From Vértes to Lake Velence through Mars

Itinerary

• From Szárliget railway station, head northwest along Baross Gábor Street following the National Blue Trail markings.
• After leaving the last houses, continue following the K marking on the asphalt road.
• Cross main road number 1 and keep going straight on the forestry road leading all the way to Vérteskozma without turning off.
• At the end of the forestry road, turn right to enter Vérteskozma. The village is a dead-end, so leave the same way you arrived.
• A few kilometers ahead, the road merges into the Csákvár-Környe connecting road—turn left towards Csákvár.
• At the next junction turn right towards Székesfehérvár — this road leads to Gánt. The bauxite mining museum is located south of the village at the mining site, so you have to ride through the village and then roll 1-2 kilometers to the Mars-like landscape.
• You can also reach Csákvár from here via the Vértesalja road, but due to heavy traffic, it's better to return to Gánt, cross the village, then turn right at the first junction to approach the city.
• Arriving in Csákvár, reach one of the main roads (Dózsa György Road) via Gánti and then Petőfi Streets — turning left leads to Esterházy Castle with a few hundred meters detour; the route continues right.
• Where Dózsa György Road joins Kossuth Street, turn left, then at the first opportunity (Berényi Street) right towards Székesfehérvár/Velence.
• In Lovasberény, at the traffic light intersection turn right, then left opposite the castle onto Kossuth Street, which continues as Arany János Street after passing the school with a slight left bend. At the next large junction, turn right towards Velence (Kinizsi Street).
• Reaching Nadap, take a short detour to the leveling benchmark; the route continues on Sukoró Road (turn right into the first street) — bike marks are painted on the asphalt and the street continues as a bike path over the ridge to Sukoró.
• In Sukoró, reach Öreg Street and turn right, then again right once you reach the main square. Pass by the right side of the church on Fő Street and then Szilvás Street downward; upon reaching Borjúvölgy, turn right and follow the valley road (Pince Street). At the first opportunity (Kilátó Street), turn left, then left again at the end of the street (Fehérvári Road). After the first (Rákóczi Street) turn right and ride straight for two kilometers to the Lake Velence cycling path.
• Upon reaching the bike path, turn left and follow it to Velence stop.

Detailed description of the route

Szárliget, the starting point, had the curious original name Rokkanttelep until 1930. This indicates that although Celts, Romans, and Huns once lived here, it was not a village from the Árpád era named after a clan leader. Going back to the early 1900s, the Hungarian General Coal Mining Company bought the land, parceled it, and sold plots to their disabled pensioners and officials. This neat village became independent in 1989, thanks to the discovery of the Tata coal basin and the started coal mining. So, don’t expect centuries-old monuments but a local confectionery might be as tempting as a church ruin. Also on the way is a small memorial showing the history of the narrow-gauge railways in the Vértes region.

Forward on the plan road!

It’s worth stopping at the memorial for a moment as the first few kilometers follow the former narrow-gauge railway’s route. The forest railway operated from 1918 to World War II; the tracks were removed in the late 1940s or early 1950s, but the past has not vanished without a trace. Firstly, the paved forestry road (also called the “plan road”) towards Vérteskozma was built on the railway route, clearly showing the former main line. Secondly, maps of Vértes show parts of branch lines marked “old railway,” letting us imagine the approximately 14-kilometer network where trains carried wood and sand, transferring cargo at a timber yard still in operation next to the railway station.

From Szárliget, we follow the “plan road” tracing the narrow-gauge railway to Vérteskozma, with gentle slopes rather than steep parts. Under canopy trees, one can imagine the little steam locomotive chugging past Szálláskút’s slightly spooky forester’s lodge and winding through hairpin bends to Fáni Valley.

The narrow valley may be named after Countess Franciska Esterházy or a young woman named Stefánia, reportedly abducted by a hunting gentleman with force after sweet words failed the church altar-bound lily-of-the-valley gatherer. The sinuous gorge is strictly protected due to its unique microclimate with diverse habitats close together, rich biodiversity: north-facing steep, sometimes cliff-like or terraced slopes are home to cold-resistant species (e.g., bear's ear primrose, grey thistle); southern slopes and valley edge plateaus host warmth-loving plants (e.g., laurel-leaf honeysuckle). Remarkable bizarre rock formations rising steeply amid the trees are also worth observing.

Leaving the valley, one arrives at Vérteskozma, a small dead-end village worth a short detour. Formerly part of Gesztes castle lands, it was depopulated during Ottoman rule and currently belongs to Gánt. The Esterházys re-settled German farmers in the 1740s, forming a neat Swabian village. The German population lived here for about 200 years until all 68 families were expelled in 1946 — a memorial was erected in 1992 in their honor in what is now a quasi-resort village with a hunting lodge and a tourist house for visitors.

From Vérteskozma, continue towards the “mother village” Gánt on the paved access road, with a pleasant descent followed by a tougher climb before a several-kilometer-long descent. Midway on the climb, a small parking lot on the right and a memorial on the left invite a short break. The large double cross honors the 1945 battles in Vértes by the Royal Hungarian 1st Hussar Division. The last Hungarian mounted army unit held out against the Red Army's flood for over two months, using the terrain to temporarily relieve German forces pressured by Soviet superiority.

Heading to Mars!

After reaching the hilltop, a long descent leads to the Gánt bauxite mine. At the busy Csákvár-Környe road, turn left, then quickly right towards Székesfehérvár. After a pleasant descent, the landscape opens, and passing the pastures around Gánt, enter the village whose history partly resembles Vérteskozma’s: depopulation during Ottoman times, followed by Slovak and German settlers. However, in the 1920s, the opening of a bauxite mine brought great change. Bauxite, the raw material for aluminum production, was discovered around a hundred years earlier near Les Beaux-de-Provence (from which its name is derived due to its reddish sedimentary rock).

The Gánt bauxite mine was the then-largest known deposit in the world, contributing a third of global production, mechanized accordingly (though initially mined by hand). Open-pit mining extracted a total of 13.6 million tons until 1988, with ore transport solved by a narrow-gauge mining railway leading to Bodajk where it was transferred to the main railway. The mining pits left massive but attractively colorful scars in shades of red, purple, and various hues, making visitors feel like walking or rolling on Mars. The museum named after Jenő Balás, the bauxite discoverer, offers full information about the ore and mining, along with a nature trail aiding exploration.

From the pits, head back towards Gánt to reach Csákvár — an alternative shorter route on the Vértesalja road exists but heavy truck traffic due to a neighboring dolomite mine makes it less preferable. So, you cycle through Gánt again, then leave the village and turn right at the Csákvár junction to reach the “capital of Vértes” via a low-traffic road near Gém Hill.

Csákvár, the capital of Vértes

The village’s history reaches back to the Conquest era: Előd received the eastern part of Vértes from leader Árpád, inherited by Szabolcs son, founder of the Csák clan. The Csáks held the area for centuries, then from the 1500s it belonged to the Nyári family, and ultimately in 1638 by marriage became part of the Esterházy estate. Thanks to the noble family, the largest attraction is the castle built between 1760-65 modeled on the Fertőd design, now functioning as the Fejér County Szent György Hospital Csákvár Institutes. The classical English park around the castle is freely accessible.

Beyond the fence, a Soviet war memorial modified by locals with an additional plaque reading "Whatever your nation, peace upon your ashes" makes it acceptable to all. The Reconciliation Memorial Park’s plaque states the bloodshed of Hungarian and German troops in Vértesalja was utterly pointless, as on the Eastern Front. Of course, 720 Soviet soldiers buried in the castle’s front park never returned home; the memorial now honors all victims, differing from the original Soviet monument.

Further from the castle, two interesting buildings can be explored with a short detour. The Powder Tower (or Gunpowder Tower) is a square, two-story brick building. The lower part is open with pointed arch openings on four sides; the upper floor has a door with three observation openings — a curious building, with its original purpose only guessed by local historians. It may have been a watchtower or possibly a game lookout. From the late 18th century, it might have been used to store gunpowder during military conscriptions far from the village, hence the current name.

The other building was erected at the end of the 18th century by Count János Esterházy’s wife, Anna Mária Pálffy, as a “Turkish” tower. The octagonal part’s door was decorated with sun, crescent, and stars; atop was a small wooden-columned pointed canopy with a Turkish crescent. Later used as a hunting chapel dedicated to Eustachius, it now serves as Saint Francis Chapel guarding the tourist path to Vérteskozma.

Towards the Velence Hills

Before continuing toward Lovasberény, it’s worth recharging at Csuta Confectionery, winner of the ice cream of the year in 2010 and 2012. The low-traffic road to Lake Velence winds through fields on the eastern edge of the Zámoly basin, offering last views back towards the Vértes massif. After climbing a small hill, the lower peaks of the Velence Hills appear in the distance.

Lovasberény lies in fertile land between the southern Vértes and northern Velence Hills at the Rovákja stream. Its most interesting sight is an impressive castle even in a ruinous state. The noble residence’s foundations date back to the 15th century somewhere under the southwestern wing; it gained its current form between 1804 and 1810. The classical-style castle, once surrounded by an extensive English park with artificial lake, waterfall, and island, began to decline after nationalization, housing a machinery station and offices from 1951. Though no longer rivaling its luxurious peers, the castle is accessible for a small entrance fee. It’s a unique experience to learn the castle’s history within nearly bare walls. Nearby is a chapel in somewhat better condition — the Alcsút road once ran between the two but was relocated when the castle took its current shape.

Granite benchmark

From Lovasberény, head towards Nadap — prepare for a tough, short but steep climb on the side of Meleg Hill, the highest peak of the Velence Hills, followed by a few minutes of coasting until reaching Nadap. The small village is mainly known for its leveling benchmark, of which two exist: one gives altitude relative to the Adriatic Sea, the other to the Baltic Sea. (The former was the reference in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, the latter in the Warsaw Pact countries.) The Dual Monarchy’s military cartography designated seven main leveling points in the empire; at these, the rock surfaces were polished and obelisks erected — the marker still stands a few meters from the village’s last houses. The Velence Hills were chosen due to their geological stability as Hungary’s oldest mountains, mainly composed of approximately 300-million-year-old granite formed during the Variscan orogeny.

After viewing the benchmark, there is nothing left but to approach Lake Velence on a true cyclist’s highway: between Nadap and Sukoró, a beautiful bike path follows a former dirt road, a model of its kind. It’s not worth just rushing through Sukoró (although conditions allow), and the first stop should be at Gyapjaszsák on the village edge. The formation is a well-known rocking stone (similar ones are found near Pákozd and inside the hills) — a granite block exposed by erosion that resists time.

Sukoró’s pretty main square hosts a Reformed Church where on September 28, 1848, an important war council took place: the leaders of the Honvéd army, joined by Prime Minister Lajos Batthyány, decided how to confront Jellasics’ imperial army (they agreed to fight only if attacked). The battle later named the Battle of Pákozd started the next day with the imperial attack, which faltered by evening; Jellasics requested a ceasefire and hurriedly left the country towards Vienna. After the victorious battle, the legend states the soldiers celebrated at the wine cellar row in Borjúvölgy, where the folk house is also located. Today, the Zsuzsi Tavern near the bus stop is the main place to celebrate (also a confectionery is found here), or one of the village’s two inns.

Since a few kilometers remain, the direction is towards the lakeside bike path (the previously known bike highway continues here as a very good mixed-use road), then turning left at the lakeside rowing course to reach Velence. Those with remaining energy can decide to cycle up to the Bence Hill lookout. Designed to resemble a wind-swept tree, curved leaf cup, flower petal, fossil, or possibly a snake or grass snake’s head, the lookout offers views of the lake, Velence Hills, and further beyond the hills of Buda, Vértes, and Bakony.

Back in Velence, the town is mostly known for its beaches (perfect for a refreshing dip in summer after the tour), and also has three castles: one serves the public as a library (Meszleny–Wenckheim mansion), one awaits a savior in rather ruined condition (Hauszmann–Gschwindt castle), and one is privately owned (Beck castle). Besides the well-deserved swim, you can enjoy classic lakeside gastronomy at the buffets (even outside peak season) — who wouldn’t appreciate a cheese-sour cream lángos or a grilled sausage after covering 77 kilometers?