Bél-kő, Protected summit in Heves County, Hungary

Bélkő-hegy is a limestone hill in the Bükk region, its white Middle and Late Triassic rocks forming the first member of the rock chain around the plateau. Quarrying removed the original flat summit, leaving a 150 m high, 700 m wide rock wall and an artificial crest at the end of the Bélkő Tanösvény trail.

Between 1963 and 2000, limestone extraction operations permanently altered the mountain's shape through large-scale material removal. This period left visible marks on the landscape that visitors can observe today.

The name derives from the Bél clan that lived here, and the correct form is Bélkő-hegy, not Bél-kő: Hungarian maps and official descriptions use the unhyphenated proper name. The hill is the first member of the rock line ringing the Bükk Plateau, and since 2003 the Bélkő Tanösvény study trail has led hikers to its artificial southwestern crag.

The Bélkő Tanösvény trail, opened in 2003, ends at an artificial rock outcrop on the former quarry rim, since the original summit was quarried away. From there the Bélapátfalva hills, the Szarvaskő ridges and the abandoned upper quarry are visible; on clear days the Tisza lake and the Tatra lie in view. The trail is marked, but the ground is uneven, so wear hiking shoes.

The area shelters strictly protected plant species including rock pink and early carnation, found in very few places across Hungary. These botanical rarities make the location particularly valuable for nature observers and give it special importance for conservation.