On ancient roads

The road that once connected Eger – and thus towns of the northern part of the Great Plains – to towns of former “Upper Hungary” ran over Bátor along the mountain ridge. The road leading to Kassa (Kosice) branched off over Szarvaskő and the other road, running over Bátor led to the north, towards Rimaszombat (Rimavská Sobota), Fülek (Filakovo) and Losonc (Lucenec). Products of mountain industry flowed to Eger from the towns of former “Upper Hungary”: work equipment forged from iron and pine wood sawn timber, while carts carried wheat from the Great Plains and wine from Eger to markets of “Upper Hungary” and herds of cattle were also driven there on foot. The road running along the mountain over Bátor also connected to this main trade route. Loaded oxen carts regularly left Bátor for the markets of Eger. On the night before the market heavy carts, loaded with crops, were pulled up to the place called “Szekeralló” (Cart Stop) on the top of the mountain. Carts were left there overnight and people and oxen walked back to the village. The next day at dawn they attached the well-rested oxen to the cart on the mountain and as the road on the mountain ridge is almost consistently descending until it reaches Eger, animals arrived fresh in the market.

The former inn was built for this busy trade route on the “Csárda-hegy” (Inn Mountain), but today only place names (Csárdahegy – Inn Mountain, Csárdahely – Inn’s Place), old maps and oral tradition hold the memory of the inn. As legend has it the famous outlaw, Márton Vidróczki also visited it. He was born in nearby Mónosbél and contrary to popular belief he lived in the Bükk mountains and only spent the last two years of his life in the Mátra mountains. According to oral tradition he once drove away 300 sheep from the Bátor manor of the Chapter of Eger. He roasted the sheep on the neighbouring mountain and invited people from nearby villages to the feast. The place is called “Báránysütő” (Lamb Roaster) since then.