Forest-deep bike tour in Öreg-Bakony

Itinerary:

• If arriving by train and the water level in the Cuha valley is low (not much rain in the previous days), then start from Porva-Csesznek railway station, from where the P trail leads us through the scenic gorge to Vinye. Upon arrival in Vinye, we can also take a detour on the P trail to see the Cuha valley gorge.
• From Vinye, head towards Fenyőfő on the main road; on the right side is the Fenyőfő Ancient Pine Forest Nature Reserve.
• We cross Fenyőfő, then proceed straight on the other side towards Bakonyszűcs.
• When reaching Bakonyszűcs cemetery, turn left onto the main road, then again left at nearby Bakonykoppány, heading towards Bakonybél.
• At Huszárokelőpuszta, turn right onto the forestry dozer road.
• We pass Hubertlak, where we can walk out to the famous Bakony "Gyilkos" Lake.
• Returning to the forestry road after Hubertlak, the pavement changes to concrete. We follow the road all the way to the Bakonybél junction (Pápavár bottom).
• Take a short walking detour (400 m) to one of Bakony's most wild caves, the Pénz-lik, via the P+ trail.
• From here, continue on the dozer road (for a long time with the K trail) until reaching the border of Bakonybél and the valley of Gerence brook. Along the way, it is worth stopping at the reconstructed lime kiln on the right.
• Turn right onto the main road to enter Bakonybél, and before turning left to Cseralja street at the first bus stop, it is worth continuing straight to discover Bakonybél's sights.
• Leaving Bakonybél via Cseralja street, we follow the forest asphalt road through the wild valley of the initially Öreg-Séd.
• We pass the scenic Pörgöl cave, the junction towards Kőris mountain, the old Kisszépalmapuszta, and then the hunting lodge.
• After leaving the hunting lodge, at the junction turn left (following the P+ trail).
• Follow the dozer road (and the P+ trail on it), which initially slopes gently and then steeply leads us down to the wild valley of Hódos stream (here the S trail runs along the road). On the pleasant forest road in the valley, we reach the main road between Vinye and Fenyőfő, and turning right soon return to Vinye.

Detailed description of the tour:

Introduction to Bakony, from the Cuha valley gorge to the Fenyőfő Ancient Pine Forest

Whether starting in Vinye, at the gateway to the Bakony, which can also be reached by car, or at Porva-Csesznek forest-deep railway station, our first route stylishly leads to the best-known gorge in Bakony, the Cuha valley, which is also crossed by the country's most beautiful railway line (if arriving from Győr to Porva-Csesznek, you can experience this). It has always been a favorite spot for nature lovers and is one of the most striking places in the Bakony and a beautiful sanctuary in the High Bakony, certainly a worthy start for a forest-deep hike. The valley floor is marked by the P trail, but from Vinye it is unmistakably signed as one of Bakony's main attractions. You can ride a bike along the valley properly, and it offers a wonderful experience, especially if the stone-lined fords across the stream have much water! In rainy weather, crossing these fords can be quite challenging, whether by bike or on foot. Today, above the rushing stream, not only does the train run, but carabiners clack as well, since via ferrata routes run on the scenic cliff walls. The distance between Vinye and Porva-Csesznek is 5 km, which can be done leisurely by bike, but if walking the detour through the stony and wild valley of Cuha, be sure to allow time (10 km round trip, but you can return by train as well).

At the exit of the Cuha valley, there is a settlement once known as Vinye-Sándormajor, which was known for its parquet and sawmill owned by the Eszterházy family, operating from 1912 to 1998. Since then, Vinye has grown into a true tourist center, with considerable numbers of tourists on weekends in good weather.

Heading towards Fenyőfő on the main road for about 1 km, you will see the left turn of the S trail: here we will end up at the edge of the Bakony forest at the end of the tour. But that is still far away; many forest-deep adventures await! As we proceed towards Fenyőfő on the atmospheric main road, the pines soon appear: we arrive at the 450-hectare , protected since 1954, hosting the country's most beautiful Scots pine stand and one of the most special forests. If we just want to glimpse the forest and feel its atmosphere, it is advisable to turn onto the cart road from the right side just before the village, following the Z+ trail (we can tie our bikes to a tree).

What immediately strikes and will probably trouble us later is that here, a few meters away from the rocky slopes of Bakony, the ground is sandy. The explanation is that during the glaciations, the climate of the area resembled today's tundra regions, and sand transported by northern winds from the edge of the ice sheets accumulated and spread here at the foot of the mountains. Today's ancient pine forest is indeed ancient, but human influence is also evident in the landscape, though not immediately noticeable. Scots pine colonized the Carpathian Basin after the last ice age during the so-called pine-birch period. Later warming allowed deciduous forests to spread in the country, but on the poor sandy soil, the pine forest survived as a remnant of a cooler era. The uniqueness of this forest was highlighted by the famous natural scientist Pál Kitaibel. This ancient forest is also a fine example of human landscape transformation, as according to sources, all trees were cut down in the Middle Ages, but windblown sand made the area very problematic, and the Swabian settlers of Fenyőfő replanted the forest with pine seeds at the beginning of the 19th century. The nature reserve core area reflects conditions of about 150-200 years ago, although logging still occurs in parts, and on the northeastern side of the forest there is a reclamation area where from the 1980s to early 2000s the thickest bauxite deposit in Europe was extracted. In the tropical climate millions of years ago, clay rocks deposited on limestone weathered, and the red residue (bauxite) accumulated in limestone depressions in so-called lenses, later covered by newer rock layers.

From the foothills to the Bakony "Gyilkos" lake

Fortunately, we say goodbye to the pines but unfortunately not to the sand: returning to the main road, we cross atmospheric Fenyőfő, then the bike path cuts straight across to Bakonyszűcs. Indeed, especially in dry weather, the loose sand will frequently cause problems steering the wheels. Be careful not to fall! We will probably have to push the narrower-wheeled touring bikes at many points. If energy allows, enjoy the panorama of the High Bakony to the left! Fortunately, from halfway the route is on a stony road leading to Bakonyszűcs, which we actually do not see because we leave the village immediately after turning left at the church. However, this small village has a fairly large area: it includes the highest point of Bakony, the 709 m high Kőris mountain, the cave above Bakonybél known from the earliest writings, the Odvas-kő cave, and the Pörgöl cave encountered on our route.

Neighboring Bakonykoppány belonged to the Benedictine monastery of Bakonybél until the 16th century. Around its church, there are atmospheric peasant houses with a splendid panorama of the imposing Kőris mountain block. Turning towards Bakonybél, we leave the foothills and set off along the Gerence towards the High Bakony forest. We quickly reach Huszárokelőpuszta on the road to Bakonybél, then turn right onto the gravel forestry road. Our first challenging climb awaits, but the truly wild Bakony atmosphere balances our effort: on the left, stony, beech-covered slopes; on the right flows the Som-berek-séd (séd means stream in Bakony). On this very atmospheric road, we arrive at the Hamuházi meadow, where the former forest owner Esterházy family had a two-story hunting castle (turn left off the forestry road following the sign). The castle was partially destroyed in a fire in 1967 and the remains were demolished. Afterwards, the former count’s suite became the hunting lodge, and the foreman's house still stands. In 2014, the forestry renovated the houses nicely, which now operate as . We can rest at the atmospheric house and walk (500 m) to the famous Bakony "Gyilkos" lake, officially called the . The lake’s name comes from the fact that, similarly to its relative, the Transylvanian Gyilkos lake, tree stumps stand out of it, giving the place a special atmosphere. This was not created by a landslide but by humans who dammed the Hamuház stream in the mid-1980s; the stumps of alder trees that used to stand here are still visible. Standing on the lake shore, it becomes clear that the lake could rightfully compete for the title of the country’s most beautiful forest lake!

A true Bakony adventure: Savanyú Jóska’s hideout

Having recharged, we continue along a long winding forestry road through the Bakony woods, which soon becomes asphalted, easing our way. The hiking trail crosses the road near Királykapu after several kilometers. We roller-coaster 8.5 km through splendid forests until reaching the Bakonybél junction (Pápavár bottom). Here we can undertake another Bakony excitement, exploring the wild by a mere 400 m walking detour (marked P+). Only cavers are allowed in the 120 m long cave today, but here we can truly feel the Bakony atmosphere, since the Pénz-lik, not exactly cozy, was one of the hiding places of the famous bandit Savanyú Jóska according to legend. The most famous "resident" of the Bakony woods was surely Sobri Jóska, with alleged or real hideouts at several places in Bakony. His less known "colleague", Savanyú Jóska, was the most wanted bandit in the country in the 1880s and also operated in Bakony. His low stature supposedly helped him hide in the smallest rock crevices. Who knows how and for what he used the Pénz-lik? Judging from the name, the locals believed treasure could be found in the cave. In his 1886 trial, he was charged with 29 crimes but acquitted of murder; his character's perception was also influenced by his robbing of the rich. The main reason for nature protection is that the cave is now the wintering place for 12 protected and strictly protected bat species, making it one of the four largest bat roosts in Bakony. The stony rocky, beech-covered slopes of the cave faithfully preserve the bandit legend of the Bakony woods.

Resting in Bakonybél

At the junction of forestry roads towards Bakonybél, we turn left then enjoy a long descent on the well-built gravel road (the K trail also runs here). For a good while, our task is to hold the handlebar firmly and enjoy the rushing trees. After leaving the Hideg valley (and the P+ trail) coming in from the left, a small meadow appears on the right, worth stopping for. On one side of the meadow is a reconstructed lime kiln oven, where we learn that lime burning was practiced in Bakonybél for about 250 years. Occasionally, 200-400 kg of limestone was burned in the burning chamber heated to over 800 degrees Celsius, about half of which became lime used for disinfection, house treatments, binding agents, and was even transported to distant regions. Among the first chemical reactions discovered by humans, lime burning consumed 13-25 cubic meters of wood. According to the board, in the early 1990s, István Sekk, Károly Másli, and Ferenc Pék last burned coal here.

A bit lower, a high lookout tower offers a unique panorama of Bakonybél and behind it, the closed massif of Nagy-Som mountain with its forest reserve. The forestry road reaches the main road at the border of Bakonybél; heading right, we reach the settlement. Considering Bakonybél's sights (, , , ethnographic house), this is the place to break the bike tour with a night, and from here, further fantastic discoveries can be made on foot in the Öreg Bakony wilderness. We can explore the or take a really special following the footsteps of the Bakony Indians!

On ancient roads into one of Bakony's least known gorges

After leaving Bakonybél via Cseralja street, we quickly find ourselves in the atmospheric valley of Öreg-Séd. True Bakony rocky slopes with mossy rocks, a scenic streambed, and hidden historical landmarks accompany our way here as well. The most spectacular part of this forest road is the northeast wild slope housing the Pörgöl cave. The rocks tower directly above the road, but to see the cave, we can take a short walk (300 m) along the slightly earlier starting SΩ trail. The cave, officially named Száraz-Gerence cave, is 38 meters long and open for entry, a magical place deep in the forest worth contemplating how prehistoric humans lived here, whose finds were first unearthed in Bakony here.

Away from the forestry road in the stream valley runs the so-called Friends' Way (Barátok útja), which likely follows the forestry road overlaying a medieval road. This is no ordinary road: reconstructed and marked on maps in several places, built in 1702, the Friends' Way connected the Béli monastery with its mother institution, the Pannonhalma Abbey, making it probably Hungary's best-known medieval road today. Its mystique is enhanced not only by the beautiful beech forest "cathedral" but also by the presence of Százhalom, Central Europe's largest tumulus cemetery, which we can visit with a short detour on the S● trail—just a few hundred meters along the path.

Still pleasant and not steep, we reach the now-ruined Kisszépalmapuszta by bike. Taking the forestry road to the left, we can climb to the top of Kőris mountain for an unparalleled panorama, though the 5.5 km road includes a 250-meter elevation gain. We continue straight towards Vinye and after leaving Kisszépalma hunting lodge keep left (along the P+ trail), starting a long descent on the now gravel road towards the scenic gorge of Hódos stream.

The map shows we are in Zabola forest, a name preserving the memory of the Szapolyai family who established a Pauline monastery in the nearby village in the 15th century. The Hódos stream valley is probably one of Bakony's least known but very scenic gorges. The stream likely got its name from beavers, which surprisingly have also settled here in the mid-mountains, as WWF Hungary introduced beavers in the Gemenc, Hanság, along the Tisza, and Dráva between 1996 and 2008; moreover, in an area not passed by the stream in our route, near Porva, a beaver dam is even being built.

We roll into the gorge decorated with rocks where beavers are less active but where serious economic works took place long ago: a narrow-gauge railway built in 1917 twisted up here from the Vinyesándor timber yard as far as Imremajor, today's Ménesjáráspuszta. The former railway line is hardly visible today, but we should not rush too fast on the otherwise good quality and pleasantly sloping road. The mossy rocky walls and the atmospheric stream valley make for a worthy farewell to the wild Öreg-Bakony. Especially worth noting is that a few hundred meters straight line from here is the ancient pine forest, and on the slopes, in a truly Bakony way, 4,000-year-old earthwork fortifications stand (which can be visited by a 1.5 km circle on the SL trail). Such is the magical Öreg-Bakony!

Exiting to the main road, we turn right heading back to Vinye.