Running at the beginning of March can still be treacherous, there can still be quite deep snow fields in the mountains, especially in shady sections the snow sometimes last until May. So we chose the route at lower altitudes. And this route is absolutely ideal for spring, it is runnable, often leads through meadows that would be too hot from the sun in summer. And in the middle of the hill there is a Hájovňa, where you can buy coffee, radler, cookies…
I recommend the route in this direction, with the first stop near Repiste, where Marcus Castle is located. It is a replica of a medieval castle, which was built only in the 21st century. It includes the Chapel of St. Barbara, which is one of the stops on the Barbora Trail. The chapel stands on the spot where miners once stopped on their way to work and prayed to their patron saint for good luck and protection. However, you will not be able to get to the bottom, as it is private property that is not accessible to the public.
From the Marcus Castle we continue along the Barborska Road to the Červená Studňa saddle, where the Červená Studňa tajch and Hájovňa are located. The construction of the tajch was designed by J. K. Hell. He wanted to use its strategic location to build a driving ditch that would bring water to the Amália shaft to power a water column pumping machine.
We had coffee and a radler in Hájovňa, and since it was warm, we enjoyed them in the sun on a bench in front of Hájovňa. Back to Vyhne we went along the ridge on the opposite side of the valley, along the Andrej Kmeť educational trail. This is a nice cycle path, which also offers views of the Marcus Castle. We turn off cycle path to follow yellow marking and to see the views from Jelenia skala. From its top, under favorable conditions, you can see the beautiful landscape from Tribeč to the Low Tatras. From the surrounding hills, you will see Vtáčnik, Kremnické vrchy or Pohronský Inovec.
From Jelenia skala we descend along the green path down to the valley and make up for the lost meters by climbing steeply along an unmarked forest path. We reach a not-so-used green tourist trail and follow it, descending slightly, to Hájska skala.
We return to the parking lot past the spa chapel of Our Lady of the Crown. This is an early work of the famous architect Ladislav Hudec. It survived the devastating spa fire in 1945 and today stands on a hill above the village as a monument to the spa’s past glory, hiding a sculpture of St. John of Nepomuk.
