Circular hike in Eplény on the Holle anyó educational trail

Itinerary:

• We cross the tracks, then start northwards on the P trail.
• At the corner of the forest fitness trail, we switch to the KT trail, which, bypassing the Prédikálószék, passes by Holle anyó kunyhója and leads to the Malom valley.
• At Holle anyó kunyhója we join the P▲ trail, which we follow over the Ámos hill peak all the way to Eplény.

Details about the route:

From populated area to the ski slopes

We start from Eplény, the southern gate of the Bakony region on the P trail. The village was established in modern times. It first appeared in documents as a field belonging to Olaszfalu, where in the mid-18th century the Zirc abbey settled German serfs. Between the two world wars, a manganese mine operated next to the village, which played a significant role in its development. By the 21st century, its name became intertwined with the ski slope system operating on the hill above the village, which greatly increased the village's tourist appeal.

The P trail leaves the village northwards, passing under the sprawling oak trees and beside the playground. We walk on a wide gravel road along the hillside through a pleasant hornbeam-oak forest. Turning off near the playground and forest gym, we leave the P trail and switch to the educational trail marked with T, which incorporates informational panels explaining the forest environment and its creatures. At the first stations, we walk along straight lines following the forest's firebreak; after some time, we arrive at the bottom of the longest ski slope opened in 2018. We see all the way to the peak through the clearing cut into the dense beech forest, feeling the altitude difference before us.

From here we descend further. The trail turns left and after a few hundred meters guides us to a stream running at the foot of the hill in the next small valley. The route through the dense forest and rocky terrain is hard to follow, but if uncertain, the bulldozer road running on the other side of the stream also leads to Holle anyó kunyhója.

Visiting Holle anyó

We pass under the steep northern side of Prédikálószék, where we see the rocks giving the hill its name from below. Indeed, the dolomite cliffs rise pulpit-like above the valley; they are built of the remarkably thick, Triassic main dolomite that forms the main mass of the mountain range. In the shallow marine environment on the shores of the Tethys Ocean 250 million years ago, the total thickness of these rocks may exceed one kilometer. This limestone formation is the most characteristic in the Eastern Alps and the main component of the Transdanubian Hills – although here we only see the “iceberg peak” peeking out from the dense forest.

Following the stream, we arrive at the Malom valley parking lot for the ski slopes. Among the resort buildings at the bottom of the deep cut stands out the timber-structured house called Holle anyó kunyhója, which operates as a hospitality unit much to the delight of skiers. Here, halfway through our walk we can refresh ourselves a little in the shady depth of the valley, with a perfect view of the sliding slopes. In winter, this place welcomes the crowded skiers looking for a break, while outside the season it is deserted.

After the hut, we follow the flow of the Malom valley stream, where both the P and P▲ trails accompany us under the ski slopes; we follow the P▲ trail towards the peak. About a kilometer into the valley, the trail leads to a rest area equipped with benches, tables, and a shelter to serve tourists’ comfort. In summer, or if Holle anyó kunyhója is very crowded in the ski season, it’s worth coming here to rest before the climb up the hill.

The panorama of Ámos hill

After the rest stop, the P▲ trail crosses the Malom valley stream and, running in the dense hornbeam-beech forest, starts climbing the steep northeast side of the hill. The ski slopes seen earlier seem distant in this wild environment. Arriving at a saddle, the trail again follows the firebreak line – but at the next junction it’s worth following the P▲ trail bypassing the mountain from the west instead of the educational trail, which climbs much more naturally and with better alignment to the peak. Here we are closest to the military training ground to the south of us, where soldiers and NATO troops usually prepare by simulating wartime situations. The peace of the forest is often disturbed by the heavy artillery booming above Hajmáskér, although luckily only imitating battles in sound.

The path arrives at the top of the hill through a sparse ash-oak forest on a rocky trail, then merges into the service road for the cable car stations. Crossing this leads to the peak, where a short detour can be made on an unmarked trail bordered by a Kneipp path. Until 2024, there was a lookout tower here from which you could see the gently rolling Bakony surrounding forests, the meadow- and field-surrounded Olaszfalu, the wooded ridge of Papod to the west, and the silvery water surface of Lake Balaton to the south. The tower was demolished due to its deteriorated condition. Now only a resting place and minimal view greet visitors on the hilltop.

Returning to the hiking trail, we start descending through the young ash forest on the P▲ trail. Continuing towards Eplény, a pleasant rocky path leads along the southwest side of Ámos hill. We wind above the former manganese mine along the hillside, pass above the new settlement, and return to our starting point, closing our circular route on the familiar P trail.