Városlőd – Bakonybél (OKT 18th day hike)

The K trail arrives at Városlőd from Nagyvázsony and Úrkút, with the stamp found next to the German Nationality Country House, at the Fenyves pub on the corner. If the hospitality venue is closed, you can also find a stamp on the signboard on the other side of the road. From here, start the tour on Veszprém Street, then turn left onto Hölgykő Street, crossing under road 8, then over the railway at the town border.

Initially, walk on an open country road bordered by pastures on the asphalt leading to Csehbánya. After two kilometers, reach a fork: the Blue Trail (Kéktúra) turns left, and the KL trail turns right off the asphalt. The latter leads to the ruins of Hölgykő Castle via a one-and-a-half kilometer detour.

The remains stand on the 375 m high Csiga Hill above the curve of the Perési stream. The roughly 30x30 m stronghold has only its cistern and two parallel ramparts recognizable. The fort was reportedly built by Péter Csák in the second half of the 13th century. King Louis I founded a monastery nearby in 1364 and granted the predecessors of current Városlőd and the castle to the monks, who built their monastery from the castle's materials. In the rocky side of the hill holding the ruins lies the Hölgykő cave, a natural formation not part of the castle.

The Blue Trail leads briefly through forest, then northwards along a fenced, elongated pasture. Using a ladder, you must cross the fence, and for a segment, you walk along the electric shepherd corridor. After a few hundred meters, leave the pasture under the high-voltage power lines and turn into the valley of the babbling Torna stream. Here is the Pince Spring marked on the map (water collection point), accessible via a few meters detour following the K● mark.

In the densely overgrown valley, bridges and fords enable crossing the stream. Soon you leave the valley of the Vámos stream, following the Törédék ditch nearby but slightly away from the bed. On this section, the engineering regularity of the route may be noticed: once, the France-cut–Kiralykapu–Városlőd narrow-gauge railway ran here. In its heyday, the timber railway had a 36 km long track and briefly offered passenger transport in the 1960s. The track was dismantled by the end of the decade; only the embankment shows its former existence.

Above the Törédék ditch, walk in dense hornbeam-beech forest with a slight ascent. Gradually, you move away from the ditch and finally arrive at the Szénpajta rain shelter clearing, located at the crossing of the bauxite transport road marked on the map. 'Szénpajta' remembers the former charcoal burning in the mountainous woods of the area. The map also shows 'Érclyukak' nearby, a name referring to mining activities that took place here in the 18th century with bauxite extraction; raw materials were smelted mixing with manganese ore from Úrkút at the Kislőd iron forge.

From the forest resting area suitable for camping, continue towards Németbánya. First on a well-drivable gravel road, then at the bottom of the stream valley. In summer, expect overgrown paths in places. After reaching the hunting lodge, enjoy again the gravel forestry road leading through the lush Jäger meadow towards Németbánya. You’ll find a covered resting place and even a forest exercise trail along this pleasant section.

The K trail turns at the border of Németbánya, not entering the settlement. However, for stamping, we must detour about 150 m from the trail; the stamp is near the village sign. Németbánya is an 18th-century village whose glassworks were operated by German settlers consuming the surrounding beech forests. The factory produced 200,000 items annually, providing livelihood also for glassblowers from Farkasgyepű. Farmers cultivated good soil over glacial loess but most left during 20th-century relocations. Some old typical German houses remain—originally one-door buildings without verandas, unlike Hungarians, whose rooms opened towards a courtyard with a small porch. Germans gradually adopted this porch style, unique for Bakony, as a tourist guide from 1957 describes.

Németbánya – Bakonybél

Returning to the K mark, start climbing Szállás Hill’s slope, likely the steepest part of the tour through beautiful beech forest. Cross the bauxite transport road again, then follow the old railway line. The KΩ mark branching left leads to the lair of the famous Bakony outlaw Savanyó Jóska and the impressive Pénz-lik cave, accessible by a 45-minute detour. Although rich in speleothems and Bakony marl, its bat colony is protected by bars, so it’s visible only from outside, where a few moss-covered stones appear.

Continuing towards Bakonybél, the Middle Transdanubian Red Trail joins at the southern foot of Pápavár Hill. Nearby is a clearing with neatly arranged stone blocks called Sun Stones, erected in 2021 for forest visitors to experience nature's harmony through relaxation exercises.

Bypassing Pápavár’s steep peak halfway, proceed north on a wide gravel road offering comfortable passage and descent. The quiet beech forest surrounding emits a captivating atmosphere. Approaching Bakonybél reveals sunny clearings brightening the path.

Near the section’s end, spot a special small restored lime kiln on the road side. The limekilns were important to the region’s industrial history, burning lime for 250 years for sanitation, cleaning, and construction binder. The last fires in Bakonybél were during the early 1990s; one kiln was reconstructed in 2018.

From the bench-equipped spot, enjoy a beautiful panorama of the small mountain basin around Bakonybél and the central peaks of the range, including Parajos Hill and Kőris Hill.

The K trail finally leads past Gerence Guesthouse through a lovely grove and across the Gerence stream to enter Bakonybél. The popular resort village is famous for its Benedictine monastery, founded by King Stephen in 1018, a significant center of early Hungarian Christianity. Many hermits lived in the canyons and caves, naming the monastery after their patron saint, Saint Maurice. The monastery flourished during Árpád dynasty reigns but was abandoned during Ottoman conquest. Monks returned at the end of the 17th century, and a new golden era followed in the first half of the 19th century. The monastery was beautifully restored for its millennial anniversary in 2019, featuring an exhibition illustrating the monastic life and introducing Bakonybél’s two famous saints, Saint Günther and Saint Gellért.

One stamp is near the main street on a direction post, another at the Vadszőlő restaurant door. To get to the latter, proceed a bit along Fürdő street after the Blue Trail turns left. Bakonybél deserves a longer visit for several reasons: the Pannon Starry Sky Park offers an exciting interactive educational experience, and the Benedictine monastery awaits visitors. Also, the Szent-kút peaceful pond is recommendable at the village’s southern border.