Csőszpuszta – Bakonykúti (OKT day 21 hike)

We find the stamp at the entrance of the Alba Regia Cave Research Center located between the branching roads. The research station was established to study sinkhole caves deepening into the karst plateau of the Tési Plateau. In the laboratory and exhibition rooms of the cavers' building, we can learn about the area's natural values, but prior appointment is required.

Leaving the research station, we cross the main road leading to Szápár by following the blue stamp mark, then turning right on the K signposted wide, gravel forest road under the canopy of trees, proceeding along the northeastern edge of the Tési Plateau. On our right, the plowed fields of the Galamb-berki vineyard open up the view – the Tési Plateau was covered with loess by the Ice Age winds, making its soil ideal for crop growing.

Before the winding road through the beech forest reaches Hamuház, a branch to the right leads to the KΩ mark, which guides us to the Alba Regia cave, the longest and deepest in Bakony, and the fourth deepest cave in Hungary. Visiting its closed passages requires permission and caving practice, so it does not offer underground experiences for amateurs.

We enter the beech forest and reach the Hamuház, which was once a hunting lodge and operated for decades as a hostel. This characteristic wooden porch building was demolished in 2025 to be rebuilt in a new form. Its name preserves its original function: centuries ago, one of the stages of processing wood ash fat, essential for glass production, soap boiling, and nitrate manufacturing, took place here. The 600 m round trip from Hamuház via the KL sign leads to the barely recognizable ruins of Csiklingvár. Once, small fortress walls rose at a slightly protruding point of the steeply descending water eroded side. Based on the nearby Királyszállás's name, it is assumed that the building might have been a small hunting castle where kings and nobles who hunted in the area occasionally stayed.

Moving away from Hamuház, we leave behind the closed karst plateau of the Tési Plateau and enter the beautiful Tűzköves Valley with its windbeaten beech woods. After briefly touching the asphalt of the forest road, we descend with a short winding path to a resting place and geological attraction. Near the forest resting spot equipped with a rain shelter, benches, and a fire pit, a spectacular rock formation catches the eye. One of the mossy, fern-decorated bench rocks preserved a sizeable ammonite fossil imprint for posterity – more than 100 ammonite species have been described here, several dozens for the first time worldwide. A few meters above the rocks, investigating further, we can also find the Kígyó Valley No. 2 cave.

Continuing the path, we soon reach a forest sanctuary, the former prayer place of miners of Kisgyón. In front of the cross, benches provide comfort for prayer or rest. From here, we turn left onto the valley road. We arrive at a junction near the Kisgyón nature-friendly settlement, where a miner statue commemorates a bygone era. On the clearing in front of the statue, benches and a fire pit can also be found.

Reaching Kisgyón, once home to mining families in a few houses, we arrive via asphalt road. Here, the Blue Trail's route leads right; however, we can decide to make a small detour (about 50 m) for the stamp to the closed Gyöngyvirág hostel and the nearby bench resting place, or continue along the K trail, where after 300 meters at a large junction near the Blue Trail's information board, we stamp. Kisgyón was formerly a village, depopulated during the Turkish occupation, then revived as a sawmill settlement. At the beginning of the 20th century, coal was discovered here, and mining started soon after; by mid-century, a small railway transported the extracted raw materials, and the settlement had a school. By 1972, the coal was depleted, the mine closed, the small railway ceased operation, but some houses were later repurposed as hostels from 1980 onwards. Since the late 2010s, the settlement has awaited renovation.

Kisgyón – Bakonykúti

Until now, our hike mostly descended, but after stamping, the first and essentially the only ascent of the section follows. There is no serious climb; we only have to reach the 315 m high Dóri Hill, where we pass through young beech woods and then hornbeam-oak forests. From the hilltop, we proceed for quite a while on a level track, then the slope called Köves-domb leads east, later south, across a chain of pine forests and meadows. At the forest edges, we can enjoy splendid views of the eastern Bakony's previously unseen bare peaks along our route.

This part of our journey leads on sun-exposed, dusty dirt roads, making for a tiring hike in summer. Passing under power lines and without the comfort of a rest area with benches and tables, we arrive at the forested edge of the wild Burok Valley below us. From our winding path crossing groves, we occasionally glimpse the deeply incised gorge bordered by primeval forest-like wilderness removed from forestry management. Although a marked hiking trail (P sign) runs down in the wild, fallen trees make it particularly difficult to traverse.

The K trail accompanies the Burok Valley for 2 kilometers, then turns onto the panoramic plain of Páskum-dűlő. From here, not only the characteristic highland of Eastern Bakony, the bare peak of Baglyas Hill with a transmitter tower, are visible, but also our final destination, Bakonykúti. A few steps later, on Szabadság Street, we can admire the charming small village’s neat homesteads. Several places are decorated with ornate carvings and beautiful wood sculptures, embellishing the settlement with less than 150 inhabitants.

In Bakonykúti, the stamp is found next to the Mayor’s Office and bus stop, affixed to a post.