At 938 metres, Csóványos is the highest peak in the Börzsöny range and ranks 20th among all Hungarian summits — yet it retains a wonderfully unspoilt, peaceful character. A renovated observation tower crowns the summit, offering one of the most sweeping panoramas in northern Hungary.

The mountain rewards visitors in every season. Spring brings fresh green beech forests, summer offers shady canopies on the climb, and autumn transforms the hillsides into a blaze of gold and copper. From the top on a clear day you can see the great Danube bend, the Ipoly river, and — remarkably — both the High Tatras and Austria's Schneeberg on the horizon. The terrain is moderately hilly and suits most hikers with a reasonable level of fitness.

• Marked and well-maintained hiking trails approach the summit from all four compass directions, including the famous Országos Kéktúra (National Blue Trail), Hungary's premier long-distance hiking route.

• The 22.6-metre concrete geodetic observation tower on the summit was built in 1978 and fully renovated and reopened on 9 October 2014 — climb it for a full 360° view.
• Next to the tower stands the Peace Memorial, erected in August 1964 by the Újpesti Természetbarátok Turista Egyesülete hiking club; some 1,300 people attended its inauguration.

The peak's older name was 'Korányos' — meaning 'dawn' — while the current name most likely comes from the Hungarian word for nettle ('csóvány'), reflecting the dense patches of stinging nettles that once covered the summit.