the 8.2 km mark.

How far can I walk per day on this stage?

Most walkers complete M01-31 in a single day of 6.5–7.5 hours at a steady pace of approximately 4 km/h on flat ground. The full 23.78 km is a solid but very achievable day's walk. Pilgrims linking multiple consecutive Mária-út stages sometimes split M01-31 across two shorter days to balance daily distances or to avoid prolonged afternoon heat exposure in summer months.

Where can I stay along the Mária-út M01-31?

Szikszó, the main town at roughly the halfway point (~8.2 km), has the best overnight options: small guesthouses at €20–40 per person per night with breakfast. Accommodation in Aszaló and the smaller villages is limited and not always available year-round. The Mária Út Közhasznú Egyesület maintains an updated accommodation directory at mariaut.hu. Book ahead in May and early June when pilgrimage traffic on the M01 route reaches its annual peak.

Are permits or fees required to hike the Mária-út M01-31?

No permits or trail fees are required. The Mária-út is a freely accessible public walking route. Walkers can optionally collect pilgrimage stamps at churches in Szikszó, Aszaló and Halmaj using the official Mária-út passport booklet, available from the association for a small fee. The booklet serves as a practical keepsake and a record of progress along the full route from Budapest to Csíksomlyó in Romania.